Zephyriah
02-27-08, 11:46 PM
Name: Zephyriah Ablione
Race: Hybrid?
Height: 6’ 2"
Weight: 225 lbs
Gender: Male
Hair: Dull White
Eyes: Lavender
Age: 25
Appearance: A natural pretty boy, Zephyriah is very handsome and has a body that looks as if someone had sculpted every curve of his muscles. He keeps his hair tied back in a ponytail with a piece of rope that has each of the individual strands of his hair spreading in random directions.
However, due to the sudden fusing of both his drow and Dragon Drinker side, as well as the dominance that the dragon blood in him is beginning to establish, Zephyriah has become Draconian in appearance. Red scales with a faint sliver gloss cover most of his body. His face is the only area that is mostly free of the scales, save his jaw line, which is halfway covered from the middle of his mandible to just underneath his earlobes. He’s also grown and gained a considerable amount of muscle due to the transformation as well.
As for the wings that’d only accompanied him when he transformed, they are now appendages in which he can bend, fold, protract, and retract in and out of his back. They are also coated with the same scales as the rest of his body. The membrane underneath his wings breaks free of this pattern though, as it is black in color and entirely smooth in texture.
Clothing: When the half drow isn’t wearing his armor, he tends to wear his dusty tan baggy cotton pants, with two white sashes around his waist that loosely criss-cross. A white t-shirt dresses his torso, and his feet are still covered with his black tabi boots. He’s discarded the burlap vest, as well as the long sleeve shirt, and gloves that he used to wear.
Armor: Zephyriah has always been familiar with battles of all sorts. For a long time he chose not to wear full armor since it slowed him down in the heat of combat. But with his recent and unexpected transformation, armor equipped on him became as light as the clothes he wore when not within a quarrel. With the discovery of this new advantage, Zephyriah better protects himself for battle by donning a full suit of all black titanium plate armor, without any part of his body exposed, save for two small open areas in the back which serve as openings for his wings to poke through and expand, when he protracts them from out of his body. His head is also exposed, as it always has been considering how he doesn’t like the feeling that comes with wearing a helmet.
To add even more protection, underneath the armor, the half drow is equipped with a steel chain mail that is very reliable in protecting against piercing attacks, in the event a blade happens to squeeze through the spaces of his armor.
Zephyriah also wears a beige hooded cloak over his armor. At first the warrior did this to protect his armor from rain, should it fall from the sky, but it is rare that he takes it off even when the days are sunny and bright since it is comfortable for him to wear.
Personality: While Zephyriah still has traits of arrogance and self-righteousness lodged into his character, he’s much more reserved than he used to be, as far as speaking goes. When in the company of strangers or people that are simply acquaintances, he only speaks when it is necessary. Yet on many occasions when he has spoken, people found his remarks to be coarse and sharp, which no doubt fueled the negative view that people already had of his character. However, for those that are close to him, they know that he’s more relaxed, talkative, and even compassionate than ever before. He laughs and smiles more than he ever has, but this is a side of him that is just starting to emerge, and only the closest people to Zephyriah have seen this.
On the battlefield, the half drow is still cold and calculating, but he has developed a certain level of kindness that causes him to take into consideration the lives of innocent and defenseless people when it is absolutely necessary to do so.
Skills:
Swordplay: Knight Skill
Zephyriah is decent with his sword but he isn't outstanding. He is better than a novice at swordplay, yet still has a very long way to go from reaching a status of greatness. He knows just enough to confidently defend himself in battle if need be.
After wandering Althanas on his own and joining up with the assassin group called the "Banishment", Zephyriah's skills as a swordsman have greatly improved. But, during this time he has revamped his fighting style by incorporating the paladins’ way of swordplay with the stealth and murderous tactics of an assassin. No longer does he prefer to battle head on like knight. Instead, he prefers to use the shadows and other forms of concealment to strike down his foe. But, if a certain situation calls for a head on battle, he will not hesitate to do it.
With all of the trials and tribulations that the dark paladin has gone through up until now, he’s become extremely skilled in swordsmanship. His countless assassination missions have helped to whet his abilities to the point where his unique mixed style of the Paladin way of swordplay combined with the stealth tactics of an assassin have become sharper than a razor blade. He’s more balanced now when it comes to combat, no longer preferring stealth maneuvers over head on combat or vice versa.
Having not done an assassination mission in a while has not diminished Zephyriah’s swordplay skill in the least. In fact, upon him joining the Kyorl and undergoing operations as a member has elevated the level of his unique Knight/Assassin style to mastery. His movements are extremely quick with a blade, and he couples that with a great deal of power when delivering his blows.
With the dissipation of the Banishment, the destruction of the Kyorl, and the ex-paladin’s own “cleansing”, Zephyriah has lost the techniques taught to him as a one time assassin. The only form of combat that remains in his memory banks is the old teaching of the paladins of Rune; something that was deep rooted enough to withstand the “exorcism”. However, while his speed and agility has been cut in half, those who have crossed blades with him have fear Zephyriah’s swordsmanship. He is now able to handle a great sword with one hand, as if it were a mere dagger. His fast and powerful strikes can be overwhelming to anyone who hasn’t a level of mastery in their preferred weapon.
Drow Sight: Dark Elf Skill
When Zephyriah vanquished his human side from his being and became a full-blooded drow, he gained their natural ability to see in the dark.
Flight: Physical Skill
With his scaly wings, Zephyriah is now able to fly.
Heat Resistance: {Dragon Drinker Skill}
Much like the drow’s ability to perfectly endure cold climates, the Dragon Drinker is able to endure the hottest of climates and areas.
Don’t Bother: Agony Skill
With all of the pain and mental torture Zephyriah has had to endure, especially during his battle with Lorenor, the ex paladin has built up a natural resistance to any form of attack on his mind. Whether it is distortions, delusions, or any of the like, no kind of mental assault will affect him. This however, has its limitations. Those who are of a higher level and are capable of using such mind striking techniques will be able to break through Zephyriah’s natural resistance with persistence. But the efforts of those of equal or lower level are simply futile.
Strength and Speed: Physical Skill
Zephyriah has always been strong for his size, but with the dragon DNA in him slowly conquering his body, he’s gained a great amount of strength, thus enabling him to lift up to two tons. The change has also allowed him to move four times faster than the average person, which is faster than he's ever moved before.
Techniques:
Big Crescent: Rune Paladin Technique
Having lost “Big Crescent” due to the exorcism that he experienced via the Concordia Thayne, Zephyriah has worked hard in order to regain this skill. Black energy forms around Zephyriah’s blade and with a powerful swing, a massive crescent of energy charges toward an opponent with impressive speed. The crescent is thirty feet in length.
Phase: Rune Paladin Technique
Being a variation of I’m Coming, Zephyriah is quickly engulfed with light which enables him to disappear and reappear within a thirty feet radius without having to jam his sword into the ground. He can do it whether he’s running, standing, sitting, etc. However, this ability can only be used three times in a battle. Any more would be too exhausting for him.
Snatcher: Rune Paladin Technique
Channeling white electricity to come through his sword, Zeph is able to extend that electricity in tendril-like fashion, and have it latch on to any metal that he so desires. The added attachment can be used like a whip, in conjunction with the sword. (tendrils are 10 feet in length and last four battle posts)
The End: Rune Paladin Technique
A white ball of energy forms at the tip of Zeph's sword and grows to the size of a boulder. Once done, Zeph swings his blade towards his opponent, sending the ball traveling. It isn't very fast, but causes a lot of damage. Moderately fast opponents should be able to evade this attack without too much trouble.
Shadow Shock Blades: Rune Paladin Technique
Zephyriah has found a way to combine both the shadow shock and shadow slash. The ex-paladin channels energy through his blades, which in turn causes them to slightly vibrate and produce a low humming sound. When the blades are moved, the shadows that closely follow behind them are entirely visible. If an opponent(s) is struck with the sword(s), then whatever part of their body is struck will not only suffer the pain of being cut, but that part of the body will be paralyzed. The Shadow Shock Blades can also be used in conjunction with Snatcher, thus extending the effects via the electric tendrils. (Shadow Shock Blades are enabled for three posts, while the effects of it last for two posts)
Beam Burst: {Dragon Drinker Technique}
From his mouth, the ex-paladin shoots a scorching hot beam of light, burning all who come in contact with it.
This attack has increased in power. Instead of the attack simply being a beam of concentrated light, Zephyriah is able to shoot a large, wide blast of the hot scorching light, covering more ground or area.
Hot Spot: {Dragon Drinker Technique}
Raising up his hands, Zephyriah forms a ring of fire about 4 feet in diameter, and has it spin horizontally. He can guide it to where ever he wants, yet when he’s ready to use it, he has it crash straight into the ground. The ring creates a burnt imprint in whatever terrain he’s on and stays there. This though serves as a spot for detonation, for if his opponent steps on it or somehow gets within the circle, Zephyriah has full control to either make it explode or not. However, the shrapnel from the explosions is capable of piercing nothing stronger than damascus, and the fires are hot enough to only melt plynt.
Lava Spill: Unknown Technique
Due to Zephyriah’s extensive training and desire to continually push his abilities passed their limits, he has developed the ability to cut through the air and create a dimensional rift that causes lava to pour through. This is a mysterious technique that Zephyriah doesn’t fully understand yet. However, it is a technique that he is constantly experimenting with. As it stands, the half drow can create rifts in any shape that he desires, however the rifts cannot exceed fifteen feet in both height and width.
Items:
Flask - used for holding liquids; especially water and juices.
Burlap Bag – holds his change of clothes along with several books.
Dragonscale Necklace – made out of a special kind of dragonscale, this necklace stops the progression of Zephyriah’s drow and Dragon Drinker DNA from “blurring” together which in turn slows the effects of the old poison potion he drank which has been slowly degrading his mind. The necklace also creates a faint red barrier that protects and shields Zephyriah whenever any type of heat-based attack, whether it’s generated from fire, lava, the sun, or anything else that tries to do him harm.
Weapons:
Adamantine Great Sword - “Nothing”: With the spirit of the evil sword “Tyranagogue” gone, Zephyriah’s weapon is nothing more than ones basic adamantine great sword. Zephyriah though prefers to wield a weapon minus some insane, power craving entity for it forces him to now rely solely on his own strength; something Ablione wanted to do right from the start. The blade is 6 and a half feet long and a foot and a half wide. (I should've specified how big the sword was a long time ago.)
History:
Born to a human father and a dark elven mother, misfortune followed Zephyriah right from the womb. As many know, interracial relationships are abhorred throughout all of Alerar and those who indulge in this activity are often killed. The same applies in many sections of human environments as well as such areas of Corone. However, even with the dangers of partaking in such a relationship, this could not stop Zephyriah's parents love for each other.
Victor was a man who is greatly respected within Corone for he is a high priest and a Paladin with an assortment of abilities. He was very wealthy which enabled him to fund his ministry in order to spread the word of God in addition to upgrading the equipment of the Paladin sect. The Paladins of Corone quickly became popular among the citizens of the city as they often performed many heroic acts such as healing those who were ill, feeding and providing shelter for the poor and even exorcising demons from people when such a rare problem would arise. In the community in which they dwelled, crime had also been drastically reduced as well. The high priest Victor was on top of the world. However, his life would spiral out of control upon him meeting Z'elouyn.
As a quilt maker in the slums of Alerar, Z'elouyn struggled to survive. She had been the victim of countless misdeeds such as robbery, assault, and even rape. Respect was something that stood clear of Z'elouyn as not a single soul showed her any. Her family had long abandoned her seeing that she possessed none of the natural skills that a dark elf was born with. She couldn't use magic, she lacked heightened strength and heightened speed, and she also did not possess the super sharp eyesight of a dark elf. In comparison, she was no more gifted than an ordinary human. However, one thing she had was beauty which often attracted many types of different males. For a brief time period Z'elouyn would purposely hit on some of the Alerarian soldiers in hopes that they would fall in love with her and provide her with a better place to live. But within such noble ranks, it was an embarrassment for a high class soldier to mingle with the unfortunate dwellers of the slums. Often times in these situations she was used badly and when her male partner was done with her, she would be thrown back into the slums. After so many times of this happening, Z'elouyn decided that she wanted a better life for herself. Therefore, she came up with the plan to stowaway on a cargo airship uncaring as to where it was headed. Yet, little did she know, upon the airship reaching its destination, her life would change forever.
When the airship arrived at its destination in Corone, the deliverers opened the cargo area and found Z'elouyn hiding behind the boxes. Recognizing her as a stowaway, they tossed her off the airship and allowed her to dwell aimlessly on this foreign continent where some of the people didn't take kindly to races that weren't human. However, Z'elouyn was saved by a many named Victor, who happened to be walking in her direction. The high priest saw that the dark elven woman did not have a lot of money but, he offered her nourishment and a shelter at his holy temple. But Victor started to take notice to the woman's beauty as he escorted her to his temple. Z'elouyn realized this yet pretended not to notice for she wasn't sure if the human priest was seeking something "else". However, it didn't take long for Z'elouyn to see that this man was genuine. He treated her with a level of respect that she had never received before. For the first time in a long time, she felt truly appreciated.
After a few months, Victor and Z'elouyn got to know each other very well and it was obvious that the two had extremely deep feelings for each other. The fact that they were of different races didn't affect them in the slightest way. Unfortunately though, others were disgusted by this sight and started to look negatively towards the couple. The feelings of these negative spectators only got worse when Z'elouyn announced that she was to have Victor's first child just after a year of knowing each other. Not only were some of the people around the couple upset with the two being an item, but now they grew infuriated with the soon coming birth of a half breed.
When Zephyriah was born, Victor threw a big celebration with many people attending. Even those that weren't particularly crazy about Zephyriah's birth made an appearance. But, their hatred for this family was only growing.
As Zephyriah grew up, it was widely known that he was the most skilled warrior in his age group amongst the Paladin trainees. There were times as well that Zephyriah could take on a full fledged Paladin and hold his own. This brought immense joy to his mother who could see the potential within her son. However, she was surprised that her son had the uncanny abilities of a dark elf because she possessed none herself. Nevertheless, she would be proud of him whether he had the gifts or not. But the more Zephyriah grew in skill and ability, the more nervous some of the other paladins and priests became as they were fearful that Victor's son would some day be more powerful than them. That is when they devised a plan to weaken the half breed.
Using arts that were forbidden amongst the priesthood, some of the priests and high ranking officials concocted a formula that would scramble Zephyriah's mind and split it into three parts. Of course, each part of his mind was still whole, yet he only contained one third of his personality and abilities. The other two thirds would merge with the minds of two other individuals giving them pieces of Zephyriah's memories, personality, and abilities. The only thing the evil priests had to do was slip the formula into a beverage that Zephyriah was drinking out of.
One day when Zephyriah was diligently training, a few of the priests watched him closely and waited for him to reach for his water bottle. The second Zephyriah reached for it, they sprang towards him and urged him to try their new "sports drink" that was designed to give any individual a plethora of energy. Without questioning these men, Zephyriah took the drink and rapidly gulped it down. However, upon doing this, his head started to throb and blood ran out of the corners of his eyes. The priests looked on as Zephyriah screamed in pain while the effects started to take place. Zephyriah was no longer "whole" for the evil deeds of the jealous priests and paladins had been completed. Zephyriah's life was about to take a turn for
the worst.
And indeed it did. After fleeing from the city of Rune, which was the location of the Corone Paladins, Zephyriah stumbled into the great forest of Concordia where he met a group of strange individuals. However, out of all of the odd fellows in this forest, a young man named Tye caught his attention the most. His views on life were quite different than his own. This caused Zephyriah to want to learn more about the gentlemen. However, there came a point in time where the two departed and went their own separate ways.
Once the hybrid warrior left the forest, he ventured off into the city of Scara Brae where he met an enigmatic guitarist who possessed the ability to effect people's emotions upon playing his mysterious melodies. During this expedition, he had the chance to meet the musician yet; he didn't really get to know this individual that well due to an early departure from the city. For a time, Zephyriah thought about what happened to that man.
After leaving Scara Brae, things started to occur with Zephyriah's mind which caused his mind to scatter. He somehow ended up in the land of Salvar and developed close ties with the dark elves that resided in the city of Persephone. However, he cannot recall how he managed to do this. But, it was here that the potion that he was tricked into the drinking really started to take effect. Zephyriah began to take own two completely different lives (literally) for his drow DNA started to reject his human DNA and vice versa. Through a series of blackouts and unnatural transformations, Zephyriah's human side caused a lot of problems for his dark elven side. In the end, the two entities ended up splitting thus commencing in battle to decide who would have sole power over the body of Zephyriah Ablione. However, the drow ended up killing the human for complete power. Now, the hybrid that was once known as Zephyriah the "Dark Paladin" has been completely transformed for his drow genes have taken over completely. But, the downside that the dark elf experienced upon separating with his human side is that he has literally lost an even greater amount of his memories. If Zephyriah doesn't find an away to regain his past memories, he will continue to divide thus eventually ceasing to exist.
Much time had passed since the events that took place in the City of Persephone, where Zephyriah had discarded his human side. The dark elf abandoned the path of a nomad, and joined Radasanth’s underground world of assassins. This group was known as the “Banishment”, for they were outcasts of society who banded together to form there own organization, executing the contracts that their clients and them negotiated. Among these individuals, Zephyriah truly found a home, as he ended up meeting two of his most trusted allies, Praenuntio, the leader of the “Banishment”, and Modrue, his powerful right hand man. Together, the three led the pack of mercenaries, each fulfilling there own responsibility. But unlike leaders of other organizations, these three stayed close to the “dirty work” often done by newer or inexperienced assassins.
The dark elf always loved doing such tasks, as he was one who enjoyed being in perilous situations just for the thrill of possibly completing a difficult assignment. Upon one of these tough assignments was a contract that came to him from a particular dark elf that wanted the Headmaster of the Turlin School of Magic dead, claiming he’d tainted the blood the dark elven race. Zephyriah willingly accepted and journeyed to Raiaera to slay his target.
However, little did he know, the man whom he was ordered to kill had been the father of his brother, Xirei, a sibling he’d never met before. From this point on, things got extremely complicated as Zephyriah was still unable to remember any events prior to the conniving priests tricking him to drink that poison. But, when he returned to Rune, after once again being order to kill a certain High Priest in the city of Rune, he was paid an unexpected visit by Xirei and the Tel Aglarim, as they came and took siege of the city temporarily. The two began to battle, but they were stopped by a strange woman, slightly resembling both of them. She claimed to be the boys’ mother and instantly everything was brought to a halt. Memories of the dark paladin’s mother started to re-enter his mind, yet still much was missing. But, when the shock value passed over, the elven soldiers resumed implementing their force. The paladins of the city were shocked as they found themselves outnumbered by the intruders. But, what truly threw them over the edge was when Xirei had seized the High Priest of Rune, Victor and Ablione and killed him, returning the favor to Zephyriah. When this happened there wasn’t much reaction since Zephyriah hadn’t remembered the high priest as being his father.
But, when Taklim Amonlanya, a lieutenant of the Bladesinger’s Guild ordered Xirei to kill Zephyriah, he punched the lieutenant in the face and began fleeing, urging Zephyriah to come as well. The two managed to escape from the city, settling their differences on the way, realizing that they were a lot alike. But as of right now, the two of them have a sizable bounty on their heads, from both the Raiaeran government, as well as the Coronian government. From this point on, Zephyriah went into hiding, fearful that those in everyday society would rat him out.
A several months later, Zephyriah finally came out of hiding, as he refused to harbor this fear in him. But, what he did to help lift this fear inside of him was join the Kyorl, so that he could have protection on the surface, in addition to the “Banishment’s protection in the underground. However, his past actions have begun to catch up with him, as he’s finding that the Tel Aglarim is still pursuing him. But whatever the outcome, Zephyriah has mentally prepared himself to face whatever trouble comes his way.
Some time has passed with the drow serving as a member of the Kyorl. However, the security that he thought this faction provided him with had been brought into question when he met a fellow soldier by the name of Brenaz Vhaerun, claiming that Queen Valsharess had “other” plans that were not in favor of her nation. This led to a journey to the Red Forest in Raiaera, where Zephyriah encountered Damon Kaosi, one whom wanted to claim the dark elf’s life for his past crimes in his homeland. However, things didn’t turn out as Zephyriah thought, for there was a great threat working behind the scenes. During this journey, Zephyriah also witnessed an odd transformation with his two trusted blades, as the spirit of the Malebolge possessed them and created an entirely new weapon.
At the end of this journey, Vhaerun, Ablione, and Kaosi formed an alliance that would hopefully prove to stand strong against this mysterious threat that the Tel Aglarim General said is lingering. Hopefully when these life forms show their selves, Zephyriah will be able to contribute to taking them out, for his own benefit of course.
* * *
Life for Zephyriah continued to prove itself challenging with him constantly utilizing Tyranagogue to defend himself. The endless running from enemies was another thing that began wearing down on his body, for when he was not engaged in any altercation, he still had to be alert for anybody that might’ve wanted to kill him. The only people that he could really trust were those in the Banishment, but it’d been so long since he’d seen his fellow comrades, especially Praenuntio. On his way back to Corone to pay them a visit at one of their lairs, he was astonished to see that the Banishment’s leader had disappeared only leaving a note saying how the Malice needed his aid in a war in Salvar against the Grey Braves. Angered because he was not told this information earlier, Zephyriah went to the Magi Tower in Salvar in hopes of finding his ally and helping him in any way he possibly could.
Due to his speed, it wasn’t difficult to infiltrate the grand tower, but the real problems came when he entered the main meeting hall, where Praenuntio, Damon Kaosi, and Seth Dahlios were. There were no two people in the world that Zephyriah despised more than Seth Dahlios and Damon Kaosi for they were really the only two whose arrogance exceeded his own.
A battle soon began with these four super powers present. Kaosi engaged in combat with Prae, while Dahlios took on Zephyriah. The battle was heated, and was only rising in intensity. But all were forced to cease fighting and escape, for Zieg dil’ Tulfried, a powerful demon knight from the underworld of Haidia had sent a powerful attack at the base of the tower, causing it to collapse.
After the war was over, Zephyriah decided to venture to Cray, Shanleh since that was really the only land that didn’t contain anyone that viewed him as an enemy (or so he thought). However, he soon ran into a slew of problems with the natives capturing him, and forcing him to do slave labor. He spent several months there without causing any bit of a problem, and even eventually earned the trust and respect for the town’s leader. When war had struck their land, Zephyriah valiantly helped them out and became the hero….something that he’d never experienced before in his life. However, living this good life didn’t last long for the paladins of Rune had appeared to him one day trying to apprehend him. Xirei, Zephyriah’s brother had journeyed along as well, but he couldn’t allow the paladins to seize him. Therefore, the two siblings escaped from Shanleh, and ended up in Great Cave Town, Haidia. Xirei had specifically taken him there saying that their mother had came down here some time ago. However, Zephyriah found his mother in the worst of situations, greatly fatigued as she’d been tied to a crucifix by an insane vampire known as Caiaphas. The people of the Great Cave Town seemed to have had their fair share of problems with this individual, and thus had aided Zephyriah and his brother in taking the vampire down.
After much time, Zephyriah finally brought Caiaphas down. But suddenly, the vampire’s blood came towards the drow and covered him, seeping into his pores. Aside from this and migraines, nothing else out of the ordinary seemed to happen, that is until the pursuing paladins of Rune had followed the siblings down to the Great Cave Town. They seized Zephyriah, but were unsuccessful in seizing his brother since he managed to escape. When they left Haidia with the drow, they had all intentions of bringing him back to Rune for persecution. But before they could even get there, something odd occurred with the drow, whereas he began to change. Effortlessly, Zephyriah killed his abductors and fled from the scene without leaving the slightest hint as to where he took off to.
Laying low was something that Zephyriah became good at after everything that he’d been through. Authorities from various areas in the Rune area had searched for him, but found that their efforts were in vain. The exactly locations of where the ex paladin had spent his time were various simply because he refused to stay in the same place for more than two days and two nights. He frequented the Concordia Jadet area the most, since it was rural enough where very few people would see him. On top of that, he knew that the paladins of Rune wouldn’t even think twice about searching at the spots in which they’d allowed Zephyriah to escape their grasp.
Survival of the fittest was what the laws of the forest of Concordia and surrounding areas were. Zephyriah never had a problem with this kind of life, for he’d been surviving through bloodshed his whole life. Animals after realizing his viciousness stopped approaching him, knowing that they would surely lose their lives. Zeph, having enjoyed this sport for some time, found that it was growing quite old and decided to pay his old Banishment allies a visit. “Once a brother, always a brother” was the unspoken slogan amongst the assassins. Long hiatuses were common and perfectly fine, so long as one didn’t betray their organization in anyway. Zephyriah was one of the most loyal members of the Banishment, so he anticipated being welcomed with open arms. But when he got their, he found out something shocking: The Banishment was no more…..
The cave lair deep within Concordia was seized by silence. He sought to investigate how this could’ve happened, but was immediately stopped by a rather goofy looking woman. It seemed she’d been looking for the Banishment Lair for quite some time in order to have a certain mission done for her. Seeing Zephyriah, she asked him if he would partake in the mission to retrieve some precious items from Sirvano that she offered, promising to pay well. The ex paladin was reluctant at first, but ultimately decided to do it as a last mission for his beloved, dismembered sect.
The journey took him to a small piece of land right outside Antioch called “Mysterino”, in which he met a man called Edward Judorne. Apparently, he was looking for some strange stone that could petrify anything that it’s pale gray rays hit. Zephyriah had almost been hit on several occasions by this magical item’s blasts. This near death experience drove him to find more out about this stone from Edward. The short man told the ex paladin much about the trying times of his kingdom, as well as the deathly power of the “Medusa’s Eye”, and how it could turn a planet to stone if magnified just right. The Prince wanted nothing more than to save his kingdom (and the world) and get his stone back. So, Zephyriah decided to help him, and together the two journeyed to a strange other worldly tower, via a dimensional portal, in which many obstacles had to be faced.
Eventually, the plans of those responsible for trying to use the stone’s powers to petrify Althanas had been stopped. Zephyriah had ransacked some of Judorne’s household jewels, calling it “payment” for his work in helping the Prince save the world. When he returned back to Althanas, yet more specifically Corone, he went back to the woman who hired him and gave her what he’d brought back with him. She seemed a little disappointed, mainly because of the news that’d been relayed to her about the Medusa’s Eye. Still, she paid Zephyriah his fee, and the ex paladin wrapped up the final mission for the Banishment.
Later on that year the famous Theater of War had come around. Zephyriah had competed in it before, yet didn’t do as well as he would’ve liked to. This time around however, he sought to make flex his muscle and show Althanas who the strongest was. The drow thought about the Paladins and if they would be waiting for such an opportunity for Zephyriah to come out of hiding. However, Zephyriah didn’t really care about what the Runians were doing; if they wanted to fight with him, they would register in the tournament. Unfortunately for the Ablione though, the priests and paladins had been putting together a plan (with help from the Coronian Thayne), to seize Zephyriah and force him to fight against a comrade of his, Lorenor. The Thaynes were having troubling issues with the violent two, and sought to have them kill each other in battle.
Much transpired within the actual bout, especially with Zeph’s and Lorenor’s abductors inserting vile off springs of the Coronian Thayne himself into their heads for control. Zephyriah struggled mightily with trying to get the wyrm from his mind, but his own strength, nor the strength of “Malebolge” the spirit within Tyranagogue. This vile manipulator had managed to squelch the sword spirit, as well as weakening him both physically and mentally. Had it not been for Lorenor overcoming his possession by opening an ancient seal, which let out a great ally of his, Zephyriah would’ve never been saved. This powerful entity had come forth from an unknown world and extracted the wyrms from both the warriors’ minds. In the process though, Zephyriah lost an enormous amount of power. Yet with Lorenor, the leader of the Sabbat inserting his good friend into his organization and making him one of their top Elders, he vowed to destroy Rune and its inhabitants for doing to him what they’d done. But, it would all be when they least expected it…….
The drow/human hybrid’s adventures led him to the land of Antioch. He graced the land of Corone for far too long and sought to go to a place where he was certain lingered no enemy ties. However, shortly after arriving in Antioch, he found himself knee-deep in further problems. An elderly gentleman by the name of Connor was being harassed by Vae Stave Mages of the City of Larapool. Taking the liberty, Zephyriah involved himself and warded off the magic casters. It turned out though, that the mages were after one of the three garnets, said to have unimaginable power; that the old man knew about. This elderly fellow was so grateful to Zephyriah that he provided him with lodging for as long as he liked. Touched by this, Zephyriah offered to help the fellow with his problem; that being that he desired that the garnet be destroyed.
The dark paladin complied and set off towards the Vae Staves headquarters in order to do what he’d been asked. On the way though, he met Sanoe Teriades and Corin Rivfader, two other people who happened to have another garnet. Zeph attempted to take the garnet from them, all while dealing with the attacking Vae Stave mages that’d tried to rid their tower of the three intruders. All efforts on both fronts failed though, since ultimately the chaos that Zephyriah, Sanoe, and Corin brought, caused the entire tower to burn down. Corin was separated from Sanoe and Zeph, never to be seen again. As for Zeph and the Sanoe, they fled to the elderly man’s house, but only to be pursued by the angry Vae Stave mages. Connor and his wife were killed in fury of the mages, but not before telling Zephyriah and Sanoe where they could find the last and final garnet.
So the two head to Khoria, and met up with a good friend of Connor’s; King Bantor. He’d had dilemmas of his own with regards to his daughter and a scandal that she’d been accused of being a part of, so he proposed that if Zeph and Sanoe wanted the garnet, they would have to clear up the mess and convince her fiancé that she took no part in the raunchy rumors that were floating about. The crimson elf and the jeweler had to go through awkward and uncomfortable situations in order to cleanse Bantor’s daughter’s name, but once finished they received the garnet and destroyed it, thus saving Althanas from the possibility of ever having to experience the raw and frightening power of the three garnets.
Zephyriah returned to Corone after his journeys in Antioch, figuring he was mentally ready to return to his bloodstained homeland. But while relaxing in the wilderness of the Concordian Forest, a drow from the land of Alerar approached him. He was from the old Kyorl division of Alerar’s army. Apparently, a man by the name of Thoracis had caused Queen Valsharess to oust the Kyorl and bring in those more “worthy” to be apart of the new and improved Aleraran Army. Zephyriah hadn’t spent much time in the Kyorl back when he served as a Liutenant, but he made quite the impact, despite his short time there. Zephyriah ended up taking this mission, but never informed the messenger that he was since he’d scared him off by threatening to take his life if he ever interrupted his peaceful solitude ever again.
It seemed that Thoracis had entered Serenti, which was the sole reason behind Zephyriah doing so as well. The end result of this however was that Zephyriah was intercepted by a fellow who called himself Raizo who was higher up in the Serenti Invitational committee. The man had a strange interest in Zephyriah, constantly referring to him as an “Einylin”. Zeph didn’t know what this meant, but none of it mattered when the man mentioned that he’d kidnapped his mother. The only supposed way of getting his mother back was to compete in the LCC as per his orders. Zephyriah was required to win if he ever hoped to see her again, but when that didn’t happen, she was returned to Rune and resumed her commanding role as leader of the paladin city. Z’elouyn never spoke of her time while being held captive, but simply assured her people that she was fine both physically and mentally.
With his mother safe, Zeph continued journeying throughout Althanas, but began realizing that the effects of the potion he’d drank so many years ago was again starting to take its toll on him, much like it did when he’d split into two entities. Having mysteriously absorbed Caiaphas, the dragon-feeding vampire, he found that his cravings for dragon blood had gone from being relatively non-existent to becoming increasingly desirable. At times he found himself lusting over any kind of blood since dragons were not readily available to feast on. He never succumbed to this lust but knew that such strength would not be present for too much longer.
During a journey to Dheathain to pay an old friend a visit, he told Tiamat of his situation. The dragon blood in him was quickening the degradation of his mind, as well as blurring the physical attributes of both his Dragon Drinker side, as well as his normal drow side. Tiamat had seen this only once before with another person in his long past, and knew that the last person this happened to eventually became mad and killed himself. But having learned from that last occurrence, the half human, half dragon man designed a special necklace made entirely out of a special kind of dragon scale that would stop the rapid progression of both his “sides” blurring together, which in turn would slow the degradation of his mind.
Zephyriah graciously accepted this gift, but knew that the real remedy was to reverse the affects of the potion. Otherwise there would be nothing that would stop his eventual demise.
Race: Hybrid?
Height: 6’ 2"
Weight: 225 lbs
Gender: Male
Hair: Dull White
Eyes: Lavender
Age: 25
Appearance: A natural pretty boy, Zephyriah is very handsome and has a body that looks as if someone had sculpted every curve of his muscles. He keeps his hair tied back in a ponytail with a piece of rope that has each of the individual strands of his hair spreading in random directions.
However, due to the sudden fusing of both his drow and Dragon Drinker side, as well as the dominance that the dragon blood in him is beginning to establish, Zephyriah has become Draconian in appearance. Red scales with a faint sliver gloss cover most of his body. His face is the only area that is mostly free of the scales, save his jaw line, which is halfway covered from the middle of his mandible to just underneath his earlobes. He’s also grown and gained a considerable amount of muscle due to the transformation as well.
As for the wings that’d only accompanied him when he transformed, they are now appendages in which he can bend, fold, protract, and retract in and out of his back. They are also coated with the same scales as the rest of his body. The membrane underneath his wings breaks free of this pattern though, as it is black in color and entirely smooth in texture.
Clothing: When the half drow isn’t wearing his armor, he tends to wear his dusty tan baggy cotton pants, with two white sashes around his waist that loosely criss-cross. A white t-shirt dresses his torso, and his feet are still covered with his black tabi boots. He’s discarded the burlap vest, as well as the long sleeve shirt, and gloves that he used to wear.
Armor: Zephyriah has always been familiar with battles of all sorts. For a long time he chose not to wear full armor since it slowed him down in the heat of combat. But with his recent and unexpected transformation, armor equipped on him became as light as the clothes he wore when not within a quarrel. With the discovery of this new advantage, Zephyriah better protects himself for battle by donning a full suit of all black titanium plate armor, without any part of his body exposed, save for two small open areas in the back which serve as openings for his wings to poke through and expand, when he protracts them from out of his body. His head is also exposed, as it always has been considering how he doesn’t like the feeling that comes with wearing a helmet.
To add even more protection, underneath the armor, the half drow is equipped with a steel chain mail that is very reliable in protecting against piercing attacks, in the event a blade happens to squeeze through the spaces of his armor.
Zephyriah also wears a beige hooded cloak over his armor. At first the warrior did this to protect his armor from rain, should it fall from the sky, but it is rare that he takes it off even when the days are sunny and bright since it is comfortable for him to wear.
Personality: While Zephyriah still has traits of arrogance and self-righteousness lodged into his character, he’s much more reserved than he used to be, as far as speaking goes. When in the company of strangers or people that are simply acquaintances, he only speaks when it is necessary. Yet on many occasions when he has spoken, people found his remarks to be coarse and sharp, which no doubt fueled the negative view that people already had of his character. However, for those that are close to him, they know that he’s more relaxed, talkative, and even compassionate than ever before. He laughs and smiles more than he ever has, but this is a side of him that is just starting to emerge, and only the closest people to Zephyriah have seen this.
On the battlefield, the half drow is still cold and calculating, but he has developed a certain level of kindness that causes him to take into consideration the lives of innocent and defenseless people when it is absolutely necessary to do so.
Skills:
Swordplay: Knight Skill
Zephyriah is decent with his sword but he isn't outstanding. He is better than a novice at swordplay, yet still has a very long way to go from reaching a status of greatness. He knows just enough to confidently defend himself in battle if need be.
After wandering Althanas on his own and joining up with the assassin group called the "Banishment", Zephyriah's skills as a swordsman have greatly improved. But, during this time he has revamped his fighting style by incorporating the paladins’ way of swordplay with the stealth and murderous tactics of an assassin. No longer does he prefer to battle head on like knight. Instead, he prefers to use the shadows and other forms of concealment to strike down his foe. But, if a certain situation calls for a head on battle, he will not hesitate to do it.
With all of the trials and tribulations that the dark paladin has gone through up until now, he’s become extremely skilled in swordsmanship. His countless assassination missions have helped to whet his abilities to the point where his unique mixed style of the Paladin way of swordplay combined with the stealth tactics of an assassin have become sharper than a razor blade. He’s more balanced now when it comes to combat, no longer preferring stealth maneuvers over head on combat or vice versa.
Having not done an assassination mission in a while has not diminished Zephyriah’s swordplay skill in the least. In fact, upon him joining the Kyorl and undergoing operations as a member has elevated the level of his unique Knight/Assassin style to mastery. His movements are extremely quick with a blade, and he couples that with a great deal of power when delivering his blows.
With the dissipation of the Banishment, the destruction of the Kyorl, and the ex-paladin’s own “cleansing”, Zephyriah has lost the techniques taught to him as a one time assassin. The only form of combat that remains in his memory banks is the old teaching of the paladins of Rune; something that was deep rooted enough to withstand the “exorcism”. However, while his speed and agility has been cut in half, those who have crossed blades with him have fear Zephyriah’s swordsmanship. He is now able to handle a great sword with one hand, as if it were a mere dagger. His fast and powerful strikes can be overwhelming to anyone who hasn’t a level of mastery in their preferred weapon.
Drow Sight: Dark Elf Skill
When Zephyriah vanquished his human side from his being and became a full-blooded drow, he gained their natural ability to see in the dark.
Flight: Physical Skill
With his scaly wings, Zephyriah is now able to fly.
Heat Resistance: {Dragon Drinker Skill}
Much like the drow’s ability to perfectly endure cold climates, the Dragon Drinker is able to endure the hottest of climates and areas.
Don’t Bother: Agony Skill
With all of the pain and mental torture Zephyriah has had to endure, especially during his battle with Lorenor, the ex paladin has built up a natural resistance to any form of attack on his mind. Whether it is distortions, delusions, or any of the like, no kind of mental assault will affect him. This however, has its limitations. Those who are of a higher level and are capable of using such mind striking techniques will be able to break through Zephyriah’s natural resistance with persistence. But the efforts of those of equal or lower level are simply futile.
Strength and Speed: Physical Skill
Zephyriah has always been strong for his size, but with the dragon DNA in him slowly conquering his body, he’s gained a great amount of strength, thus enabling him to lift up to two tons. The change has also allowed him to move four times faster than the average person, which is faster than he's ever moved before.
Techniques:
Big Crescent: Rune Paladin Technique
Having lost “Big Crescent” due to the exorcism that he experienced via the Concordia Thayne, Zephyriah has worked hard in order to regain this skill. Black energy forms around Zephyriah’s blade and with a powerful swing, a massive crescent of energy charges toward an opponent with impressive speed. The crescent is thirty feet in length.
Phase: Rune Paladin Technique
Being a variation of I’m Coming, Zephyriah is quickly engulfed with light which enables him to disappear and reappear within a thirty feet radius without having to jam his sword into the ground. He can do it whether he’s running, standing, sitting, etc. However, this ability can only be used three times in a battle. Any more would be too exhausting for him.
Snatcher: Rune Paladin Technique
Channeling white electricity to come through his sword, Zeph is able to extend that electricity in tendril-like fashion, and have it latch on to any metal that he so desires. The added attachment can be used like a whip, in conjunction with the sword. (tendrils are 10 feet in length and last four battle posts)
The End: Rune Paladin Technique
A white ball of energy forms at the tip of Zeph's sword and grows to the size of a boulder. Once done, Zeph swings his blade towards his opponent, sending the ball traveling. It isn't very fast, but causes a lot of damage. Moderately fast opponents should be able to evade this attack without too much trouble.
Shadow Shock Blades: Rune Paladin Technique
Zephyriah has found a way to combine both the shadow shock and shadow slash. The ex-paladin channels energy through his blades, which in turn causes them to slightly vibrate and produce a low humming sound. When the blades are moved, the shadows that closely follow behind them are entirely visible. If an opponent(s) is struck with the sword(s), then whatever part of their body is struck will not only suffer the pain of being cut, but that part of the body will be paralyzed. The Shadow Shock Blades can also be used in conjunction with Snatcher, thus extending the effects via the electric tendrils. (Shadow Shock Blades are enabled for three posts, while the effects of it last for two posts)
Beam Burst: {Dragon Drinker Technique}
From his mouth, the ex-paladin shoots a scorching hot beam of light, burning all who come in contact with it.
This attack has increased in power. Instead of the attack simply being a beam of concentrated light, Zephyriah is able to shoot a large, wide blast of the hot scorching light, covering more ground or area.
Hot Spot: {Dragon Drinker Technique}
Raising up his hands, Zephyriah forms a ring of fire about 4 feet in diameter, and has it spin horizontally. He can guide it to where ever he wants, yet when he’s ready to use it, he has it crash straight into the ground. The ring creates a burnt imprint in whatever terrain he’s on and stays there. This though serves as a spot for detonation, for if his opponent steps on it or somehow gets within the circle, Zephyriah has full control to either make it explode or not. However, the shrapnel from the explosions is capable of piercing nothing stronger than damascus, and the fires are hot enough to only melt plynt.
Lava Spill: Unknown Technique
Due to Zephyriah’s extensive training and desire to continually push his abilities passed their limits, he has developed the ability to cut through the air and create a dimensional rift that causes lava to pour through. This is a mysterious technique that Zephyriah doesn’t fully understand yet. However, it is a technique that he is constantly experimenting with. As it stands, the half drow can create rifts in any shape that he desires, however the rifts cannot exceed fifteen feet in both height and width.
Items:
Flask - used for holding liquids; especially water and juices.
Burlap Bag – holds his change of clothes along with several books.
Dragonscale Necklace – made out of a special kind of dragonscale, this necklace stops the progression of Zephyriah’s drow and Dragon Drinker DNA from “blurring” together which in turn slows the effects of the old poison potion he drank which has been slowly degrading his mind. The necklace also creates a faint red barrier that protects and shields Zephyriah whenever any type of heat-based attack, whether it’s generated from fire, lava, the sun, or anything else that tries to do him harm.
Weapons:
Adamantine Great Sword - “Nothing”: With the spirit of the evil sword “Tyranagogue” gone, Zephyriah’s weapon is nothing more than ones basic adamantine great sword. Zephyriah though prefers to wield a weapon minus some insane, power craving entity for it forces him to now rely solely on his own strength; something Ablione wanted to do right from the start. The blade is 6 and a half feet long and a foot and a half wide. (I should've specified how big the sword was a long time ago.)
History:
Born to a human father and a dark elven mother, misfortune followed Zephyriah right from the womb. As many know, interracial relationships are abhorred throughout all of Alerar and those who indulge in this activity are often killed. The same applies in many sections of human environments as well as such areas of Corone. However, even with the dangers of partaking in such a relationship, this could not stop Zephyriah's parents love for each other.
Victor was a man who is greatly respected within Corone for he is a high priest and a Paladin with an assortment of abilities. He was very wealthy which enabled him to fund his ministry in order to spread the word of God in addition to upgrading the equipment of the Paladin sect. The Paladins of Corone quickly became popular among the citizens of the city as they often performed many heroic acts such as healing those who were ill, feeding and providing shelter for the poor and even exorcising demons from people when such a rare problem would arise. In the community in which they dwelled, crime had also been drastically reduced as well. The high priest Victor was on top of the world. However, his life would spiral out of control upon him meeting Z'elouyn.
As a quilt maker in the slums of Alerar, Z'elouyn struggled to survive. She had been the victim of countless misdeeds such as robbery, assault, and even rape. Respect was something that stood clear of Z'elouyn as not a single soul showed her any. Her family had long abandoned her seeing that she possessed none of the natural skills that a dark elf was born with. She couldn't use magic, she lacked heightened strength and heightened speed, and she also did not possess the super sharp eyesight of a dark elf. In comparison, she was no more gifted than an ordinary human. However, one thing she had was beauty which often attracted many types of different males. For a brief time period Z'elouyn would purposely hit on some of the Alerarian soldiers in hopes that they would fall in love with her and provide her with a better place to live. But within such noble ranks, it was an embarrassment for a high class soldier to mingle with the unfortunate dwellers of the slums. Often times in these situations she was used badly and when her male partner was done with her, she would be thrown back into the slums. After so many times of this happening, Z'elouyn decided that she wanted a better life for herself. Therefore, she came up with the plan to stowaway on a cargo airship uncaring as to where it was headed. Yet, little did she know, upon the airship reaching its destination, her life would change forever.
When the airship arrived at its destination in Corone, the deliverers opened the cargo area and found Z'elouyn hiding behind the boxes. Recognizing her as a stowaway, they tossed her off the airship and allowed her to dwell aimlessly on this foreign continent where some of the people didn't take kindly to races that weren't human. However, Z'elouyn was saved by a many named Victor, who happened to be walking in her direction. The high priest saw that the dark elven woman did not have a lot of money but, he offered her nourishment and a shelter at his holy temple. But Victor started to take notice to the woman's beauty as he escorted her to his temple. Z'elouyn realized this yet pretended not to notice for she wasn't sure if the human priest was seeking something "else". However, it didn't take long for Z'elouyn to see that this man was genuine. He treated her with a level of respect that she had never received before. For the first time in a long time, she felt truly appreciated.
After a few months, Victor and Z'elouyn got to know each other very well and it was obvious that the two had extremely deep feelings for each other. The fact that they were of different races didn't affect them in the slightest way. Unfortunately though, others were disgusted by this sight and started to look negatively towards the couple. The feelings of these negative spectators only got worse when Z'elouyn announced that she was to have Victor's first child just after a year of knowing each other. Not only were some of the people around the couple upset with the two being an item, but now they grew infuriated with the soon coming birth of a half breed.
When Zephyriah was born, Victor threw a big celebration with many people attending. Even those that weren't particularly crazy about Zephyriah's birth made an appearance. But, their hatred for this family was only growing.
As Zephyriah grew up, it was widely known that he was the most skilled warrior in his age group amongst the Paladin trainees. There were times as well that Zephyriah could take on a full fledged Paladin and hold his own. This brought immense joy to his mother who could see the potential within her son. However, she was surprised that her son had the uncanny abilities of a dark elf because she possessed none herself. Nevertheless, she would be proud of him whether he had the gifts or not. But the more Zephyriah grew in skill and ability, the more nervous some of the other paladins and priests became as they were fearful that Victor's son would some day be more powerful than them. That is when they devised a plan to weaken the half breed.
Using arts that were forbidden amongst the priesthood, some of the priests and high ranking officials concocted a formula that would scramble Zephyriah's mind and split it into three parts. Of course, each part of his mind was still whole, yet he only contained one third of his personality and abilities. The other two thirds would merge with the minds of two other individuals giving them pieces of Zephyriah's memories, personality, and abilities. The only thing the evil priests had to do was slip the formula into a beverage that Zephyriah was drinking out of.
One day when Zephyriah was diligently training, a few of the priests watched him closely and waited for him to reach for his water bottle. The second Zephyriah reached for it, they sprang towards him and urged him to try their new "sports drink" that was designed to give any individual a plethora of energy. Without questioning these men, Zephyriah took the drink and rapidly gulped it down. However, upon doing this, his head started to throb and blood ran out of the corners of his eyes. The priests looked on as Zephyriah screamed in pain while the effects started to take place. Zephyriah was no longer "whole" for the evil deeds of the jealous priests and paladins had been completed. Zephyriah's life was about to take a turn for
the worst.
And indeed it did. After fleeing from the city of Rune, which was the location of the Corone Paladins, Zephyriah stumbled into the great forest of Concordia where he met a group of strange individuals. However, out of all of the odd fellows in this forest, a young man named Tye caught his attention the most. His views on life were quite different than his own. This caused Zephyriah to want to learn more about the gentlemen. However, there came a point in time where the two departed and went their own separate ways.
Once the hybrid warrior left the forest, he ventured off into the city of Scara Brae where he met an enigmatic guitarist who possessed the ability to effect people's emotions upon playing his mysterious melodies. During this expedition, he had the chance to meet the musician yet; he didn't really get to know this individual that well due to an early departure from the city. For a time, Zephyriah thought about what happened to that man.
After leaving Scara Brae, things started to occur with Zephyriah's mind which caused his mind to scatter. He somehow ended up in the land of Salvar and developed close ties with the dark elves that resided in the city of Persephone. However, he cannot recall how he managed to do this. But, it was here that the potion that he was tricked into the drinking really started to take effect. Zephyriah began to take own two completely different lives (literally) for his drow DNA started to reject his human DNA and vice versa. Through a series of blackouts and unnatural transformations, Zephyriah's human side caused a lot of problems for his dark elven side. In the end, the two entities ended up splitting thus commencing in battle to decide who would have sole power over the body of Zephyriah Ablione. However, the drow ended up killing the human for complete power. Now, the hybrid that was once known as Zephyriah the "Dark Paladin" has been completely transformed for his drow genes have taken over completely. But, the downside that the dark elf experienced upon separating with his human side is that he has literally lost an even greater amount of his memories. If Zephyriah doesn't find an away to regain his past memories, he will continue to divide thus eventually ceasing to exist.
Much time had passed since the events that took place in the City of Persephone, where Zephyriah had discarded his human side. The dark elf abandoned the path of a nomad, and joined Radasanth’s underground world of assassins. This group was known as the “Banishment”, for they were outcasts of society who banded together to form there own organization, executing the contracts that their clients and them negotiated. Among these individuals, Zephyriah truly found a home, as he ended up meeting two of his most trusted allies, Praenuntio, the leader of the “Banishment”, and Modrue, his powerful right hand man. Together, the three led the pack of mercenaries, each fulfilling there own responsibility. But unlike leaders of other organizations, these three stayed close to the “dirty work” often done by newer or inexperienced assassins.
The dark elf always loved doing such tasks, as he was one who enjoyed being in perilous situations just for the thrill of possibly completing a difficult assignment. Upon one of these tough assignments was a contract that came to him from a particular dark elf that wanted the Headmaster of the Turlin School of Magic dead, claiming he’d tainted the blood the dark elven race. Zephyriah willingly accepted and journeyed to Raiaera to slay his target.
However, little did he know, the man whom he was ordered to kill had been the father of his brother, Xirei, a sibling he’d never met before. From this point on, things got extremely complicated as Zephyriah was still unable to remember any events prior to the conniving priests tricking him to drink that poison. But, when he returned to Rune, after once again being order to kill a certain High Priest in the city of Rune, he was paid an unexpected visit by Xirei and the Tel Aglarim, as they came and took siege of the city temporarily. The two began to battle, but they were stopped by a strange woman, slightly resembling both of them. She claimed to be the boys’ mother and instantly everything was brought to a halt. Memories of the dark paladin’s mother started to re-enter his mind, yet still much was missing. But, when the shock value passed over, the elven soldiers resumed implementing their force. The paladins of the city were shocked as they found themselves outnumbered by the intruders. But, what truly threw them over the edge was when Xirei had seized the High Priest of Rune, Victor and Ablione and killed him, returning the favor to Zephyriah. When this happened there wasn’t much reaction since Zephyriah hadn’t remembered the high priest as being his father.
But, when Taklim Amonlanya, a lieutenant of the Bladesinger’s Guild ordered Xirei to kill Zephyriah, he punched the lieutenant in the face and began fleeing, urging Zephyriah to come as well. The two managed to escape from the city, settling their differences on the way, realizing that they were a lot alike. But as of right now, the two of them have a sizable bounty on their heads, from both the Raiaeran government, as well as the Coronian government. From this point on, Zephyriah went into hiding, fearful that those in everyday society would rat him out.
A several months later, Zephyriah finally came out of hiding, as he refused to harbor this fear in him. But, what he did to help lift this fear inside of him was join the Kyorl, so that he could have protection on the surface, in addition to the “Banishment’s protection in the underground. However, his past actions have begun to catch up with him, as he’s finding that the Tel Aglarim is still pursuing him. But whatever the outcome, Zephyriah has mentally prepared himself to face whatever trouble comes his way.
Some time has passed with the drow serving as a member of the Kyorl. However, the security that he thought this faction provided him with had been brought into question when he met a fellow soldier by the name of Brenaz Vhaerun, claiming that Queen Valsharess had “other” plans that were not in favor of her nation. This led to a journey to the Red Forest in Raiaera, where Zephyriah encountered Damon Kaosi, one whom wanted to claim the dark elf’s life for his past crimes in his homeland. However, things didn’t turn out as Zephyriah thought, for there was a great threat working behind the scenes. During this journey, Zephyriah also witnessed an odd transformation with his two trusted blades, as the spirit of the Malebolge possessed them and created an entirely new weapon.
At the end of this journey, Vhaerun, Ablione, and Kaosi formed an alliance that would hopefully prove to stand strong against this mysterious threat that the Tel Aglarim General said is lingering. Hopefully when these life forms show their selves, Zephyriah will be able to contribute to taking them out, for his own benefit of course.
* * *
Life for Zephyriah continued to prove itself challenging with him constantly utilizing Tyranagogue to defend himself. The endless running from enemies was another thing that began wearing down on his body, for when he was not engaged in any altercation, he still had to be alert for anybody that might’ve wanted to kill him. The only people that he could really trust were those in the Banishment, but it’d been so long since he’d seen his fellow comrades, especially Praenuntio. On his way back to Corone to pay them a visit at one of their lairs, he was astonished to see that the Banishment’s leader had disappeared only leaving a note saying how the Malice needed his aid in a war in Salvar against the Grey Braves. Angered because he was not told this information earlier, Zephyriah went to the Magi Tower in Salvar in hopes of finding his ally and helping him in any way he possibly could.
Due to his speed, it wasn’t difficult to infiltrate the grand tower, but the real problems came when he entered the main meeting hall, where Praenuntio, Damon Kaosi, and Seth Dahlios were. There were no two people in the world that Zephyriah despised more than Seth Dahlios and Damon Kaosi for they were really the only two whose arrogance exceeded his own.
A battle soon began with these four super powers present. Kaosi engaged in combat with Prae, while Dahlios took on Zephyriah. The battle was heated, and was only rising in intensity. But all were forced to cease fighting and escape, for Zieg dil’ Tulfried, a powerful demon knight from the underworld of Haidia had sent a powerful attack at the base of the tower, causing it to collapse.
After the war was over, Zephyriah decided to venture to Cray, Shanleh since that was really the only land that didn’t contain anyone that viewed him as an enemy (or so he thought). However, he soon ran into a slew of problems with the natives capturing him, and forcing him to do slave labor. He spent several months there without causing any bit of a problem, and even eventually earned the trust and respect for the town’s leader. When war had struck their land, Zephyriah valiantly helped them out and became the hero….something that he’d never experienced before in his life. However, living this good life didn’t last long for the paladins of Rune had appeared to him one day trying to apprehend him. Xirei, Zephyriah’s brother had journeyed along as well, but he couldn’t allow the paladins to seize him. Therefore, the two siblings escaped from Shanleh, and ended up in Great Cave Town, Haidia. Xirei had specifically taken him there saying that their mother had came down here some time ago. However, Zephyriah found his mother in the worst of situations, greatly fatigued as she’d been tied to a crucifix by an insane vampire known as Caiaphas. The people of the Great Cave Town seemed to have had their fair share of problems with this individual, and thus had aided Zephyriah and his brother in taking the vampire down.
After much time, Zephyriah finally brought Caiaphas down. But suddenly, the vampire’s blood came towards the drow and covered him, seeping into his pores. Aside from this and migraines, nothing else out of the ordinary seemed to happen, that is until the pursuing paladins of Rune had followed the siblings down to the Great Cave Town. They seized Zephyriah, but were unsuccessful in seizing his brother since he managed to escape. When they left Haidia with the drow, they had all intentions of bringing him back to Rune for persecution. But before they could even get there, something odd occurred with the drow, whereas he began to change. Effortlessly, Zephyriah killed his abductors and fled from the scene without leaving the slightest hint as to where he took off to.
Laying low was something that Zephyriah became good at after everything that he’d been through. Authorities from various areas in the Rune area had searched for him, but found that their efforts were in vain. The exactly locations of where the ex paladin had spent his time were various simply because he refused to stay in the same place for more than two days and two nights. He frequented the Concordia Jadet area the most, since it was rural enough where very few people would see him. On top of that, he knew that the paladins of Rune wouldn’t even think twice about searching at the spots in which they’d allowed Zephyriah to escape their grasp.
Survival of the fittest was what the laws of the forest of Concordia and surrounding areas were. Zephyriah never had a problem with this kind of life, for he’d been surviving through bloodshed his whole life. Animals after realizing his viciousness stopped approaching him, knowing that they would surely lose their lives. Zeph, having enjoyed this sport for some time, found that it was growing quite old and decided to pay his old Banishment allies a visit. “Once a brother, always a brother” was the unspoken slogan amongst the assassins. Long hiatuses were common and perfectly fine, so long as one didn’t betray their organization in anyway. Zephyriah was one of the most loyal members of the Banishment, so he anticipated being welcomed with open arms. But when he got their, he found out something shocking: The Banishment was no more…..
The cave lair deep within Concordia was seized by silence. He sought to investigate how this could’ve happened, but was immediately stopped by a rather goofy looking woman. It seemed she’d been looking for the Banishment Lair for quite some time in order to have a certain mission done for her. Seeing Zephyriah, she asked him if he would partake in the mission to retrieve some precious items from Sirvano that she offered, promising to pay well. The ex paladin was reluctant at first, but ultimately decided to do it as a last mission for his beloved, dismembered sect.
The journey took him to a small piece of land right outside Antioch called “Mysterino”, in which he met a man called Edward Judorne. Apparently, he was looking for some strange stone that could petrify anything that it’s pale gray rays hit. Zephyriah had almost been hit on several occasions by this magical item’s blasts. This near death experience drove him to find more out about this stone from Edward. The short man told the ex paladin much about the trying times of his kingdom, as well as the deathly power of the “Medusa’s Eye”, and how it could turn a planet to stone if magnified just right. The Prince wanted nothing more than to save his kingdom (and the world) and get his stone back. So, Zephyriah decided to help him, and together the two journeyed to a strange other worldly tower, via a dimensional portal, in which many obstacles had to be faced.
Eventually, the plans of those responsible for trying to use the stone’s powers to petrify Althanas had been stopped. Zephyriah had ransacked some of Judorne’s household jewels, calling it “payment” for his work in helping the Prince save the world. When he returned back to Althanas, yet more specifically Corone, he went back to the woman who hired him and gave her what he’d brought back with him. She seemed a little disappointed, mainly because of the news that’d been relayed to her about the Medusa’s Eye. Still, she paid Zephyriah his fee, and the ex paladin wrapped up the final mission for the Banishment.
Later on that year the famous Theater of War had come around. Zephyriah had competed in it before, yet didn’t do as well as he would’ve liked to. This time around however, he sought to make flex his muscle and show Althanas who the strongest was. The drow thought about the Paladins and if they would be waiting for such an opportunity for Zephyriah to come out of hiding. However, Zephyriah didn’t really care about what the Runians were doing; if they wanted to fight with him, they would register in the tournament. Unfortunately for the Ablione though, the priests and paladins had been putting together a plan (with help from the Coronian Thayne), to seize Zephyriah and force him to fight against a comrade of his, Lorenor. The Thaynes were having troubling issues with the violent two, and sought to have them kill each other in battle.
Much transpired within the actual bout, especially with Zeph’s and Lorenor’s abductors inserting vile off springs of the Coronian Thayne himself into their heads for control. Zephyriah struggled mightily with trying to get the wyrm from his mind, but his own strength, nor the strength of “Malebolge” the spirit within Tyranagogue. This vile manipulator had managed to squelch the sword spirit, as well as weakening him both physically and mentally. Had it not been for Lorenor overcoming his possession by opening an ancient seal, which let out a great ally of his, Zephyriah would’ve never been saved. This powerful entity had come forth from an unknown world and extracted the wyrms from both the warriors’ minds. In the process though, Zephyriah lost an enormous amount of power. Yet with Lorenor, the leader of the Sabbat inserting his good friend into his organization and making him one of their top Elders, he vowed to destroy Rune and its inhabitants for doing to him what they’d done. But, it would all be when they least expected it…….
The drow/human hybrid’s adventures led him to the land of Antioch. He graced the land of Corone for far too long and sought to go to a place where he was certain lingered no enemy ties. However, shortly after arriving in Antioch, he found himself knee-deep in further problems. An elderly gentleman by the name of Connor was being harassed by Vae Stave Mages of the City of Larapool. Taking the liberty, Zephyriah involved himself and warded off the magic casters. It turned out though, that the mages were after one of the three garnets, said to have unimaginable power; that the old man knew about. This elderly fellow was so grateful to Zephyriah that he provided him with lodging for as long as he liked. Touched by this, Zephyriah offered to help the fellow with his problem; that being that he desired that the garnet be destroyed.
The dark paladin complied and set off towards the Vae Staves headquarters in order to do what he’d been asked. On the way though, he met Sanoe Teriades and Corin Rivfader, two other people who happened to have another garnet. Zeph attempted to take the garnet from them, all while dealing with the attacking Vae Stave mages that’d tried to rid their tower of the three intruders. All efforts on both fronts failed though, since ultimately the chaos that Zephyriah, Sanoe, and Corin brought, caused the entire tower to burn down. Corin was separated from Sanoe and Zeph, never to be seen again. As for Zeph and the Sanoe, they fled to the elderly man’s house, but only to be pursued by the angry Vae Stave mages. Connor and his wife were killed in fury of the mages, but not before telling Zephyriah and Sanoe where they could find the last and final garnet.
So the two head to Khoria, and met up with a good friend of Connor’s; King Bantor. He’d had dilemmas of his own with regards to his daughter and a scandal that she’d been accused of being a part of, so he proposed that if Zeph and Sanoe wanted the garnet, they would have to clear up the mess and convince her fiancé that she took no part in the raunchy rumors that were floating about. The crimson elf and the jeweler had to go through awkward and uncomfortable situations in order to cleanse Bantor’s daughter’s name, but once finished they received the garnet and destroyed it, thus saving Althanas from the possibility of ever having to experience the raw and frightening power of the three garnets.
Zephyriah returned to Corone after his journeys in Antioch, figuring he was mentally ready to return to his bloodstained homeland. But while relaxing in the wilderness of the Concordian Forest, a drow from the land of Alerar approached him. He was from the old Kyorl division of Alerar’s army. Apparently, a man by the name of Thoracis had caused Queen Valsharess to oust the Kyorl and bring in those more “worthy” to be apart of the new and improved Aleraran Army. Zephyriah hadn’t spent much time in the Kyorl back when he served as a Liutenant, but he made quite the impact, despite his short time there. Zephyriah ended up taking this mission, but never informed the messenger that he was since he’d scared him off by threatening to take his life if he ever interrupted his peaceful solitude ever again.
It seemed that Thoracis had entered Serenti, which was the sole reason behind Zephyriah doing so as well. The end result of this however was that Zephyriah was intercepted by a fellow who called himself Raizo who was higher up in the Serenti Invitational committee. The man had a strange interest in Zephyriah, constantly referring to him as an “Einylin”. Zeph didn’t know what this meant, but none of it mattered when the man mentioned that he’d kidnapped his mother. The only supposed way of getting his mother back was to compete in the LCC as per his orders. Zephyriah was required to win if he ever hoped to see her again, but when that didn’t happen, she was returned to Rune and resumed her commanding role as leader of the paladin city. Z’elouyn never spoke of her time while being held captive, but simply assured her people that she was fine both physically and mentally.
With his mother safe, Zeph continued journeying throughout Althanas, but began realizing that the effects of the potion he’d drank so many years ago was again starting to take its toll on him, much like it did when he’d split into two entities. Having mysteriously absorbed Caiaphas, the dragon-feeding vampire, he found that his cravings for dragon blood had gone from being relatively non-existent to becoming increasingly desirable. At times he found himself lusting over any kind of blood since dragons were not readily available to feast on. He never succumbed to this lust but knew that such strength would not be present for too much longer.
During a journey to Dheathain to pay an old friend a visit, he told Tiamat of his situation. The dragon blood in him was quickening the degradation of his mind, as well as blurring the physical attributes of both his Dragon Drinker side, as well as his normal drow side. Tiamat had seen this only once before with another person in his long past, and knew that the last person this happened to eventually became mad and killed himself. But having learned from that last occurrence, the half human, half dragon man designed a special necklace made entirely out of a special kind of dragon scale that would stop the rapid progression of both his “sides” blurring together, which in turn would slow the degradation of his mind.
Zephyriah graciously accepted this gift, but knew that the real remedy was to reverse the affects of the potion. Otherwise there would be nothing that would stop his eventual demise.