Post by Zarius Rha'Oryin on Sept 27, 2022 11:24:50 GMT -5
Zarius Rha'Oryin
Noble of the Ash Lands, owner of the Rookery, and Guildmaster of the Ash Rose Jackals
Gender: Male
Noble of the Ash Lands, owner of the Rookery, and Guildmaster of the Ash Rose Jackals
Gender: Male
Age: 27
Race: Fellblood
Nationality: Ash Lands
Appearance
Zarius is a 5' 9" Fellblood with unusually dark grey skin, curved horns that are tipped in dark blue, a slender prehensile tail, and solid yellow eyes. He is very lean and lithe in build. He tends to wear formfitting clothing in dark colors trimmed in gold. He has small hooped earrings on each ear and a gold clasp on his left horn.
Recently, Zarius' appearance has started to change in small ways. His horns now have intricate engravings along them serving as an arcane mark. When he uses his mage slayer abilities, his skin glows blue below the surface like there is fire in his veins. There is a lingering scent of smoke on his skin and occasionally he exhales wisps of smoke.
Personality
Always with a smile on his face and confidence in spades, Zarius does his best to work well with others and show interest in their own goals, though maybe not for the reasons they think.
Two-faced is an apt term to use when describing this Fellblood. He cares little for what others think of him and more cares about what others can do for him. Zarius is first and foremost a manipulator, and he is very good at it. What he lacks in magical talent he makes up for in speed and tactical flexibility. He considers allies assets to his own goals and puts great value on respect and trust.
Having a calculating mind, Zarius tends to refrain from making brash decisions and prefers to take his time to consider every angle. He is a meticulous note-taker and is often seen writing in a journal.
Those who Zarius considers allies may see a different side of this fellblood. He is mischievous and willing to goof around if there are no stakes. He is also very protective of his family and does everything he can to ensure their futures are safe and secure.
Like any other person, he does have his breaking points. He takes slights against him with a grain of salt until they prove to be too dangerous to ignore. He is quick to resort to violence if he deems it necessary and is not opposed to crippling his opponents in terrible ways.
History
Zarius Rha'Oriyn is the first-born son of Anselm Dvara'Oriyn, one of the lesser Ashen Fathers, and Zewala Rha'Esandi, a noblewoman originally from the Zeinav Desert. He was born and raised in Darkveil City in the Ash Lands, growing up alongside Eameia, his older sister, and Kazire, his younger brother.
In his youth, he and Eameia shared a friendly rivalry that sometimes got out of hand. They would often run off into the Deadwood together to get into mischief and explore. Their parents had to send their guard to fetch them on numerous occasions. It was not uncommon for them to work together to steal from or pull pranks on the hired hands.
Zarius also got along well with his brother, and despite often teasing him about his lack of ambition and interest in the family business, they have a mutual respect for each other's life choices. Zarius is fiercely protective of them both.
As he matured into adulthood, Zarius decided to contribute to the family business by honing his skills in espionage. He became an information broker, acquiring and selling secrets and tips to mercenaries, other criminals, politicians, business owners, nobles, and anyone he judged as a trustworthy business associate (or someone easily manipulated/deceived). One of his more successful personal projects was sabotaging the dealings of a rival crime family with some bandits from Zeinav. Luckily for Zarius, his family’s political standing prevented the rivals from openly taking revenge…at least for now.
Zarius keeps his dealings as much in the shadows as possible and prefers to avoid fighting as much as necessary and only draw blood in self-defense. Because he often meets with clients alone and there is always the risk of being set up or exposed to authorities, he spent years training his body into a weapon. He pursued martial arts to appear unarmed during meet-ups and seem as approachable and non-threatening as possible. If something went wrong, his ability to blend in with the shadows or quickly avoid capture was essential to his survival. Dealing with people of all kinds and walks of life, Zarius developed a silver tongue that helps him always sound and appear cool and collected.
Zarius’ current goal is to make connections outside of the Ash Lands to expand his family’s network and power. Recently having acquired the title of Noble within Charon, the fellblood is starting to make political moves across the nation with the intent of further strengthening his alliances.
Though not all is well with this man's mind. In the past few months, the Fellblood has gained strange new powers that he has little understanding of. While he can control them for the most part, there have been dire situations when the chorus of voices in his mind overwhelm him and take control of his body. Whatever it is that has a hold of him does not care to discern friend from foe. It has done nothing but get stronger and harder for him to keep under control.
Moments before the revival of Vulcadreaus, Zarius lost his life in an underground ritual chamber found on Mount Drakolt's slopes. His two closest friends did their best to save him from the self-destructive souls trapped within his body, but ultimately watched the fellblood perish.
The Forging of a Vessel
In the abandoned underground chamber where life was granted to glass and ash, Astrid and Askr performed a ritual of sacrifice in an attempt to bring Zarius back from the dead, body and all. But the ritual failed to complete the task, sacrifices of pieces of Astrid and Askr only resulted in creating an empty husk. It’s unclear why the experiment failed, but if all that is missing is the soul…maybe there’s still some hope yet. For now, the body was left in the care of the healer Kvasir, and the self-proclaimed miracle-maker Morrigan.
To Bind the Soul
News of Zarius’ passing has started to spread, and the strength of the bonds he forged while in life are now tested. Various allies now search for information on what exactly resulted in the fellblood’s demise in the first place, and what can be done to undo the tragedy that transpired just moments before the destruction of Mount Drakolt. Few know of the husk Astrid and Askr managed to create, but for those who do know the pressure is on to ensure their sacrifice was not in vain.
Of Incaendium’s Flames
Incaendium is the unexpected and unintentional result of a powerful ritual used by Zarius' ancestors who once worshiped the god of destruction and rebirth, Vulcadreaus. Over time, the truth of the ritual and the powerful formula arcanum used in it was warped into a hereditary curse. Knowledge was lost and shrouded in smoke as the arcanum binding the souls twisted into something else entirely, similarly to how its hosts became tainted and transformed by its dark influence.
The ritual's original purpose was to ensure that members' souls would be revived and renewed upon the cyclic pattern of destruction and rebirth that was natural in Charon before the creation of the Sol Stone.
When Vulcadreaus was sealed away by Ziev after the death of the other gods, the ritual instead led to a stockpile of souls passed down generation by generation, trapped and unable to find peace or be reborn back into the world. As the number of souls grew, they became increasingly mad from being entrapped for so long with so many wills all fighting with one another for control. Some hosts have heard whispers in the back of their mind, though what they say is often incoherent and nonsensical.
At one point, one of Zarius' ancestors took a special interest in the afflication and coined the name Incaendium. They believed the entity possessing their body to be some sort of fiend that granted boons of power. They sought to control it, but ultimately failed and succumbed to the madness. They left behind one piece of their research on the entity that contains its name, though where the research is now, no one can say.
Over the generations, Incaendium continued to grow and become more and more unstable. Its corrupt magic manifests as black smoke and blue flames made out of dark energy.
With the shattering of the Sol Stone and the rise of the true Ashen Fathers, it was only a matter of time before those that carried Incaendium's flames in their veins became burnt to cinders and reduced to ashes.
Though few of the stockpiled souls would find their long awaited rebirth. Only those who venerated Vulcadreus as true followers of its tenets would receive such a privilege. For those who merely inherited their wills without devoting themselves as cultists of the Ashen Father's, a more agonizing fate awaited them.
Once freed from the shackles of the curse, the hundreds of souls were released back into the world. The devotees were absorbed into Vulcadreaus’ reawakened form, then carried off to be reborn elsewhere. The remainder of the souls, spurned by the fires of Mount Drakolt, manifested as Charred along its newly formed crater. Many of these Charred would finally be put to rest by adventurers called to action, but there may be some that still linger, tormented by their burning undeath.
Dreams of an Azure Flame
Carrying the lingering burden of guilt and grief over the death of someone he once called friend, Cyran sets out with Del to learn the truth behind what dark entity plagued the fellblood. By following the trails of the cultists, uncovering their hideouts left abandoned, and reclaiming their texts confiscated by the Stablemen, the pair learn of Incaendium’s true nature. But more importantly, they hear whispers of a Charred, blue in color, lingering somewhere on the fringes of the Ash Lands. Maybe…just maybe, there was a chance it was him.
Recovering the Lost Lantern
With the knowledge that Zarius’ soul is lingering in the land of the living, trapped within the form of an azure Charred, Cyran and Caedes set out to find it. Traversing the shattered edges of the Drakolt Crater, the pair discover a cove glistening with shimmering black sand and a single blue Charred facing the sea. The pair confront his undead apparition and connect with the remnants of the soul bound to it in an attempt to bring it back to the waiting vessel.
The Revival
The time has come. All the pieces have been brought together. With the combined efforts of all involved, a ritual is carried out to seal Zarius' found soul with the body crafted for him.
Kamille, Kvasir, and Beist combine their magical prowess and are successful in their task. Though the effects are slow to show, and there's some lingering uncertainty as the vessel becomes marred with cracks of gold across the dusky grey skin.
Everyone waits on baited breath to see if the fellblood awakes…except for Morrigan who proceeds to slap him in the face with glitter. Before Caedes or Cyran can rip the “miracle maker” apart, Zarius wakes up. Morrigan's disrespectful antics are quickly forgotten, and Caedes is the first to pull the fellblood into his arms.
The Cinder Prince Returns
Zarius finally returns to Darkveil and reunites with his family. Much has changed in the past year and it takes Zarius a while to adjust to things…including his own body. He's frailer than he once was, and he doesn't remember much of what happened that dreadful day. At least, that's what he claims. It's easier that way. Still, it's frustrating. Years of training and honing his physical skills are gone. What's more, while the voices of his ancestors are all gone, the heat still lingers…the cycle never really ends after all.
Moments before the revival of Vulcadreaus, Zarius lost his life in an underground ritual chamber found on Mount Drakolt's slopes. His two closest friends did their best to save him from the self-destructive souls trapped within his body, but ultimately watched the fellblood perish.
The Forging of a Vessel
In the abandoned underground chamber where life was granted to glass and ash, Astrid and Askr performed a ritual of sacrifice in an attempt to bring Zarius back from the dead, body and all. But the ritual failed to complete the task, sacrifices of pieces of Astrid and Askr only resulted in creating an empty husk. It’s unclear why the experiment failed, but if all that is missing is the soul…maybe there’s still some hope yet. For now, the body was left in the care of the healer Kvasir, and the self-proclaimed miracle-maker Morrigan.
To Bind the Soul
News of Zarius’ passing has started to spread, and the strength of the bonds he forged while in life are now tested. Various allies now search for information on what exactly resulted in the fellblood’s demise in the first place, and what can be done to undo the tragedy that transpired just moments before the destruction of Mount Drakolt. Few know of the husk Astrid and Askr managed to create, but for those who do know the pressure is on to ensure their sacrifice was not in vain.
Of Incaendium’s Flames
Incaendium is the unexpected and unintentional result of a powerful ritual used by Zarius' ancestors who once worshiped the god of destruction and rebirth, Vulcadreaus. Over time, the truth of the ritual and the powerful formula arcanum used in it was warped into a hereditary curse. Knowledge was lost and shrouded in smoke as the arcanum binding the souls twisted into something else entirely, similarly to how its hosts became tainted and transformed by its dark influence.
The ritual's original purpose was to ensure that members' souls would be revived and renewed upon the cyclic pattern of destruction and rebirth that was natural in Charon before the creation of the Sol Stone.
When Vulcadreaus was sealed away by Ziev after the death of the other gods, the ritual instead led to a stockpile of souls passed down generation by generation, trapped and unable to find peace or be reborn back into the world. As the number of souls grew, they became increasingly mad from being entrapped for so long with so many wills all fighting with one another for control. Some hosts have heard whispers in the back of their mind, though what they say is often incoherent and nonsensical.
At one point, one of Zarius' ancestors took a special interest in the afflication and coined the name Incaendium. They believed the entity possessing their body to be some sort of fiend that granted boons of power. They sought to control it, but ultimately failed and succumbed to the madness. They left behind one piece of their research on the entity that contains its name, though where the research is now, no one can say.
Over the generations, Incaendium continued to grow and become more and more unstable. Its corrupt magic manifests as black smoke and blue flames made out of dark energy.
With the shattering of the Sol Stone and the rise of the true Ashen Fathers, it was only a matter of time before those that carried Incaendium's flames in their veins became burnt to cinders and reduced to ashes.
Though few of the stockpiled souls would find their long awaited rebirth. Only those who venerated Vulcadreus as true followers of its tenets would receive such a privilege. For those who merely inherited their wills without devoting themselves as cultists of the Ashen Father's, a more agonizing fate awaited them.
Once freed from the shackles of the curse, the hundreds of souls were released back into the world. The devotees were absorbed into Vulcadreaus’ reawakened form, then carried off to be reborn elsewhere. The remainder of the souls, spurned by the fires of Mount Drakolt, manifested as Charred along its newly formed crater. Many of these Charred would finally be put to rest by adventurers called to action, but there may be some that still linger, tormented by their burning undeath.
Dreams of an Azure Flame
Carrying the lingering burden of guilt and grief over the death of someone he once called friend, Cyran sets out with Del to learn the truth behind what dark entity plagued the fellblood. By following the trails of the cultists, uncovering their hideouts left abandoned, and reclaiming their texts confiscated by the Stablemen, the pair learn of Incaendium’s true nature. But more importantly, they hear whispers of a Charred, blue in color, lingering somewhere on the fringes of the Ash Lands. Maybe…just maybe, there was a chance it was him.
Recovering the Lost Lantern
With the knowledge that Zarius’ soul is lingering in the land of the living, trapped within the form of an azure Charred, Cyran and Caedes set out to find it. Traversing the shattered edges of the Drakolt Crater, the pair discover a cove glistening with shimmering black sand and a single blue Charred facing the sea. The pair confront his undead apparition and connect with the remnants of the soul bound to it in an attempt to bring it back to the waiting vessel.
The Revival
The time has come. All the pieces have been brought together. With the combined efforts of all involved, a ritual is carried out to seal Zarius' found soul with the body crafted for him.
Kamille, Kvasir, and Beist combine their magical prowess and are successful in their task. Though the effects are slow to show, and there's some lingering uncertainty as the vessel becomes marred with cracks of gold across the dusky grey skin.
Everyone waits on baited breath to see if the fellblood awakes…except for Morrigan who proceeds to slap him in the face with glitter. Before Caedes or Cyran can rip the “miracle maker” apart, Zarius wakes up. Morrigan's disrespectful antics are quickly forgotten, and Caedes is the first to pull the fellblood into his arms.
The Cinder Prince Returns
Zarius finally returns to Darkveil and reunites with his family. Much has changed in the past year and it takes Zarius a while to adjust to things…including his own body. He's frailer than he once was, and he doesn't remember much of what happened that dreadful day. At least, that's what he claims. It's easier that way. Still, it's frustrating. Years of training and honing his physical skills are gone. What's more, while the voices of his ancestors are all gone, the heat still lingers…the cycle never really ends after all.
protect him at all cost. (can’t use discord anymore so making use of this here)
