Mathias
12-30-08, 12:43 PM
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Personal Information
Name: Mathias
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Birthplace: The Nexus
Nationality: Vagrant
Ethnicity: Coronian
Occupation: Vandal, Thief
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 180 lbs
Eye Color: Blue and Green
Hair Color: Dirty Blond
Appearance: Dirty blond hair and an average height do not become an intimidating youth. Though broad shouldered, Math is pretty average and easily overlooked in all aspects. He has hazel eyes, switching between a murky green to a vivid light blue, depending on mood, lighting, and outfit. His skin tans rather easily, but as well, it pales just as quick. It's not uncommon for him to look bronze and only a week later be as white as a phantom.
Personality: Mathias is a determined sort of youth. He tries to avoid confrontation with friends and obeys orders very well. He has a cynical mind, however, and often finds morbid amusement in even the most dire circumstances. He has a fierce loyalty his allies and is easily trusting, as well as easily hurt when he is betrayed. When angered, he is filled with primal rage and acts in an animalistic nature. It reflects in his fighting style, as he's relentless, reckless, and ravenous, and refuses to give up until unconsciousness or death takes him, fighting until the last breath.
Nicknames:
Math - A shortening of Mathias.
Mathias Vinkuzri - Common mortal name.
Mathias Planeswalker - Technically his "true," name.
Vandal - His Scara Scourge codename.
Scrapper - His Zirnden fighter handle.
Chapter - His title as a lieutenant in the Scara Scourge.
Affiliations:
The Black Sails Armada - Former Leader
The Larapool Navy - Former Admiral
The Scara Scourge - Lieutenant
Equipment / Inventory
Dress Attire :: Clothing :: (Linen / Leather)
Consists of a white jacket with thick black buttons. It has two breast pockets and two stomach pockets. With these, he'll wear his baggy white shorts, with a pocket on the thigh of each pantleg. On his feet, he dons a pair of black leather boots that rise mid-shin. He wears a white sash with this outfit. Underneath his jacket, he wears a sleeveless, black turtleneck vest. They're all made of linen, denim, and leather.
Sneaking Suit :: Clothing :: (Linen / Leather)
This black outfit is most often used for sneaking. It consists of a long sleeved black leather vest, black pants held up by a black sash, and another pair of black boots, although these boots are padded with black fur on the bottom to muffle the sound of his footsteps. All of these are made from beast-hide leather. He bought (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=10078) this in the Bazaar.
Lysander :: Weapon :: (Steel)
Lysander is a beautifully crafted sword, conjured up from the sheer will of Mathias. When he was younger, his subconscious called out for a weapon, and the enormous well of power inside of him was tapped, very briefly. The result was this blade, which has been a faithful and loyal companion to him ever since. He has yet to figure out just how he was able to create it, but he has surmised that it was sheer instinct that was able to call out powers he has yet to understand and control.
The sword has a finely sharpened blade made of steel, and the hilt seems to be made of gold. In the crossguard, there is an emerald. If one looks into it, they might see a misty face hidden within it, and if they hold it, it may speak to them. The sword is a sentient being, intelligent and capable of communication with the wielder. However, although its personality is seperate from Math's, it is merely a much more blunt and cynical reflection of the planeswalker.
It has another thread of magic embedded within, but one that only Mathias himself can call upon. It works as an extension of the planeswalker, and as such, he can call it from no matter where it is to his hands, working with the same fundamental principle of planeswalking itself. Also, in the event of being attempted to be wielded against Mathias, it will dissipate and return to a pocket plane, rather than strike down his own master.
Violin :: Instrument :: (Misc. Woods)
A beautiful black violin with a spruce top, maple back and rib, and a black hardwood fingerboard. It is usually kept in a black carrying case, along with three bows that he has for it.
Vandalwand :: Trinket :: (Oak)
Nicely crafted, although simple, this brown, one-foot long wand acts as a spray can, although with a large resevoir of paint - roughly equivalent to a gallon. Aside from its capacity and function, it has two magical abilities. First, it will change the paint to whatever color the wielder wishes. The second is that it refills itself from empty to full within an hour.
Knapsack :: Container ::
A burlap rucksack that contains basic supplies:
- Salt, sugar, and spices
- Preserved food
- Pot and pan
- Flint, matches
- Three cantines
- An oil lamp
- Travel journal
- Three inkpens
Map Case :: Container ::
Contains the following maps:
- Map of Corone
- Map of Scara Brae
- Map of Alerar
- Map of Salvar
Pocket Planes :: Container ::
Mathias has access to three personal pocket planes that respond to his (and only his) particular planesmagic. Each of these miniature planes are the size of a small cubical chamber, roughly twenty feet in all dimensions. The first plane is designated for items he cannot hold on his person, or that are more coveniently placed in the plane. The second has yet to be needed, although it's current specification is a backup in case the first plane is filled up. The third and final pocket plane is used as a disposal - mostly for incoming fireballs and other such offensive magics.
Planesmagic
Overview
The essence of planesmagic is that it is not simply a designation, or a school of what is considered magic. It is control over reality itself, and the ability to bend the natural and supernatural to one's will. It is to control the intrinsic fibers of existence, and yet, it is to be able to accomplish it so naturally that one hardly notices that the world has changed to fit someone else's desire.
Mathias is a special case, in this sense, as he is not merely a mortal who has become hyper aware of himself in both a physical and existential sense. He has surpassed that revelation far more than any other that has come before him. This is because Mathias is not mortal. However, he is not immortal, in the sense that Gods are.
Mathias may be called a mere planeswalker, but that is in essence, a poor assumption on anyone's part. He is, in actuality, a personification of the Eternal Tap - a vast and infinite weave of magic that was shattered by the Forgotten Ones, many eons ago. He is a shard of pure magic that somehow became sentient and took on the guise of a Human. Therefore, Mathias doesn't use magic, because he is magic. The particular shard of the Tap that he embodies is a thread of reality - one of the pieces that governed the lines between the multiverse's planes and dimensions.
Because he is a living embodiment of the Tap, he supercedes reality and can bend it to his will. However, his ability in this sense is only as strong as the scope of his revelation. He has yet to truly master the shaping and bending of the world, and is very far from becoming even close to what can be considered a "god."
The limitations of a planeswalker are defined by their physical condition. If they are healthy and well-trained, with athleticism being an ideal point, then they have a greater capacity for planesmagic. It is taxing on the physical body, and unlike much more plain magic, is not bound by laws of limited usage. However, the danger in using planesmagic while fighting is that one may not have enough stamina for actual combat. Also, the second danger is that one must be able to control themselves and their capacity to exist in its entirety - one small mistake and their body and soul will break and shatter, due to their carelessness.
Essentially, Mathias is bound by the quality of his physique and the extent that he mantains it. There are not any ranks or upgrades to any ability that is part of Planesmagic - merely, Planesmagic IS the ability, and the various skills that are labelled herein are simply applications of that skill. Therefore, it is easy to consider that Mathias can use these abilities much more extensively as his body becomes more toned and the potential of his extraordinary anatomy start to become more develop and refined.
Planeswalk
When one planeswalks, they transcend the boundaries between realities and cross into other realms and levels of existence. There are many different planes, such as the Firmament, the Anti-Firmament, the Vivid Plane, the Dismal Plane, the Antithesis, and the Nexus, which is the one plane where all the others meet, among many, many others. The Nexus is essentially the melting pot of all reality, where the layers of existence overlap one another. The world of Althanas is seated in the Firmament. The other planes are so numerous and varied in their description that, to write a treatise on each one, would comprise several volumes of text.
The important thing to note here is that when one Planeswalks, they are establishing their bodies and souls on a new level of reality, and therefore, become a stabilized part of that plane. This is very different to the principles of Planesflashing, which has a more practical application to combat. Everybody is anchored to the plane that they originate from - their souls have a physical tendency to return to that state of existence. Planeswalking alters that tendency and allows the person to exist on whatever plane they choose, as if they had always been a part of it.
Mathias has the ability to sustain his existence on other planes indefinitely. However, it takes a great deal of stamina to cross over (using energy equivalent to doing several pull-ups.)
Planesflash
As opposed to planeswalking, the idea behind planesflashing is to become part of another plane very briefly, to achieve the purpose of passing through a wall, or to escape being cut by a blade. However, this is a very dangerous practice, as one must maintain control over their own physical and spiritual essences while they do this. It is very easy for them to be torn asunder, both mind and body, by spreading themselves across the multiverse.
Unlike planeswalking, this only lasts for several seconds, and therefore, doesn't use the energy that planeswalking does in order to stabilize one's self upon another plane. The planeswalker will only become part of a plane for a small space of time, and then suddenly snap back to their original plane. However, it takes a great amount of stamina, and is very dangerous to perform.
Mathias is able to do this, albeit sparingly. For him, it is like jumping through hoops, although each planesflash is exponentially harsher than the last. Thus, he attempts to limit himself to around three or four over a short period of time.
Planesjump
This is, in essence, a teleportation spell. By focusing his consciousness, Mathias can translocate something from one point in a plane, to another, on the condition that he has a clear vision of it in his mind and the thing being transported has no express wish against being moved. For instance, he can teleport from one continent to another, so long as he has seen a picture of or has previously visited the place that is his intended destination. It does not need to be particularly accurate (for instance, having seen a landscape painting a thousand years old), but if it is not, it carries the risk of perhaps unintentionally teleporting into a mountain, or a crater, or somebody's washroom.
It takes an amount of energy equivalent to running up a mountain, with the length and steepness being relative to the length he teleports across. Therefore, jumping a couple acres is like a small hill, whereas planesjumping to another continent is like a huge mountain.
Planesend & Planescall
By merely touching something, a planeswalker can cause it to transcend to another plane. The most common use of this is to store items that one might not need at a particular moment. Mathias uses this for that purpose almost exclusively. However, he cannot do this to items that explicitly belong to someone, unless it is the owner's desire that it be done. Thus, for instance, he can send his own sword away, but not someone else's.
Planescalling is the reverse function of planesending. When one has stored something in a pocket plane, or has allowed someone or something to go through one of their open portals, the Planeswalker can recall the item or person back from another plane without having to go and retrieve it themselves. The larger the target, the more energy that it takes to call it back. Therefore, it's much easier to summon Math's sword and it's much harsher on him to bring back a person.
Planesrip
By tearing apart the fabric of reality that holds the planes together, a planeswalker can create a small portal to whatever plane they wish. However, it takes a great deal of concentration to keep the portal open, as well as ensuring that it does not rip anymore than they desire. Should a planeswalker not keep his focus, the rip will spiral out of control and cause a quantum backlash, severely damaging the caster.
A rip only stays open for as long as the planeswalker desires. The moment they decide it should close, it does. This is a particularly useful ability for diverting oncoming fireballs or arrows, as well as for giving someone else a chance to move from one plane to another without requiring a planeswalker to use the immensely draining Planeshift ability. The rip in the plane is only was wide as the planeswalker can spread his arms, and the rip appears between that space. In this sense, he must have time to react in order to divert spells and such to his pocket plane. And for those seeking to use the rip as a portal will need to squeeze themselves into and through the hole in reality.
The energy required for Planesripping is akin to holding something extremely heavy for as long of a period of time as the planeswalker keeps the portal open. Therefore, both the length of time for which they use this ability, as well as how often they use it are what factor into the duress that it puts them under.
General Abilities
Martial Arts (Skill) - Expert
Mathias has, through many different fights in many different venues, developed a very primal and basic style of fighting. Relying on quick reflexes and hard punches, he leaves everything else up to luck, circumstance, and the skill of his opponent. He has been a gladiator, a cage fighter, and a street brawler, and he's learned to adapt his style against other kinds of opponents. He favors his right hand and tends to be more offensive than defensive, neglecting damage he takes and in turn dishing out harsher, unrestricted, and uncautious blows.
Swordsmanship (Skill) - Expert
Mathias has found that he is innately skilled with a sword, and with the returning of his memories, has further discovered he was once a very capable swordsman. He's begun to refine his skill and is fastly approaching the plateau of expertise that he once was upon. He uses a very basic style of swordplay, favoring large, arching slashes and quick blocks and parries. He tends to also rely more on his natural agility and reaction time than fancy techniques, footwork, or strategy.
Musicianship (Skill) - Average
Mathias has a penchant for music. Having spent years studying the violin, not really out of anything other than hobby, he's become a rather skilled violinist. His music is often of the more soothing kind, as he prefers to play soft and lengthy ballads over the more energetic fiddling that bards and minstrels seem to prefer.
Vandalism (Skill) - Average
Mathias has developed a talent for art, and uses it to vandalize property in order to spread messages and warnings. His style is very urban, and consists of extravagant bubble-like lettering, very vibrant colors, and overblown caricatures that immediately catch attention.
Immortality (Trait) - Innate
Mathias is something beyond a mortal, but less than a god. As such, he is capable of suffering death and its agonies, but yet, he never truly dies. If he is not immediately resurrected (such as after a Citadel battle, or where otherwise his corpse is simply left to rot), then his body relocates itself to somewhere else where he may safely recouperate in a self-induced coma.
When he awakes, he will have lost his memories, as well as his abilities. This sort of amnesia is not very hard to recover from, although it does take more time if he had suffered a much more horrific death. The recovery period has started to dwindle, as he has grown accustomed to the perils he has put himself in - he has begun to take a much more active role in mortal affairs, and as such, he has started to develop a partial resistance to the disadvantage that his pseudo-immortality puts him at.
This ability in no way affects Mathias as far as gameplay terms are concerned. It is merely explaining his inability to stay dead and gone for very long, and then return suddenly from nowhere. It is a completely superficial trait, serving only as a storytelling device.
*As a note, I judge my skills on a scale of mastery that progresses as follows:
Average -> Above Average -> Expert -> Master -> Legendary.
History
Backstory
Mathias, as far back as he can remember, was an orphan, floating between orphanage and orphanage. He was always a daydreamer, often being reprimanded for never paying attention. He often became so engrossed in his imagination that he could sometimes swear he'd actually experienced what he'd thought about. One day, the matrons of his last orphanage found him gone with absolutely no trace of him left behind.
When he had come to consciousness, he found himself wandering a vivid plane of color and endless dimensions. For a week, he wandered, unable to find a way out, until he slowly became hyper-aware of his surroundings. He started to be able to feel his soul, and at that point, he was able to control, for the first time, his planeswalking powers. This led him to a life as a streetrat, having no desire to go back to the orphanage. He'd often steal things, and then rush off into another plane before he could be caught.
Once, however, he was attacked by several ruffians, and in self defence, he struck out against them. A blade materialized in his hand, and he couldn't explain where it had come from. He assumed it had something to do with his magic, and started to wonder if it had been a manifestation of his need for a weapon. He even named it Lysander, although where the name had came from, he could not say. It had been a bout of inpsiration that was almost divine in nature.
Eventually, the boy met up with a group of pirates known as the Black Sails Armada. He joined their ranks and met up with his soon-to-be best friend, Torin Reahkari. Together, they plundered and pillaged the high seas, until one day, Mathias disappeared. He had been wandering the planes when he was attacked by odd, gray creatures that were infesting the "vivid plane," as he called it. He battled them, sealing them away in a plane known as the Nexus. However, without him knowing, they'd taken a piece of him that he would never be aware of that was missing. Using a small sliver of his soul, they began to craft an antithesis to him - a sort of clone, but instead of being the same... they were exact polar opposites.
Mathias returned to the physical world to find the Black Sails Armada in shambles. He met up with Torin once more, and they took over the leadership of the pirates and relocated to a small port town in Alerar, buying a piece of property from the Red Hand, and also receiving their own flagship. They became allies with the merchants, agreeing to plunder their rivals and avoid their own vessels, and in return, they received sponsorship in many of the things that they would need. Now settled into Etheria Port, as they had named it, Mathias began his career as an admiral of the high seas.
The clone, however, had come to find him. Ramirez, as he called himself, had a profound and utter hatred for Mathias without ever having met him. They fought against one another, and after an intense clashing of the powers of existence and the void, they struck eachother down. Both began to die, and Mathias lost consciousness. When he next awoke, he could not recall anything about himself other than his name. He packed up his belongings on board the ship and left Etheria, uncertain of where he was going or even why.
He found his way to the blasted wastelands of Antioch, wherein he met, by chance, a young man by the name of Joshua Fencer. He was the Trade Prince of Larapool, as well as the admiral for their navy. The two quickly fell in love, and Joshua became Mathias's mentor, teaching him how to hone his fighting skills, as well as trying to help him find his memories. He even studied Lysander and awoke a personality that had been contained deep within by some odd magic - aside from being a weapon, it soon became a much-welcome (if annoying at times) companion.
However, this comfort was not to last. Morian Fleshbane, the arch-necromancer and lich that had betrayed Larapool almost two generations beforehand, launched an all out assault against the city, in which Mathias was caught up in. The planeswalker met the necromancer and fought him one-on-one, only to be hit by a spell as he planeswalked, throwing him off-balance and sending him hurdling through the physical plane.
When he awoke, he had a new case of amnesia, remembering nothing about either of his previous lives. He found himself in Scara Brae - the same person, the same name, but a new slate, and a new life ahead of him.
Present Day
After his ill-fated battle with Morian Fleshbane, Mathias found himself once again with no recollection of memory. To pay for not only his debt to the hospital of Scara Brae, but also to feed himself from day to day, the young man took up cage fighting in the Zirnden. It didn't take more than a week for his powers to return to him, and it took only the same amount of time before he began to ask questions as to who and what he was, and why he was there.
However, he found a new calling in life, as he was inducted into the Scara Scourge (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=8661) and became a member of a chapter, led by a man who, fittingly enough, was called Chapter. With his new friends and colleagues, he caused a great deal of mischief around the city, until a serious threat started to emerge.
The Blackhood Syndicate, a group of pirates, slavers, and general scum, started to encroach upon Scara Brae. Uniting all of the major factions of the criminal underworld together, the Scourge fought against the Syndicate tooth and nail, only to have Chapter betray them all to switch sides at the last moment.
As a result, Mathias was captured and taken to a laboratory in the labyrinthine sewers beneath Scara Brae. There, he met his new "master," who experimented on him while explaining to Mathias what he truly was. It was then that the planeswalker discovered he'd been captured by Morian Fleshbane, and he had used his influence over the Syndicate to search out Mathias, having felt tremendous magical power eminating from the boy during their battle. In hopes of harnessing that power, Morian began to mold the vandal into a weapon of assassination, and tested his new toy out by pitting him in several fights at the Citadel, one against a man named Joshua Cronen (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=9592), and then a second against an odd man known only as Eternium (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=9814).
Eventually, Morian allowed the contracting of Math's services to an ambitious count named Vernanon Merix, who had Mathias assassinate the Duke and Baron of the Eaurata Barony. On his return to the Master's lair, however, he was sprung free by his old friends in the Scourge, as they had been raiding and attacking all the caravans that had something to do with the Syndicate. Reunited with his old crew once more, Mathias hatched a plan to counter the Syndicate, by waging all-out war against them and the corrupt nobility that they had infiltrated.
In an effort to draw out the Blackhood Syndicate into attacking him, Mathias accepted an offer to become a Warrior of the Dajas Pagoda. By making his escape public, he hoped to lure either Cruz, or agents of the Syndicate, into ambushing him somewhere. However, he was found much sooner than he'd anticipated. After his anticipated fight (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=17080) with Lillian Sesthal, he disappeared. Due to his absence, he was subsequently stripped of his Pagoda position.
Update Log
Quest Spoils:
Vandal Valiance (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=8661)
- Lysander
- Vandalwand
- Swordsmanship (Average)
Level 3 Updates:
- Added the Planesjump ability.
- Added the Vandalism skill.
- Upgraded Swordsmanship to Expert.
- Reworded the Martial Arts skill.
- Reworded the Swordsmanship skill.
Personal Information
Name: Mathias
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Birthplace: The Nexus
Nationality: Vagrant
Ethnicity: Coronian
Occupation: Vandal, Thief
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 180 lbs
Eye Color: Blue and Green
Hair Color: Dirty Blond
Appearance: Dirty blond hair and an average height do not become an intimidating youth. Though broad shouldered, Math is pretty average and easily overlooked in all aspects. He has hazel eyes, switching between a murky green to a vivid light blue, depending on mood, lighting, and outfit. His skin tans rather easily, but as well, it pales just as quick. It's not uncommon for him to look bronze and only a week later be as white as a phantom.
Personality: Mathias is a determined sort of youth. He tries to avoid confrontation with friends and obeys orders very well. He has a cynical mind, however, and often finds morbid amusement in even the most dire circumstances. He has a fierce loyalty his allies and is easily trusting, as well as easily hurt when he is betrayed. When angered, he is filled with primal rage and acts in an animalistic nature. It reflects in his fighting style, as he's relentless, reckless, and ravenous, and refuses to give up until unconsciousness or death takes him, fighting until the last breath.
Nicknames:
Math - A shortening of Mathias.
Mathias Vinkuzri - Common mortal name.
Mathias Planeswalker - Technically his "true," name.
Vandal - His Scara Scourge codename.
Scrapper - His Zirnden fighter handle.
Chapter - His title as a lieutenant in the Scara Scourge.
Affiliations:
The Black Sails Armada - Former Leader
The Larapool Navy - Former Admiral
The Scara Scourge - Lieutenant
Equipment / Inventory
Dress Attire :: Clothing :: (Linen / Leather)
Consists of a white jacket with thick black buttons. It has two breast pockets and two stomach pockets. With these, he'll wear his baggy white shorts, with a pocket on the thigh of each pantleg. On his feet, he dons a pair of black leather boots that rise mid-shin. He wears a white sash with this outfit. Underneath his jacket, he wears a sleeveless, black turtleneck vest. They're all made of linen, denim, and leather.
Sneaking Suit :: Clothing :: (Linen / Leather)
This black outfit is most often used for sneaking. It consists of a long sleeved black leather vest, black pants held up by a black sash, and another pair of black boots, although these boots are padded with black fur on the bottom to muffle the sound of his footsteps. All of these are made from beast-hide leather. He bought (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=10078) this in the Bazaar.
Lysander :: Weapon :: (Steel)
Lysander is a beautifully crafted sword, conjured up from the sheer will of Mathias. When he was younger, his subconscious called out for a weapon, and the enormous well of power inside of him was tapped, very briefly. The result was this blade, which has been a faithful and loyal companion to him ever since. He has yet to figure out just how he was able to create it, but he has surmised that it was sheer instinct that was able to call out powers he has yet to understand and control.
The sword has a finely sharpened blade made of steel, and the hilt seems to be made of gold. In the crossguard, there is an emerald. If one looks into it, they might see a misty face hidden within it, and if they hold it, it may speak to them. The sword is a sentient being, intelligent and capable of communication with the wielder. However, although its personality is seperate from Math's, it is merely a much more blunt and cynical reflection of the planeswalker.
It has another thread of magic embedded within, but one that only Mathias himself can call upon. It works as an extension of the planeswalker, and as such, he can call it from no matter where it is to his hands, working with the same fundamental principle of planeswalking itself. Also, in the event of being attempted to be wielded against Mathias, it will dissipate and return to a pocket plane, rather than strike down his own master.
Violin :: Instrument :: (Misc. Woods)
A beautiful black violin with a spruce top, maple back and rib, and a black hardwood fingerboard. It is usually kept in a black carrying case, along with three bows that he has for it.
Vandalwand :: Trinket :: (Oak)
Nicely crafted, although simple, this brown, one-foot long wand acts as a spray can, although with a large resevoir of paint - roughly equivalent to a gallon. Aside from its capacity and function, it has two magical abilities. First, it will change the paint to whatever color the wielder wishes. The second is that it refills itself from empty to full within an hour.
Knapsack :: Container ::
A burlap rucksack that contains basic supplies:
- Salt, sugar, and spices
- Preserved food
- Pot and pan
- Flint, matches
- Three cantines
- An oil lamp
- Travel journal
- Three inkpens
Map Case :: Container ::
Contains the following maps:
- Map of Corone
- Map of Scara Brae
- Map of Alerar
- Map of Salvar
Pocket Planes :: Container ::
Mathias has access to three personal pocket planes that respond to his (and only his) particular planesmagic. Each of these miniature planes are the size of a small cubical chamber, roughly twenty feet in all dimensions. The first plane is designated for items he cannot hold on his person, or that are more coveniently placed in the plane. The second has yet to be needed, although it's current specification is a backup in case the first plane is filled up. The third and final pocket plane is used as a disposal - mostly for incoming fireballs and other such offensive magics.
Planesmagic
Overview
The essence of planesmagic is that it is not simply a designation, or a school of what is considered magic. It is control over reality itself, and the ability to bend the natural and supernatural to one's will. It is to control the intrinsic fibers of existence, and yet, it is to be able to accomplish it so naturally that one hardly notices that the world has changed to fit someone else's desire.
Mathias is a special case, in this sense, as he is not merely a mortal who has become hyper aware of himself in both a physical and existential sense. He has surpassed that revelation far more than any other that has come before him. This is because Mathias is not mortal. However, he is not immortal, in the sense that Gods are.
Mathias may be called a mere planeswalker, but that is in essence, a poor assumption on anyone's part. He is, in actuality, a personification of the Eternal Tap - a vast and infinite weave of magic that was shattered by the Forgotten Ones, many eons ago. He is a shard of pure magic that somehow became sentient and took on the guise of a Human. Therefore, Mathias doesn't use magic, because he is magic. The particular shard of the Tap that he embodies is a thread of reality - one of the pieces that governed the lines between the multiverse's planes and dimensions.
Because he is a living embodiment of the Tap, he supercedes reality and can bend it to his will. However, his ability in this sense is only as strong as the scope of his revelation. He has yet to truly master the shaping and bending of the world, and is very far from becoming even close to what can be considered a "god."
The limitations of a planeswalker are defined by their physical condition. If they are healthy and well-trained, with athleticism being an ideal point, then they have a greater capacity for planesmagic. It is taxing on the physical body, and unlike much more plain magic, is not bound by laws of limited usage. However, the danger in using planesmagic while fighting is that one may not have enough stamina for actual combat. Also, the second danger is that one must be able to control themselves and their capacity to exist in its entirety - one small mistake and their body and soul will break and shatter, due to their carelessness.
Essentially, Mathias is bound by the quality of his physique and the extent that he mantains it. There are not any ranks or upgrades to any ability that is part of Planesmagic - merely, Planesmagic IS the ability, and the various skills that are labelled herein are simply applications of that skill. Therefore, it is easy to consider that Mathias can use these abilities much more extensively as his body becomes more toned and the potential of his extraordinary anatomy start to become more develop and refined.
Planeswalk
When one planeswalks, they transcend the boundaries between realities and cross into other realms and levels of existence. There are many different planes, such as the Firmament, the Anti-Firmament, the Vivid Plane, the Dismal Plane, the Antithesis, and the Nexus, which is the one plane where all the others meet, among many, many others. The Nexus is essentially the melting pot of all reality, where the layers of existence overlap one another. The world of Althanas is seated in the Firmament. The other planes are so numerous and varied in their description that, to write a treatise on each one, would comprise several volumes of text.
The important thing to note here is that when one Planeswalks, they are establishing their bodies and souls on a new level of reality, and therefore, become a stabilized part of that plane. This is very different to the principles of Planesflashing, which has a more practical application to combat. Everybody is anchored to the plane that they originate from - their souls have a physical tendency to return to that state of existence. Planeswalking alters that tendency and allows the person to exist on whatever plane they choose, as if they had always been a part of it.
Mathias has the ability to sustain his existence on other planes indefinitely. However, it takes a great deal of stamina to cross over (using energy equivalent to doing several pull-ups.)
Planesflash
As opposed to planeswalking, the idea behind planesflashing is to become part of another plane very briefly, to achieve the purpose of passing through a wall, or to escape being cut by a blade. However, this is a very dangerous practice, as one must maintain control over their own physical and spiritual essences while they do this. It is very easy for them to be torn asunder, both mind and body, by spreading themselves across the multiverse.
Unlike planeswalking, this only lasts for several seconds, and therefore, doesn't use the energy that planeswalking does in order to stabilize one's self upon another plane. The planeswalker will only become part of a plane for a small space of time, and then suddenly snap back to their original plane. However, it takes a great amount of stamina, and is very dangerous to perform.
Mathias is able to do this, albeit sparingly. For him, it is like jumping through hoops, although each planesflash is exponentially harsher than the last. Thus, he attempts to limit himself to around three or four over a short period of time.
Planesjump
This is, in essence, a teleportation spell. By focusing his consciousness, Mathias can translocate something from one point in a plane, to another, on the condition that he has a clear vision of it in his mind and the thing being transported has no express wish against being moved. For instance, he can teleport from one continent to another, so long as he has seen a picture of or has previously visited the place that is his intended destination. It does not need to be particularly accurate (for instance, having seen a landscape painting a thousand years old), but if it is not, it carries the risk of perhaps unintentionally teleporting into a mountain, or a crater, or somebody's washroom.
It takes an amount of energy equivalent to running up a mountain, with the length and steepness being relative to the length he teleports across. Therefore, jumping a couple acres is like a small hill, whereas planesjumping to another continent is like a huge mountain.
Planesend & Planescall
By merely touching something, a planeswalker can cause it to transcend to another plane. The most common use of this is to store items that one might not need at a particular moment. Mathias uses this for that purpose almost exclusively. However, he cannot do this to items that explicitly belong to someone, unless it is the owner's desire that it be done. Thus, for instance, he can send his own sword away, but not someone else's.
Planescalling is the reverse function of planesending. When one has stored something in a pocket plane, or has allowed someone or something to go through one of their open portals, the Planeswalker can recall the item or person back from another plane without having to go and retrieve it themselves. The larger the target, the more energy that it takes to call it back. Therefore, it's much easier to summon Math's sword and it's much harsher on him to bring back a person.
Planesrip
By tearing apart the fabric of reality that holds the planes together, a planeswalker can create a small portal to whatever plane they wish. However, it takes a great deal of concentration to keep the portal open, as well as ensuring that it does not rip anymore than they desire. Should a planeswalker not keep his focus, the rip will spiral out of control and cause a quantum backlash, severely damaging the caster.
A rip only stays open for as long as the planeswalker desires. The moment they decide it should close, it does. This is a particularly useful ability for diverting oncoming fireballs or arrows, as well as for giving someone else a chance to move from one plane to another without requiring a planeswalker to use the immensely draining Planeshift ability. The rip in the plane is only was wide as the planeswalker can spread his arms, and the rip appears between that space. In this sense, he must have time to react in order to divert spells and such to his pocket plane. And for those seeking to use the rip as a portal will need to squeeze themselves into and through the hole in reality.
The energy required for Planesripping is akin to holding something extremely heavy for as long of a period of time as the planeswalker keeps the portal open. Therefore, both the length of time for which they use this ability, as well as how often they use it are what factor into the duress that it puts them under.
General Abilities
Martial Arts (Skill) - Expert
Mathias has, through many different fights in many different venues, developed a very primal and basic style of fighting. Relying on quick reflexes and hard punches, he leaves everything else up to luck, circumstance, and the skill of his opponent. He has been a gladiator, a cage fighter, and a street brawler, and he's learned to adapt his style against other kinds of opponents. He favors his right hand and tends to be more offensive than defensive, neglecting damage he takes and in turn dishing out harsher, unrestricted, and uncautious blows.
Swordsmanship (Skill) - Expert
Mathias has found that he is innately skilled with a sword, and with the returning of his memories, has further discovered he was once a very capable swordsman. He's begun to refine his skill and is fastly approaching the plateau of expertise that he once was upon. He uses a very basic style of swordplay, favoring large, arching slashes and quick blocks and parries. He tends to also rely more on his natural agility and reaction time than fancy techniques, footwork, or strategy.
Musicianship (Skill) - Average
Mathias has a penchant for music. Having spent years studying the violin, not really out of anything other than hobby, he's become a rather skilled violinist. His music is often of the more soothing kind, as he prefers to play soft and lengthy ballads over the more energetic fiddling that bards and minstrels seem to prefer.
Vandalism (Skill) - Average
Mathias has developed a talent for art, and uses it to vandalize property in order to spread messages and warnings. His style is very urban, and consists of extravagant bubble-like lettering, very vibrant colors, and overblown caricatures that immediately catch attention.
Immortality (Trait) - Innate
Mathias is something beyond a mortal, but less than a god. As such, he is capable of suffering death and its agonies, but yet, he never truly dies. If he is not immediately resurrected (such as after a Citadel battle, or where otherwise his corpse is simply left to rot), then his body relocates itself to somewhere else where he may safely recouperate in a self-induced coma.
When he awakes, he will have lost his memories, as well as his abilities. This sort of amnesia is not very hard to recover from, although it does take more time if he had suffered a much more horrific death. The recovery period has started to dwindle, as he has grown accustomed to the perils he has put himself in - he has begun to take a much more active role in mortal affairs, and as such, he has started to develop a partial resistance to the disadvantage that his pseudo-immortality puts him at.
This ability in no way affects Mathias as far as gameplay terms are concerned. It is merely explaining his inability to stay dead and gone for very long, and then return suddenly from nowhere. It is a completely superficial trait, serving only as a storytelling device.
*As a note, I judge my skills on a scale of mastery that progresses as follows:
Average -> Above Average -> Expert -> Master -> Legendary.
History
Backstory
Mathias, as far back as he can remember, was an orphan, floating between orphanage and orphanage. He was always a daydreamer, often being reprimanded for never paying attention. He often became so engrossed in his imagination that he could sometimes swear he'd actually experienced what he'd thought about. One day, the matrons of his last orphanage found him gone with absolutely no trace of him left behind.
When he had come to consciousness, he found himself wandering a vivid plane of color and endless dimensions. For a week, he wandered, unable to find a way out, until he slowly became hyper-aware of his surroundings. He started to be able to feel his soul, and at that point, he was able to control, for the first time, his planeswalking powers. This led him to a life as a streetrat, having no desire to go back to the orphanage. He'd often steal things, and then rush off into another plane before he could be caught.
Once, however, he was attacked by several ruffians, and in self defence, he struck out against them. A blade materialized in his hand, and he couldn't explain where it had come from. He assumed it had something to do with his magic, and started to wonder if it had been a manifestation of his need for a weapon. He even named it Lysander, although where the name had came from, he could not say. It had been a bout of inpsiration that was almost divine in nature.
Eventually, the boy met up with a group of pirates known as the Black Sails Armada. He joined their ranks and met up with his soon-to-be best friend, Torin Reahkari. Together, they plundered and pillaged the high seas, until one day, Mathias disappeared. He had been wandering the planes when he was attacked by odd, gray creatures that were infesting the "vivid plane," as he called it. He battled them, sealing them away in a plane known as the Nexus. However, without him knowing, they'd taken a piece of him that he would never be aware of that was missing. Using a small sliver of his soul, they began to craft an antithesis to him - a sort of clone, but instead of being the same... they were exact polar opposites.
Mathias returned to the physical world to find the Black Sails Armada in shambles. He met up with Torin once more, and they took over the leadership of the pirates and relocated to a small port town in Alerar, buying a piece of property from the Red Hand, and also receiving their own flagship. They became allies with the merchants, agreeing to plunder their rivals and avoid their own vessels, and in return, they received sponsorship in many of the things that they would need. Now settled into Etheria Port, as they had named it, Mathias began his career as an admiral of the high seas.
The clone, however, had come to find him. Ramirez, as he called himself, had a profound and utter hatred for Mathias without ever having met him. They fought against one another, and after an intense clashing of the powers of existence and the void, they struck eachother down. Both began to die, and Mathias lost consciousness. When he next awoke, he could not recall anything about himself other than his name. He packed up his belongings on board the ship and left Etheria, uncertain of where he was going or even why.
He found his way to the blasted wastelands of Antioch, wherein he met, by chance, a young man by the name of Joshua Fencer. He was the Trade Prince of Larapool, as well as the admiral for their navy. The two quickly fell in love, and Joshua became Mathias's mentor, teaching him how to hone his fighting skills, as well as trying to help him find his memories. He even studied Lysander and awoke a personality that had been contained deep within by some odd magic - aside from being a weapon, it soon became a much-welcome (if annoying at times) companion.
However, this comfort was not to last. Morian Fleshbane, the arch-necromancer and lich that had betrayed Larapool almost two generations beforehand, launched an all out assault against the city, in which Mathias was caught up in. The planeswalker met the necromancer and fought him one-on-one, only to be hit by a spell as he planeswalked, throwing him off-balance and sending him hurdling through the physical plane.
When he awoke, he had a new case of amnesia, remembering nothing about either of his previous lives. He found himself in Scara Brae - the same person, the same name, but a new slate, and a new life ahead of him.
Present Day
After his ill-fated battle with Morian Fleshbane, Mathias found himself once again with no recollection of memory. To pay for not only his debt to the hospital of Scara Brae, but also to feed himself from day to day, the young man took up cage fighting in the Zirnden. It didn't take more than a week for his powers to return to him, and it took only the same amount of time before he began to ask questions as to who and what he was, and why he was there.
However, he found a new calling in life, as he was inducted into the Scara Scourge (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=8661) and became a member of a chapter, led by a man who, fittingly enough, was called Chapter. With his new friends and colleagues, he caused a great deal of mischief around the city, until a serious threat started to emerge.
The Blackhood Syndicate, a group of pirates, slavers, and general scum, started to encroach upon Scara Brae. Uniting all of the major factions of the criminal underworld together, the Scourge fought against the Syndicate tooth and nail, only to have Chapter betray them all to switch sides at the last moment.
As a result, Mathias was captured and taken to a laboratory in the labyrinthine sewers beneath Scara Brae. There, he met his new "master," who experimented on him while explaining to Mathias what he truly was. It was then that the planeswalker discovered he'd been captured by Morian Fleshbane, and he had used his influence over the Syndicate to search out Mathias, having felt tremendous magical power eminating from the boy during their battle. In hopes of harnessing that power, Morian began to mold the vandal into a weapon of assassination, and tested his new toy out by pitting him in several fights at the Citadel, one against a man named Joshua Cronen (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=9592), and then a second against an odd man known only as Eternium (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=9814).
Eventually, Morian allowed the contracting of Math's services to an ambitious count named Vernanon Merix, who had Mathias assassinate the Duke and Baron of the Eaurata Barony. On his return to the Master's lair, however, he was sprung free by his old friends in the Scourge, as they had been raiding and attacking all the caravans that had something to do with the Syndicate. Reunited with his old crew once more, Mathias hatched a plan to counter the Syndicate, by waging all-out war against them and the corrupt nobility that they had infiltrated.
In an effort to draw out the Blackhood Syndicate into attacking him, Mathias accepted an offer to become a Warrior of the Dajas Pagoda. By making his escape public, he hoped to lure either Cruz, or agents of the Syndicate, into ambushing him somewhere. However, he was found much sooner than he'd anticipated. After his anticipated fight (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=17080) with Lillian Sesthal, he disappeared. Due to his absence, he was subsequently stripped of his Pagoda position.
Update Log
Quest Spoils:
Vandal Valiance (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=8661)
- Lysander
- Vandalwand
- Swordsmanship (Average)
Level 3 Updates:
- Added the Planesjump ability.
- Added the Vandalism skill.
- Upgraded Swordsmanship to Expert.
- Reworded the Martial Arts skill.
- Reworded the Swordsmanship skill.