Kabius Grim
Titles
Archon of Shadow, Old Man Grim, The Elusive Shadow, The Unseen Hand, Master of Shadows
Race
Umbreal
Rivalries & Friendships
(TBA)
Appearance: Kibius stands at a solid five feet and nine inches while weighing roughly 180 pounds. His face is bold and severe, giving him an air of noble stature with a face that rarely smiles. This serious demeanor with his uncanny appearance gives him an intimidating presence despite his short height to other Archons. His figure being lean despite not being very tall (in fact, considered "small"), has a compact and strongly built body type with defined musculature. He is also possessed of a worn face that only shows a few signs of age, with high brows, and striking pure white eyes that glow with inhuman power. His skin his nearly obsidian black, with white tattoos in a bizarre zig-zag pattern on the left side of his neck. These arcane tattoos stretch across his whole body focused on his back and left arm. These often glow very faintly, and even more strangely they sometimes fade completely from sight.
Personality and Drive: Kabius is an astute man of refined tastes, who is possessed of a ruthlessly pragmatic mind. Always calm and in control, Kabius enjoys flaunting his unique position under Mother Night and is proud of the fact that from Archons to noble houses, all come to him for aid or knowledge. Even as they wisely mistrust him due to his position of spymaster and personal assassin too Izalith. In the Empire of Illyrica, intrigue and double-dealing are a way of life, and no one plays them better than Kabius. Kabius is only alive when he is with friends, and when he is taking risks. He has an
"insatiable curiosity and a desire to know — everything." This curiosity makes him antsy when he remains stuck in one place too long and drives his quest for personal exploration.
He has a very charismatic personality, surprising to some who judge him at face value, and is always willing to talk his way out of situations rather than resort to force of arms. Moreover, talking is what Kabius does best. His words easily work past the handicap of his mistresses evil reputation, able to turn potential enemies into allies. He loves irony, sarcasm, and wit. He is a shrewd manipulator and a brilliant tactician who is seemingly often prepared for any imaginable or unimaginable circumstances. Kabius's lieutenant Electra Morou notes a profound understanding of Kabius's personality. She recognizes that his feigning of weakness and sometimes foolish-seeming attitude is an elegant facade, underneath which lay a frighteningly intelligent mind.
History: As one of the first Archons to join Izalith, alongside his counterpart the current Archon of War, much of Kabius's origins is shrouded in mystery. He is a man of few words at best and never speaks of himself. The truth of his beginnings starts some three centuries prior to the birth of Illyrica as it is in present day. It was in the dark and ruined world following the disjunction and the chaotic War in the Heavens that Kabius was born to a small community that had thus far survived the devastation. His people learned well to hide and remain out of sight of the maraderuing vilespawn that traveled openly in those days. His people were the remains of a long forgotten kingdom brought to dust by the hordes of the Ancient Ones.
They were the last of the Umberan’s of the Kingdom of Umbra, known as the Shadowlands. They were masters of illusion magic and sorcery that entrapped the mind. These arts were used by a small group of surviving sorceresses to avoid following the doom of their kingdom as a whole. Through a combination of cunning architecture and more magical means, this small community of settlements began to eke out a life of survival if not thriving in the new world born by the Disjunction. Here Kabius learned first hand of the dangers that stalked the lands, personally taught the arts of illusion magic by his mother. A powerful shadowbinder and the most gifted in the art among her fellow Umberans.
Kabius proved a fast study, born of both talent and a brilliant mind that was equal only to his vast curiosity. It was one fateful day that his village’s luck had run dry, and was finally found by a band of Vilespawn. Knowing their doom his mother quickly told her then young son to hide saying, “Hide as I have taught you and they shall never see you.”
So it was with fear and heartache that the young Kabius hide beneath a hidden cellar while the town fended for themselves. All night and a day he hid, fearing being caught and dragged from his hole at last. However, he was not found and he waited a day and a night in total, long after the sounds of slaughter had ended before he dared to exit his place of hiding. What he witnessed had him lose what little food remained in his stomach at the sight of the horrors visited upon his people. He saw the desecrated corpses of his father and two sisters. The bodies of his younger brother and mother were nowhere to be found, but so distraught was he could not summon the willpower to look for them, fearing what he might find.
He wondered into the wastes without purpose, perhaps hoping to die himself. He collapsed and came to find himself in the care of another group of Umberan’s who had happened upon him. As he was neutered back to health sorrow made way to hatred. It was at that time Kabius vowed to never again allow such a disaster happen again to his people. Strength resorted Kabius threw himself into the arts of magic and learned to wield the innate magic of his people. He soon grew into a talented young mage and set about his own personal war against the vilespawn. Over the years he hunted down roving groups of vilespawn. Killing larger groups one by one, mastering the art of deception and illusions. He slowly began to make a name for himself among his own people and beyond.
Many whispered of the shadow that stalked the lands killing any vilespawn it found. Even the vilespawn themselves began to know fear and only talked of this figure in hushed whispers. Soon others began to be inspired by these tales, and soon Kabius had started a small following. He decided to train these men and women willing to defend their people against the creatures who would see them destroyed. His shadow war against the beasts was, in fact, one of the driving forces that lead to many of the vilespawn breeds being pushed into the dark places of the world or in the west that remained beyond Kabius’s reach. It was not long before ‘Old Man Grim’ was something of a legend. It would be centuries of these shadow war before the efforts of Kabius had finally almost single-handedly thinned the numbers of vilespawn in the heartlands of east Nachesh. His reputation soon led him to soon be sought out by Izalith before she had gained the name Mother Night. She confided in him that all his efforts would soon be for naught. As the day was fast approaching for the first Long Night. When the prison of Azueral would block out the face of Kammeth and shadow the world in darkness. Bringing a new age of doom with the emboldening and empowering of all vilespawn.
So with the aid of the Archon of War Kabius acquired the relics of power needed by Izalith to summon a spell that would shield the world from Azueral’s power. He succeeded in the end and thus was born Mother Night. As a reward for his services, Kabius would enjoy a position as Mother Night's most trusted agent. Freed from the worries of administration and bureaucracy Kabius has played the role as assassin and spymaster to Mother Night since the birth of the empire. Many are the would be exarch or even Archon who has been laid low by his hand, oftentimes personally.
Armaments
Claw of ShadesA weapon of potent magic power that was once wielded by a powerful vilespawn lord known as a Harbinger. Kabius bested this creature and took the weapon for himself. It is a terrifying weapon that is dangerous not only to those it is used against but also to the wielder. The weapon harbors some of the essences of its master. Making it a sentient artifact with powers that allow it to create ash and smoke at will and cut through any mundane armor; strong of will and possessed of arrogance. The sword can also intrude on the bearer's thoughts, turning them in dark and violence-inclined directions. Anyone who touches the blade or the handle of this sword unprotected would need to compete with it in a battle of wills. Failure means it will burn the flesh and skin of the wielder's head away. This ability is rarely used by Kabius, as it would require prolonged contact with the victim. Without defeating the blade in a battle of wills, the only way a person can safely use this item is by covering their hand with an enchanted gauntlet. This would keep the hostile will at bay. Kabius has long since dominated the will of the sword, firmly establishing the position of master and servant. No mean feat in its own right and reveals a will unmatched by most beings save Archons and the rare Exarch. Upon being willed by its wielder, the sword can leave trails of ash in the air, creating temporary opaque walls to give an edge in battle. It can also produce a strange black glow to act as a light in the darkness — though only its wielder can see it. It also makes its wielder invisible to magical sight oft possessed by Vilespawn. The sword is also enchanted so that even a small nick or cut can eventually prove fatal, as the wound will fester and eventually poison the victim if not healed with magic or treated.
Shadows BiteThis obsidian dagger of pure ebony black is Kabius's signature weapon as an assassin. It is among his most recognized, and in fact most feared weapons in his arsenal. A gift offered to him by Mother Night herself the dagger’s power is a truly malice one indeed. Those pierced by this weapon have their life force slowly drained by the magic contained within. Slowly empowering the wielder, healing wounds, closing cuts, and even adding the victim's years and life force to his own.
Coat of Ethereal WindThis silvery-gray coat seems to absorb light rather than be illuminated by it. An oddity of this long coat worn by Kabius is that it comes from an era long forgotten judging from its design. None are quite sure where he obtained it, but it is among his most trademark pieces of attire. It is also a rare item among relics, in that it was never enchanted with magic itself. But long association with the master of shadow has caused it to gain infamy in its own right. Granting it a few powers on its own without the aid of magic enchanting. Kabius is able to will the coat to part and transform into a pair of bat wings that allow him to fly. On command, the coat also makes its wearer ethereal, a power that can enact itself once a day when the wearer is in danger. The effect is dismissible. The cloak works for a total of up to 10 minutes per day.
Mount
This black steed of midnight black is a creature born from a nightmare. A gift given to a very rare and select few, a shadowmare is a sure sign of great favor from Mother Night. There is little known about these rare creatures for only a handful are said to exist. It is theorized shadowmare’s are originally normal horses that had been touched from Beyond and corrupted into the present form. Others believe they are in fact created purely from Izaliths magic though none can confirm. In any case, the one owned by the Archon of Shadow, called Masquerade, is a fine specimen indeed. Though he rarely rides the beast for he rarely has need of it. However, as a partly ethereal creature of shadow and night. It is capable of running over water, riding through nonliving objects, and is said to never tire. As it is fearless beast it is the perfect beast of war, and while the Archon of Shadow has little reason to ride along with the legions of Mother Night, Kabius is quite fond of it.
Discipline
Kibius Grim is the progenitor of the Shadow Dance art of magic that allows the manipulation and obfuscation of sight, deceiving the mind of others, or making them ignore what the user doesn't want to be seen. Shadowdancers use arcane magic to harness the power of shadow that stems from the Archon of Shadow. Always existing in the place where light and darkness met, shadowdancers were enigmatic and dangerous. Despite the connotations between darkness and evil, many shadowdancers toe the gray line. Shadowdancers need to drew upon the power of the shadows runs the risk of slowly losing themselves into what is called the 'fad.' In by which one who abuses this discipline slowly starts to lose parts of themselves to a creeping darkness. Still, this cost grants them the ability to hide that is extraordinarily potent. As a shadowdancer becomes more experienced, they can learn to command the shadows to do their bidding.
Abilities
Kabius is perhaps the greatest master of illusion and shadow magic to have lived. His powers to manipulate and summon spells of shadow and darkness allows him a degree of flexibility beyond mortal men. He is a tactical master, taking every advantage offered him and seeking to create more. His brilliant mind combined with centuries of experience makes him a truly deadly opponent. As he has spent years learning as much has possible of every Archon to the lowest noble with the aid of his vast spy network of shadowdancers. It is often said there is no whispered in shadows not soon learned by the Old man himself.
If ever in a conflict he relies on the obscuring power of shadows to conceal his approach. His mastery allows him to use them to move faster than a human possibly can, all without making a sound. Furthermore, over the centuries of service, Kabius has gained considerable experience in weaponry, allowing him to wield nearly any weapon with ease and lethal efficiency. That said, Kabius specializes in a two-weapon fighting style with the use of a dagger and a sword, with few able to equal him in martial skill save the current Archon of War. He generally wields his obsidian ebony dagger as a main-gauche in his left hand with the Claw of Shades in his right. However, his true power has always been in the gaining and selling of information. Due to his contacts, there are few events that can transpire within the Empire not soon learned by the Archon of Shadow.
