Shadar
08-01-11, 04:20 AM
Name: Shadar
Age: late 20's
Race: half-elven
Hair Color: silver
Eye Color: pale blue
Height: 6'
Weight: 150 lbs
Appearance:
A lean, pale, hawk-nosed man. His hair is short and lays back (with an eerie habit of staying that way). His clothing is always the same: white long-sleeved shirt tucked into black pants; a long coat, sleeve-less and dark as obsidian, that is never buttoned; and a very unique pair of gloves. They appear to be black leather from his fingertips to his elbows until one looks closer and sees the oily shifting of the material, hinting at fathomless depths just below the surface.
History:
Salvar's isolated villages, dotted among the mountains like crumbs on a rumpled, snow white table cloth, were the last to hear of the civil war. Until the full force of that news struck them, their gossip had been of the mundane -and safe- variety. Weather, good hunting, meager crops, and the occasional odd traveller. The most recent, and the oddest in years, was a man who didn't actually visit any of the villages.
The tales began as fantastical sightings. A man in black, flying over the trees with a golden harpy in tow and occasionally a purple creature halfway between dog and man. The first villagers who dared speak of what they had seen were ridiculed. But, as the gossip spread among the villages, witnesses came forward to add their own tales until the story was accepted. Not always believed, of course, but accepted as were many of the strange occurrences that took place where civilization could not breach natures harsh defences.
A young man from one of the higher mountain settlements claimed to have actually closed on the group of oddities, and his tale was as bizarre as to be expected of the travellers.
He was hunting alone when the man and the harpy landed not more than ten paces away from him, the man falling to his knees immediately.
“What's wrong?” the harpy asked, concern softening what seemed to be a harsh voice.
The man forced himself to his feet, standing weakly as if he hadn't used his legs in ages. “The bastard's making me... less stable. Can't fly straight.” He made a sound in the back of his throat that could have been either sobbing or insane mirth.
The trees suddenly seemed to shrink from a violet shadow that appeared near the two. Hissing angrily, the harpy retreated a step. The quick movement made her appear hazy, as if she were made from clouds fighting to retain their form. “I didn't intend for her to last this long,” growled the shadow, “She'll be gone any day now. Then we can get back to other business. I still have a lot of work to do on you before the fun can really get started.”
The shadow's merciless laughter was cut off as the man thrust out a hand, smearing the apparition violently from the air. “I'll remake you,” he said to the harpy without meeting her frightened gaze. “I swear it. We just need a place far away from everything. It's too hard to concentrate. Too many people. Too much noise. Jackal never shuts his goddamn-”
“Stop!” the harpy shouted. His rambling halted as if he had lost his train of thought, and he looked up at her in apparent confusion. “Follow me,” she said more gently as she pressed her wings to his sides to stabilize him. Then, with a mighty push that blasted the snow into a torrent of blinding white, they disappeared from the hunter's sight.
Truth be told, the hunter was known more for the drink he put down than the game he brought home. The story was ignored as fantasy, especially as his version was made twice as long with his praise of the harpy's buxom figure. A pity, because he would be the last person to see the odd pair for a very long time.
~ ~ ~ Two years later ~ ~ ~
Shadar staggered from the cavern mouth, not from the weakness he had suffered entering it so long ago, but from the grogginess of an impossibly long sleep. He felt lighter, more streamlined. Desires that had threatened to steal his sanity were now fading memories; his own history a series of faint images and misplaced names. All the clutter removed. His mind was as fresh and immaculate as his clothing somehow remained.
“Jackal's still here, faintly,” he said with a glance toward the cave opening, “But he's not saying anything... I don't think he will.” Suspicion tempered the joy that he thought he would feel the day the mental parasite's hold on him was loosened.
“Good,” came a chipper voice from inside, “Since he couldn't bother us, he probably barked himself into submission.” Brigitte –the human Brigitte- emerged into the Salvar dawn stark naked. Sunlight bathed her long fiery hair and modest curves, every contour that of a real woman. The exaggerated beast Jackal had created her to be was gone. Not embarrassed in the slightest or showing any reaction to the sharp chill, she stood next to Shadar and smiled up at him.
Shadar found himself smiling as well, a smile so serene that it felt alien. He realized, as he reached for Brigitte's hand, that this was the closest they had ever been to being alone together, and he wanted to savor it. The pessimist in him said that Jackal would be returning far too soon for his liking.
Personality:
The hard edges of Shadar's personality have fallen away, replaced by good humor and a healthy wanderlust. He sometimes comes off as haughty when others amuse him, and can appreciate an abrasive personality where others might disdain it. An aura of calm seems to radiate from him, though whether it will remain as he enters the world again is uncertain.
Skills:
Molded Body
In their long sleep, Shadar redefined his body as well as Brigitte's. The muscle loss caused by his constant-levitation lifestyle has been reversed, and his body has been fortified using flesh stored in the Void (see below). Compared to a healthy man of slim stature, he is currently 2 times as strong and 2 times as fast.
Blades as Extension of Self
Shadar is an expert in the use of arm-mounted blades, both small and large. He is less skilled, but still proficient, with arm-mounted bludgeons and weapons held in the hand.
Eye for the Intricate
In very little time, Shadar can understand the basics of how something works. This can be anything from technology to principles of magic. It only takes one reading of a book or demonstration of a principle to memorize it. Provided he has the proper materials/energies*, he can then work with them in the Void to produce something functional.
*Magical energies cannot be manipulated without an object that would bestow such control to an unskilled user.
Abilities:
Obsolete Body
Shadar has no need for oxygen, water or food. He is impervious to the negative affects of high or low temperature (short of freezing solid or combusting).
His nervous system still functions as normal but can be dampened in cases of injury. Wounds feel like scrapes, broken bones feel like moderate wounds.
Ethereal Body
Instead of food, sustenance comes from feeding on the emotional energy, freely and unconsciously given, of those who care about him. Close proximity is enough to keep him healthy, but to recover from damage he must be in physical contact with someone who cares deeply for him. Currently, the only person who can aid him is Brigitte. His wounds will heal in a matter of hours, broken bones two days at most, and complete blood regeneration in four days.
Blood still moves through his body as a fluid and is pumped by his heart (the only internal organ still in use). However, when the blood is exposed to air, it evaporates into a heavy red mist that does not clot. Wounds must be cauterized with fire to seal. Fortunately, bleeding out will not kill him, but will leave him comatose.
During his sleep, he separated a lightweight enchantment from an object in the void, making it permanent on himself and any Void-spawned equipment in contact with him. Currently, he can jump 1.5 stories high from solid footing, and his weapons and armor hinder him as if they were 1/3 of their true weight. The ability to fly or even glide, however, has faded.
Soul Sense
With the loss of Jackal's cooperation, Shadar can no longer sense other people's attention on him. He can faintly sense the presence but not the direction of others (enough to determine if there are none, a few, or many), as well as specific people who he is very familiar with (allies or enemies).
Illusions
Shadar's illusion powers have been lost, either due to Jackal's semi-absence or somehow blocked by him.
The Void
The limitless space within Shadar's gloves. His personal items can be stored within. Items belonging to others can be stored only with their consent, as their ties to the objects will pull them from the Void.
Metal Craft
All metal that Shadar owns can be molded into any shape he wills, often as weapons. The metal spills out of the gloves as a liquid and solidifies in one or two seconds depending on weapon size. If the weapon is struck before solidifying, the metal will retreat into the glove with enough physical force to push Shadar back.
Flesh Craft
Flesh that was absorbed recently after death can be molded similarly to metal. The two most common forms are arms that sprout from the gloves or overlays of muscle that he spawns to increase his melee strength (some muscles must provide support for the new mass, so the strength gained is, at most, only twice his own). Flesh that is not in contact with him will return to a lifeless state. Modifying the flesh of the living is too difficult to attempt for either combat or self-healing. (That's why Brigitte's transformation took most of two years.)
Phase Shift
While walls and floors normally can't be absorbed, they can be manipulated enough to lose physical substance for a few seconds, allowing bodies to pass through. If they solidify while foreign matter is still inside, it will be ejected from the nearest surface.
Equipment:
Materials (units in cubic feet)
Muscle: 4
Bone: 2
Steel: 4
Delyn: 1
Prevalida: 0.1 – Connects weapons to enchanted objects in Void.
Mythril: chainmail vest
Enchanted Items
Fire ruby – Affected weapon is set ablaze and can leave a trail of fire that lasts a few seconds.
~~Brigitte~~ (familiar)
Appearance:
A fair skinned woman with long, brilliantly red hair and emerald green eyes. She normally wears loose clothing (never skirts or dresses) and a travelling cloak.
Personality:
Brigitte has a limited understanding of the world (Shadar isn't the best teacher). She exhibits child-like curiosity when she's comfortable with her surroundings, but can be very skittish and distrustful around strangers.
History:
Once a violent harpy with a comical bust line and a scream that could make the dead cover their ears in pain. She was created by Jackal, who made sure that her birth was as painful for her as possible, for use in an army-based tournament. His intentions were to unmake her, just as painfully, after the battle. Shadar took pity on her and refused to relinquish her to the demon. In revenge, Jackal made her life as unpleasant as he could until Shadar finally took it upon himself to remake her in a less obscene form.
Now, in a body properly proportioned and sternly beautiful, she has a new life to make of it what she will. Her creator, strangely silent, is out of the picture, and she has the company of a man she has lived with all her life but been unable, until now, to get close to.
Skills:
Harpy's Grasp
Brigitte's legs are formidable weapons. Densely muscled for a woman (hence loose pants) she can use them to kick a man's teeth out and grapple him into submission before he realized he has a sudden lisp. Her arms, however, are new to her. She does her best to keep them out of the way.
Abilities:
Ethereal Body
The nature of her sustenance, healing and blood are identical to Shadar's.
Memory of the Monster
The harpy in her is not entirely gone. When in need of flight, she can sprout ethereal wings from her back. When in combat, ghostly talons appear at her feet. Although translucent, both are as solid as they were in her old form.
~ ~ ~
~~Diamond Jackal~~ (familiar?)
History:
Jackal is a dream demon, a being from beyond Althanas that would, if he were in his own world, traumatize the sleeping minds of mortals. Long ago, he became trapped in Shadar's skull in a summoning gone awry. Since then, Shadar has been driven nearly to insanity a few times, but normally considered him a helpful, if unwilling, ally.
It was Brigitte's presence that put the final wedge between the two skull-mates. Jackal wanted to tear her to ribbons.... slowly. Shadar defended her, even remade her to give her a chance at a proper life. During that process, Jackal seems to have faded away. Shadar can sense him, and sense that he's as livid as ever. But, he hasn't made any attempt at interaction.
Shadar and Brigitte couldn't be happier.
Age: late 20's
Race: half-elven
Hair Color: silver
Eye Color: pale blue
Height: 6'
Weight: 150 lbs
Appearance:
A lean, pale, hawk-nosed man. His hair is short and lays back (with an eerie habit of staying that way). His clothing is always the same: white long-sleeved shirt tucked into black pants; a long coat, sleeve-less and dark as obsidian, that is never buttoned; and a very unique pair of gloves. They appear to be black leather from his fingertips to his elbows until one looks closer and sees the oily shifting of the material, hinting at fathomless depths just below the surface.
History:
Salvar's isolated villages, dotted among the mountains like crumbs on a rumpled, snow white table cloth, were the last to hear of the civil war. Until the full force of that news struck them, their gossip had been of the mundane -and safe- variety. Weather, good hunting, meager crops, and the occasional odd traveller. The most recent, and the oddest in years, was a man who didn't actually visit any of the villages.
The tales began as fantastical sightings. A man in black, flying over the trees with a golden harpy in tow and occasionally a purple creature halfway between dog and man. The first villagers who dared speak of what they had seen were ridiculed. But, as the gossip spread among the villages, witnesses came forward to add their own tales until the story was accepted. Not always believed, of course, but accepted as were many of the strange occurrences that took place where civilization could not breach natures harsh defences.
A young man from one of the higher mountain settlements claimed to have actually closed on the group of oddities, and his tale was as bizarre as to be expected of the travellers.
He was hunting alone when the man and the harpy landed not more than ten paces away from him, the man falling to his knees immediately.
“What's wrong?” the harpy asked, concern softening what seemed to be a harsh voice.
The man forced himself to his feet, standing weakly as if he hadn't used his legs in ages. “The bastard's making me... less stable. Can't fly straight.” He made a sound in the back of his throat that could have been either sobbing or insane mirth.
The trees suddenly seemed to shrink from a violet shadow that appeared near the two. Hissing angrily, the harpy retreated a step. The quick movement made her appear hazy, as if she were made from clouds fighting to retain their form. “I didn't intend for her to last this long,” growled the shadow, “She'll be gone any day now. Then we can get back to other business. I still have a lot of work to do on you before the fun can really get started.”
The shadow's merciless laughter was cut off as the man thrust out a hand, smearing the apparition violently from the air. “I'll remake you,” he said to the harpy without meeting her frightened gaze. “I swear it. We just need a place far away from everything. It's too hard to concentrate. Too many people. Too much noise. Jackal never shuts his goddamn-”
“Stop!” the harpy shouted. His rambling halted as if he had lost his train of thought, and he looked up at her in apparent confusion. “Follow me,” she said more gently as she pressed her wings to his sides to stabilize him. Then, with a mighty push that blasted the snow into a torrent of blinding white, they disappeared from the hunter's sight.
Truth be told, the hunter was known more for the drink he put down than the game he brought home. The story was ignored as fantasy, especially as his version was made twice as long with his praise of the harpy's buxom figure. A pity, because he would be the last person to see the odd pair for a very long time.
~ ~ ~ Two years later ~ ~ ~
Shadar staggered from the cavern mouth, not from the weakness he had suffered entering it so long ago, but from the grogginess of an impossibly long sleep. He felt lighter, more streamlined. Desires that had threatened to steal his sanity were now fading memories; his own history a series of faint images and misplaced names. All the clutter removed. His mind was as fresh and immaculate as his clothing somehow remained.
“Jackal's still here, faintly,” he said with a glance toward the cave opening, “But he's not saying anything... I don't think he will.” Suspicion tempered the joy that he thought he would feel the day the mental parasite's hold on him was loosened.
“Good,” came a chipper voice from inside, “Since he couldn't bother us, he probably barked himself into submission.” Brigitte –the human Brigitte- emerged into the Salvar dawn stark naked. Sunlight bathed her long fiery hair and modest curves, every contour that of a real woman. The exaggerated beast Jackal had created her to be was gone. Not embarrassed in the slightest or showing any reaction to the sharp chill, she stood next to Shadar and smiled up at him.
Shadar found himself smiling as well, a smile so serene that it felt alien. He realized, as he reached for Brigitte's hand, that this was the closest they had ever been to being alone together, and he wanted to savor it. The pessimist in him said that Jackal would be returning far too soon for his liking.
Personality:
The hard edges of Shadar's personality have fallen away, replaced by good humor and a healthy wanderlust. He sometimes comes off as haughty when others amuse him, and can appreciate an abrasive personality where others might disdain it. An aura of calm seems to radiate from him, though whether it will remain as he enters the world again is uncertain.
Skills:
Molded Body
In their long sleep, Shadar redefined his body as well as Brigitte's. The muscle loss caused by his constant-levitation lifestyle has been reversed, and his body has been fortified using flesh stored in the Void (see below). Compared to a healthy man of slim stature, he is currently 2 times as strong and 2 times as fast.
Blades as Extension of Self
Shadar is an expert in the use of arm-mounted blades, both small and large. He is less skilled, but still proficient, with arm-mounted bludgeons and weapons held in the hand.
Eye for the Intricate
In very little time, Shadar can understand the basics of how something works. This can be anything from technology to principles of magic. It only takes one reading of a book or demonstration of a principle to memorize it. Provided he has the proper materials/energies*, he can then work with them in the Void to produce something functional.
*Magical energies cannot be manipulated without an object that would bestow such control to an unskilled user.
Abilities:
Obsolete Body
Shadar has no need for oxygen, water or food. He is impervious to the negative affects of high or low temperature (short of freezing solid or combusting).
His nervous system still functions as normal but can be dampened in cases of injury. Wounds feel like scrapes, broken bones feel like moderate wounds.
Ethereal Body
Instead of food, sustenance comes from feeding on the emotional energy, freely and unconsciously given, of those who care about him. Close proximity is enough to keep him healthy, but to recover from damage he must be in physical contact with someone who cares deeply for him. Currently, the only person who can aid him is Brigitte. His wounds will heal in a matter of hours, broken bones two days at most, and complete blood regeneration in four days.
Blood still moves through his body as a fluid and is pumped by his heart (the only internal organ still in use). However, when the blood is exposed to air, it evaporates into a heavy red mist that does not clot. Wounds must be cauterized with fire to seal. Fortunately, bleeding out will not kill him, but will leave him comatose.
During his sleep, he separated a lightweight enchantment from an object in the void, making it permanent on himself and any Void-spawned equipment in contact with him. Currently, he can jump 1.5 stories high from solid footing, and his weapons and armor hinder him as if they were 1/3 of their true weight. The ability to fly or even glide, however, has faded.
Soul Sense
With the loss of Jackal's cooperation, Shadar can no longer sense other people's attention on him. He can faintly sense the presence but not the direction of others (enough to determine if there are none, a few, or many), as well as specific people who he is very familiar with (allies or enemies).
Illusions
Shadar's illusion powers have been lost, either due to Jackal's semi-absence or somehow blocked by him.
The Void
The limitless space within Shadar's gloves. His personal items can be stored within. Items belonging to others can be stored only with their consent, as their ties to the objects will pull them from the Void.
Metal Craft
All metal that Shadar owns can be molded into any shape he wills, often as weapons. The metal spills out of the gloves as a liquid and solidifies in one or two seconds depending on weapon size. If the weapon is struck before solidifying, the metal will retreat into the glove with enough physical force to push Shadar back.
Flesh Craft
Flesh that was absorbed recently after death can be molded similarly to metal. The two most common forms are arms that sprout from the gloves or overlays of muscle that he spawns to increase his melee strength (some muscles must provide support for the new mass, so the strength gained is, at most, only twice his own). Flesh that is not in contact with him will return to a lifeless state. Modifying the flesh of the living is too difficult to attempt for either combat or self-healing. (That's why Brigitte's transformation took most of two years.)
Phase Shift
While walls and floors normally can't be absorbed, they can be manipulated enough to lose physical substance for a few seconds, allowing bodies to pass through. If they solidify while foreign matter is still inside, it will be ejected from the nearest surface.
Equipment:
Materials (units in cubic feet)
Muscle: 4
Bone: 2
Steel: 4
Delyn: 1
Prevalida: 0.1 – Connects weapons to enchanted objects in Void.
Mythril: chainmail vest
Enchanted Items
Fire ruby – Affected weapon is set ablaze and can leave a trail of fire that lasts a few seconds.
~~Brigitte~~ (familiar)
Appearance:
A fair skinned woman with long, brilliantly red hair and emerald green eyes. She normally wears loose clothing (never skirts or dresses) and a travelling cloak.
Personality:
Brigitte has a limited understanding of the world (Shadar isn't the best teacher). She exhibits child-like curiosity when she's comfortable with her surroundings, but can be very skittish and distrustful around strangers.
History:
Once a violent harpy with a comical bust line and a scream that could make the dead cover their ears in pain. She was created by Jackal, who made sure that her birth was as painful for her as possible, for use in an army-based tournament. His intentions were to unmake her, just as painfully, after the battle. Shadar took pity on her and refused to relinquish her to the demon. In revenge, Jackal made her life as unpleasant as he could until Shadar finally took it upon himself to remake her in a less obscene form.
Now, in a body properly proportioned and sternly beautiful, she has a new life to make of it what she will. Her creator, strangely silent, is out of the picture, and she has the company of a man she has lived with all her life but been unable, until now, to get close to.
Skills:
Harpy's Grasp
Brigitte's legs are formidable weapons. Densely muscled for a woman (hence loose pants) she can use them to kick a man's teeth out and grapple him into submission before he realized he has a sudden lisp. Her arms, however, are new to her. She does her best to keep them out of the way.
Abilities:
Ethereal Body
The nature of her sustenance, healing and blood are identical to Shadar's.
Memory of the Monster
The harpy in her is not entirely gone. When in need of flight, she can sprout ethereal wings from her back. When in combat, ghostly talons appear at her feet. Although translucent, both are as solid as they were in her old form.
~ ~ ~
~~Diamond Jackal~~ (familiar?)
History:
Jackal is a dream demon, a being from beyond Althanas that would, if he were in his own world, traumatize the sleeping minds of mortals. Long ago, he became trapped in Shadar's skull in a summoning gone awry. Since then, Shadar has been driven nearly to insanity a few times, but normally considered him a helpful, if unwilling, ally.
It was Brigitte's presence that put the final wedge between the two skull-mates. Jackal wanted to tear her to ribbons.... slowly. Shadar defended her, even remade her to give her a chance at a proper life. During that process, Jackal seems to have faded away. Shadar can sense him, and sense that he's as livid as ever. But, he hasn't made any attempt at interaction.
Shadar and Brigitte couldn't be happier.