Konan375

Rebirth: At World's End

A commotion from behind Mortimer drew his attention. He turned his gaze from Ffamran to a snowbank a small distance away. The skeletal crow that had lived for nearly as long as he had was firmly stuck in the mound of snow. Well, lived was a relative term. He idly wondered if Creaky was brought here as well, or if coincidence brought his crow to this place. Mortimer shrugged. Didn't matter either way. He had his crow, and he felt just that much more whole.

A few short strides brought Mortimer to the snowbank. He reached down to pluck Creaky from the pile of snow, but the crow tried to peck at him. It cawed loudly and stared at him. "That's not nice," Mortimer muttered to Creaky. He tried to pull the bird out of the snowbank again, and this time, he was allowed to. Once he freed Creaky, he set it back down. When it was in one of its moods, the bird wouldn't let anyone hold it. Creaky shook itself free of the loose snow that had settled on its bones and went through the actions of preening itself. The bird had no feathers to fix, but it seemed to be a habit that had stuck with the undead crow.

Once it was seemingly satisfied with it's preening job, Creaky flew up onto Mortimer's shoulder, a feat that still puzzled him to this day. Mortimer gave another glance around the burned village. No souls to be put to rest here. Some dark magic had to be behind this. But was it from the Darkness, or something completely different altogether?

"Green Sage Sophia." Voices drew Mortimer's attention away from the burnt husks of houses. A black haired woman in leather armor and another woman wearing clothing not suited for snow and ice. He approached the women as they talked. The name was what originally caught his interest. He searched his journal on the Green Sage and spoke up as the one woman finished speaking.

"Unless you've been hunting for sport or starting fires in her forest, I doubt that there's a need for an apology." He nodded to the women. He smiled at the woman that had been speaking. "I don't think I caught your name."

Rebirth: At World's End

Sucks to hear, but oh well. Just to let you guys know I’m still interested in this, just waiting on some other people to post before I do.

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Leith Calder

Leith chuckled nervously at Althalus' comment. "Sorry about that. The thought of that Vitamancer has me stressed." He looked at the gathered group and sighed as Althalus talked about Henri. "I don't understand where this whole issue came from, but I don't think that should ruin this trip. I say once everyone gathers together we go out and explore Shimmerstone. Besides," he glanced at the ring on his hand. "I'm pretty sure I'll get a decent warning about the Shapeshifter, whoever she appears as."

Isn't that right? Leith directed his thoughts towards the ring.

Darius grunted in agreement. "Sounds good. I have some fights to win." As the man crossed his arms, Leith caught a flash of blue fabric affixed to a part of the Yarosmerean's clothing. An idea occurred to him.

Leith leaned towards Althalus. "You've got those cloths on everyone here for our game, right?" he asked as he nodded towards the cloth attached to Darius' shirt. "That could be another way to allow us to identify the shapeshifter. What say we call the game off and keep the cloths where they are?"

Rebirth: At World's End

Sophia may have a knighted badger, but Mortimer has a dead crow.

Wait a minute, that doesn't sound right...

Rebirth: At World's End

So many different people from so many different walks of life. Mortimer watched as the others got reacquainted with coming back to life. Some of them looked disoriented. Maybe their deaths weren't pleasant. Mortimer chuckled. Death was never pleasant. He looked to the redhead when she spoke up and told them all that they had all been chosen by the Pale Lady. It gave him relief to hear that he was seen as a hero by the Pale Lady. He doubted that the stories told of him made him a hero in the eyes of the public. At least his name wasn't linked to his history as Roaming Death.

His gaze shifted to the robed man, who introduced himself as Ffamran. The name didn't spark any memory, but what did was the name Dizarach. Mortimer's book slipped from his suddenly slack fingers into the snow below. He had found the lich's notes before his second chance, and they helped him become the lich that he had been so many years ago. Mortimer bent down and picked the book up off the ground.

Now that Mortimer had a name to use, he searched his book for information. "It's more of a cautionary tale." Mortimer glanced up from his book at Ffamran. "I don't know what your final words were, but miss Beoulve here died in the same battle that killed you. She and D--the lich killed each other." Mortimer looked back down and read aloud the notes he had written down.

"After it became clear that the lich had been using the kingdom of Entei Bahara for his own gain, a tenuous peace was formed between the two kingdoms after many tragic losses, including the first paladin Ravness Beoulve and the prince of Entei Bahara."

Mortimer turned through the pages of his journal. "This peace lasted between the two..." He flipped a few more pages. "For at least seven thousand years after the death of the lich. Of course, the kingdom had changed names and rulers several times throughout those years." Mortimer frowned as he reached the last page of notes. His words had been scratched frantically across the page.

"Due to geographical instability, the kingdom once known as Entei Bahara has been declared unsafe. The displaced have been pouring into Igros. Hundreds by the day. It is unknown how many have survived and how many have perished. Once everything calms down I will-"

Mortimer snapped the book shut. Enough had been said. He clicked his tongue twice and made a beckoning motion with his finger. He looked around, but nothing happened. Creaky wasn’t here. He chuckled. Old habits die hard. "That's about it for Entei Bahara. As for introductions, I am Mortimer Vandall."

From underneath a nearby snowbank came shifting movement and a muffled, panicked cawing of a crow. Then the snow shifted and a skull of a crow peered out from the pile of snow. It let out an indignant sounding cry and struggled to move but it was firmly stuck in the snowbank. It paused for a moment before it cawed loudly at Fiametta, the closest person to it.

Rebirth: At World's End

As pain filled Mortimer's mind, it occurred to him that his body was whole.

With all the energy that was being used to keep him alive for millennia, him being murdered would have caused all that energy to escape violently, destroying his body and the place he called home at the time. The fact that he could feel the cold and the dull phantom ache of a blade in his side told him that somehow his body had been remade. Maybe someone brought him back to place judgement on him for his "crimes."

Mortimer opened his eyes and sat up. There were others just waking up as well except for one. A woman with a shock of red hair and a sword he couldn't- wouldn't forget. The sword's likeness was emblazoned on the shields and tabards of the paladins of old, just like the one that gave him his second chance. He would have to see if he had anything in his journal about her or the paladins.

His eyes lit up as he watched the interaction between the man in white robes and the woman. A small spark of memory flared to life and quietly died. When the man asked the group about what happened to his people after he had died, Mortimer pulled himself to his feet and retrieved a small, palm sized notebook out his pocket.

Entei Bahara

He directed his thoughts to the book. The cover of the book pulsed gently with a white glow. He opened the book to find all the notes he had on the place. One note caught his eye.

'The Tragedy of Entei Bahara'

"Oh, it's been a long time since I've seen that play. I love tragedies." Mortimer said aloud to himself. Then he remembered where he was, and looked up at the robed man, and found an older man standing next to the man and holding out a jacket to him.

"I have a lot of notes on the empire," Mortimer said as he waved his journal at the man in the robes. "Spanning millennia, when did you die? Better yet, can I get your name? It might have been of note." He asked the robed man.

It was then that he noticed the dead village around him lacking the souls of the dead. Not a single spirit that he could see lingered around. It was almost as if they'd moved on, but with the marks of what happened, there had to have been at least one or two spirits locked in the memories of their deaths, but there weren't.

Mortimer shivered, but not from the chill in the air.

Rebirth: At World's End

Mortimer Vandaal

Mortimer Vandaal

Character Summary

Name: Mortimer Vandaal
Aliases: None
Titles: Roaming Death, The Tillerman, The Reaper, Lich.
Age: Stopped counting after the last few millennia. Looks like he's in his 40's
Place of Origin: Marelle
Kingdom: Igros
Gender: Male
Time of Death: 2,000 years ago

Physical Attributes

Eyes:Amber
Hair: Straight black hair that frames a long gaunt face.
Day To Day Attire: Dark grey's to black clothes of an undertaker.
Strengths:Strong magical capabilities. Knowledgable
Weaknesses: Frail, Taciturn, Bad social skills, Poor memory

Psychological Attributes

Aloof* Bitter* Stubborn* Kindhearted*

Sexuality: Asexual
Relationship Status: Single
Personality: Mortimer has seen many many many years, as such it has made him cynical and seemingly cold to those around him, but after a time spent with the paladins, he has developed a strong distaste for killing. Spend enough time with him and you’ll learn that deep deep down, he cares truly for the lives of others.

Skills

• Grand Master Necromancer: Mortimer has a way with the dead. Whether it be putting the raised dead to rest, or ensuring that the souls of those recently deceased move on peacefully. It was through Necromancy that Mortimer learned to extend his life. A secret that he has ensured that no one else learn.
• Master Mortician: Before he learned the art of Necromancy, Mortimer was a mortician. He determined the cause of death and prepared the dead for burial, cremation, whatever the next of kin wished done with the bodies.
• Master Healer: One doesn't learn how one dies without learning what can be done to prevent death. At least that's how Mortimer believes it to be. Give him sutures and medicine and he'll have you patched up quickly.
• Expert Cartographer: Mortimer has traveled almost all the World. As a way to pass the time, he mapped out his journeys and all the places he'd been to.
• Expert Lorekeeper: Mortimer's many years of life has taken a toll on his memory. Now he needs to take notes to remember what happened in the past few hundred years.

Magic

• Raise Dead: If need be, Mortimer can animate corpses to do his bidding. Souls need to be present for the bodies to rise. If no bodies are present, Mortimer can give a present soul an incorporeal form that can affect the world around it. The soul will dissipate after some time.
• Rest: Mortimer can remove the souls from the animated dead, regardless if it was raised by an angered spirit or a Necromancer.
• Speak with Dead: Mortimer can communicate with the souls of the dead who haven't moved on. They tend to linger around places of battle or slaughter, or if they died naturally, where their bodies rest.
• Life from Death: Mortimer has taken the energy of many souls to put towards extending his life for as long as he can. After his second chance, he only uses the energy that the dying give off or willing souls to extend his life, this energy could be given to other people, but it is unclear what would happen if he did.

Artifacts

A listing of acquired artifacts. Maximum of three.

• Soul Jar: A small black jar that Necromancers can put souls into. After reclaiming the artifact from a lich lesser than himself, Mortimer fills the jar with souls willing to help him in his journeys. Currently, he has three souls.
• Infinite Journal: A small leather-bound book the size of a regular journal. Open it and focus on what's needed and if there have been notes made about it, they will appear. Otherwise it will remain blank and allow for more notes to be put in.

History

Myth / Legend: There is much to be said about the Roaming Death. The calamity that would devastate battlefields, send armies of the dead to overthrow kingdoms, and destroy villages. Some may call it a great evil, but those who take a closer look would notice that the loss of one battle united the kingdoms against the threat of the Roaming Death, the unrest of the kingdoms before they were overthrown, the signs of cult activities in the villages. The Roaming Death was commuting necessary evils.

Before he was given the name of Roaming Death, Mortimer was a Lich in service to the Darkness, causing chaos and sorrow to the people around him. Of course, being a Lich brings unwanted attention. A party of adventurers lead by a paladin accosted his keep. Having defeated all but one, Mortimer was defeated by the paladin, who sacrificed himself to give Mortimer a second chance.

Parents: Long forgotten morticians
Siblings: None
Childhood: Mortimer had always been fascinated by the dead. The macabre nature of his parents' job took away the horror that seeing the dead would bring to normal people. He was destined to be a mortician. As he learned under his mother and father, he began to notice that he could see the spirits of the dead. They wouldn't always be there, but for some of them, the spirits would linger with the bodies. They'd come, they'd go, and that was it. Sometimes they would stay. He tried to talk to the ones who stayed, but their answers barely reached his ears, whispers caught in the wind. Soon, he became bored and decided to figure out what he could do with these spirits, finding out with glee that he could force them to do his bidding.

Adulthood: Once his parents had died, he helped their souls move on, a useless trick he learned at some point, out of respect and put his focus into evading death. The souls he took unwillingly began to have an effect on him. Soon, his skin started to rot and slough off. He had gained his version of immortality, but at the cost of looking human. He had become a Lich. Once he had escaped to an old abandoned keep devastated by some ancient battle with plenty of spirits that hadn't moved on, he began to put more research into his art gifted to him by what he now knew as the Darkness. He began to hear whispers in his head directing him to sow discord and strife if he wanted to keep from dying.

For years, that was his life. He'd raise the dead and send them to ransack villages so he had bodies for workers and souls to extend his life. Soon he was set upon by a party led by paladins of the Light. Mortimer dealt with most of the party easily, but his life as a Lich was ended by the surviving paladin. From the start the paladin had pleaded with Mortimer to give up his Lichdom and face his crimes. Even after Mortimer had killed the rest of the paladin's party and the paladin was the only one left standing. It gave Mortimer pause, but it was already far too late for him, he couldn't give up his Lichdom without dying. He dealt a fatal wound to the paladin and left him to die. The paladin had one last trick up his sleeve. As Mortimer turned his back on the dying man, he was knocked unconscious by a blast of blinding white light.

When he came to, he was weakened beyond measure, his body had been restored, and he was in his fortress, alone save for the souls that have all died there before he had arrived, and the souls of the party that had tried to kill him. The paladin's spirit was gone. He learned from the other spirits that the paladin had sacrificed his soul to revert the effects of being a Lich on Mortimer.

He had been given a second chance, and he was not going to let it go to waste. His Necromancy had been untouched, but he hesitated to force the souls to do what they were unwilling to do. Instead, he asked them for help. Those willing to help him became undead far stronger than any he had raised before and capable of thought. He set out undoing the damage he had done as a Lich. The first thing he did was, with the help of the spirits of the party, go to all of the party's family members and friends and told them that they had died as heroes and defeated the Lich. Some of the party were at peace enough to move on without Mortimer's help, but a few of the others stuck around, haunting him and making sure he didn't put their friend's soul to waste. Eventually, they trusted that he would to the correct thing.

Over time, Mortimer learned that souls that give themselves willingly to extend his life did not rot his body. He was able to live as a human for many years as many a towns mortician. roaming from place to place to remain unseen.

Throughout the many, many, many years of his life, Mortimer aided in stopping the rise of Liches by notifying adventurers to their locations, or by taking them out himself. Things slowly became routine. Lich rises, they get taken out. Kingdoms grow too greedy, a revolution happens. A war that could cause hundreds of thousands of deaths begins to rise, and an all-powerful "Lich" rises to unify the kingdoms together before disappearing without a trace.

Thousands of years later, something started to worry Mortimer. Slowly, too slow for those who lived normal lives to notices, signs that there was something wrong with The World started to appear. As he began to look into it, the more worried he got. Before he could research much more, someone slipped through all of his wards and safeties and stabbed him fatally while he was sleeping. As his blood drained from him, all that he hoped was that the escaping energy he had built up in his body would kill his attacker when he died, and in a flash of fire and heat, Mortimer died.

Special Moments:Learning to control the spirits of the dead. Creating his first undead from the bones of a crow, which had followed him around throughout his years. Having his body restored by a dying paladin of the Pale Lady and given a second chance.

Relations

* ☠ Enemy * ⚜ Unfriendly * ☯ Neutral * ☮ Friends * ღ Ally * ♥ Crush/Significant Other *

• TBD

Rebirth: At World's End

@Lyla alright, I’ve made the small changes to his personality, so you can take a look at it again and then I’ll post it up on the character tab and have a post up.

Rebirth: At World's End

Well, actually, I was thinking of him using stand in Liches of the more rotted undead so nobody knew what he actually looked like as well as keep up the idea that Liches were rotting necromancers. But those are good thoughts. I’ll make the necessary changes, but other than that it’s good?

Rebirth: At World's End

Ooh, touché. So what changes should I be looking at making to be able to keep most of his history as is?