[center][b]Illias[/b], [i]the Madness Catalyst[/i] [img=http://i.imgur.com/VG4fBUC.png?1][/center] --- [b]Type:[/b] Sentient Demonic Artifact [b]Plane:[/b] Indár Sólásí [b]Appearance:[/b] Illias is a maddeningly beautiful fragment of crystalline substance that, when shone on with light, releases an awe-inspiring rainbow of ever-changing colours. While at the moment it is only precisely four inches in length, its size and beauty seem to only grow the more minds that it touches. Looking inside of Illias allows you to see yourself reflected on all of the crystal's innumerable surfaces, although doing so is said to have a strange effect on one's mind. [b]Personality and Drive:[/b] Illias is an evil being. No matter how pure it may appear or act, its most important goal is to spread its madness to as many entities as possible. It wishes to grow, to nourish its dark powers with the minds of others, but to what end? What could a crystal possibly desire? Its origins cloaked in mystery, not even its most loyal servants are quite mad enough to understand its true motives. All anybody knows is that its core is an ever-changing prism, and that its beauty is matched only by its cruelty. [b]History:[/b] Long ago, Illias was little but a tiny, glittering speck, lost in a great cavern deep beneath the surface of Indar Solasi. Ages passed in those dark depths before a lonely demon, shunned by the world, stumbled upon it out of sheer chance. The demon was entranced, it watched the tiny point of light in its hands, watching it glow solemnly through the emptiness of the abyss. There they sat, the demon staring into Illias's light for what felt like an eternity. And as it stared into the tiny shard of crystal, the crystal whispered sweet, soothing words into the demon's mind, bending its will, slowly driving it into obsession... Until one day, the demon stole the speck from its dark prison. It took Illias and brought it up to the surface, to the beings that had made him an outcast, and told them of what he had found. Those creatures wanted nothing of the demon's speck, and attacked him, but the demon was not the same individual it was before. Having spent an age filling itself with nothing but the speck's dark light, the demon suddenly grew up to twice its size and struck down the leader of the creatures. The others of its kind cowered before the demon's dark might, begging for mercy. But instead of showing them mercy, the demon showed them what it had found in the depths, and the creatures looked into it oh-so eagerly, not understanding what horrible fate awaited them... [b]Abilities:[/b] Illias has the power to cast potent illusions, tricks of light and mind that fool mortals and demons alike into believing something of the crystal's evil design. Those who gaze into its depths for too long will quickly find themselves trapped inside of it, their minds refracting through the dark prism endlessly before returning to their own head as something not quite like how it was originally. Those who experience this phenomenon find themselves obsessed with the crystal, they hear it whispering into their head, driving them insane with the need to show the crystal to others. After they are maddened, the carrier of the crystal becomes Illias's "Host", somebody empowered by its dark light to preform tasks in its stead. Ordinarily, Illias requires a host in order to channel additional dark magics, but from time to time it is able to forge spells on its own, usually in order to protect its existence. When this happens, it must take a while to rest or it risks shattering under the strain. The magics it wields are varied, they revolve mostly around emitting demonic light to inflict madness and chaos upon those who dare challenge it. It may create constructs of light, strengthen those it favours with an aura of power, protect itself from other demons using a radiant barrier or even, in times of dire need, completely shatter the mind of its host to convert the entirety of their existence into pure, demonic energy, leaving them naught but an empty husk afterwards. [hider=Host] [b]Name:[/b] Only ever called the [i]Cult of Illias[/i]. [b]Size:[/b] Illias's cult consists of nearly two thousand followers of limited combat ability and species, in addition to several hundred [i]special cases[/i]. It should be noted that the Cult of Illias is capable of greatly increasing its size, given Illias's nature. [b]Hierarchy and Culture:[/b] [hider2=History]After being consumed by the dark light of Illias, the outcast demon became more than it once was. [/hider2] [b]Military Capabilities:[/b] [u]The Shadows of Illias[/u] [img=http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140620140743/typemoon/images/b/b0/Shadow_giants.png] While their numbers are limited, these monstrous beings from deep beneath the surface of Indár Sólásí serve as her primary source of raw military might. Each of these tremendous fiends possess the strength to cull numbers many times greater than their own, and the sheer terror their presence brings to their foes is enough to break the willpower of all but the most battle-hardened warriors. They are however quite large, and thus rather easily targeted. Additionally, the fact that they are almost entirely two-dimensional means that they have trouble covering large distances quickly. They have the ability to greatly shrink themselves, and possess an extraordinary resilience towards mortal magic. (List all your unit types, and their capabilities. This is mostly to help others grasp the feel of how your faction will fight - this category is not a power play, so don't be a shart.) [b]Warcry:[/b] (Totally optional) [/hider] [hider=Holding] [b]Name:[/b] The Prismatic Sanctum, Tava'xilus [i](Xilus for short.)[/i] [b]Type:[/b] Temple [b]Description:[/b] Xilus is a glittering sanctuary of crystal and stone that sits hidden from watchful eyes in the depths of an immense crater. The largest part of the temple is the church itself, where prospective or particularly devout followers of Illias come to be bathed in its wondrous light. At the far end of the church, an intricately carved pedestal sits where Illias may be placed. A single ray of light filters through a hole in the ceiling, always shining perfectly on the place where Illias would normally sit. There are also living quarters for Illias's most trusted caretakers, and while they are not present in the church itself, Illias's demonic light shines easily through the carefully crafted walls of crystal, radiating through their minds even in their deepest rests.[/hider]