•Name: Vladimir "Vova" Kirillovitch Volkov

•Age: 18

•Appearance: Vova is a tall, well-built boy, with blue-grey eyes and dark hair. He usually dresses warmly in furs, hoodies, combat pants and boots.

•Personality: Quite a friendly fellow, Vova warms up to people quickly and is fond of physical contact; handshakes, hugs and slaps on the back can all be expected from him with regularity. Excitable and eccentric, he has many varied hobbies that he engages in with a great deal of vigor, and this passion carries into many other things as a general zest for life. He is sometimes surprising with his intelligence, as he can quickly find a deeper insight to things as those around him are pondering the surface details. He is very much a social animal, growing bored and lonely very quickly, and can be somewhat flighty in his moods, though he tries to stay positive and pleasant. Quite an optimist, he tries to see the best in things at all times, and grows quickly tired of complainers or pessimists.

•Clubs: A ghost member of nearly every club in the school, he attends whatever suits his fancy for that given day.

•Brief Backstory: Born and raised in North-Eastern Russia, Vova was the eldest son of a moderately wealthy family that made their fortune after the fall of the Soviet Union. While he had a fairly normal upbringing, he became fond of nightly walks through the cold forests around his home. It is on one such of these walks that Vova claims he formed his contract with Dracula. Always eager for new experiences, he quickly begged his parents to allow him to attend Covenant Academy. While the staff found some discrepancies between his story, the records presented by him, and the general history of his region of origin, he was accepted, and has since had quite a productive school life.

•Contract: Dracula

---

•Name: Dracula

•Type: Vampire

•Personality: Dracula strikes most as an affable, gentlemanly fellow, almost pleasant in common conversation. He fancies the finer things; good food, classic literature, and tasteful company. However, this is mostly superficial dressing that serves to disguise what he truly is: a completely inhuman monster. Dracula cares nothing for human lives, seeing them as cattle at worst and helpful tools at best. While he sees his contractor (being his only means of entering our world) as an exception, he is not above manipulating Vova. He is remorseless and vicious, and at times his needless cruelty exposes his sadistic streak. At his very core, Dracula is the slave of his constant, insatiable, all-consuming thirst.

•Powers: Vova is granted strength, speed and resilience, that are beyond that which a normal human is capable of. He has a unique affinity for darkness, capable of flitting between shadows as easily as breathing. By temporarily taking the form of a mist, he can slip through knife-thin cracks or spaces, and he can turn himself invisible for a moderate amount of time.

•Fusion: When fused with Dracula, Vova's hair darkens to an inky black, his eyes turn blood red, his skin becomes white as chalk, and he gains great fangs and claws. His physical attributes are heightened to the point of being legendary, and he gains the ability to shapeshift into whatever animate or inanimate form that his mass will allow, including that of a cloud of mist. However, he loses his shapeshifting ability when exposed to sunlight, and he gains Dracula's maddening thirst for human blood.

•Summon: Dracula's true form is far from what one may expect. An almost unstoppable engine of destruction, Dracula is almost completely out of Vova's control when summoned. With scales like granite, he strikes with the strength and speed of a bullet train, ripping through all in his way with claws and fangs sharper than razors. The only thing truly limiting him is that he uses up his power extremely quickly, and his time spent in our world can only be extended if he consumes the flesh and blood of humans, and Luca invariably recalls him before he has a chance to do so. Sunlight has a dampening effect on his power, but it does not destroy him, as he is far above common vampires in terms of power.

Name: Rúnlauf, the Wise

Race: Rowan Ent

Position: Esteemed King of the Spring Court

Age: Rúnlauf has long since lost count of his years, but his rings were many before the first cities of Man rose up from the riverlands, more than twenty-thousand winters ago at least by half.

Personality: As his epithet may suggest, Rúnlauf is known amongst both the Seelie and Unseelie courts for his incredible patience, wisdom and experience. An ancient being beyond compare, Rúnlauf is ponderous and deliberate in all things, and does not so much as speak a single word that is not true to his heart and pure intention. Simple of heart and generous of spirit, the Eldest Ent cares for all living things in this world, and has the capacity to see beyond the trivialities that cloud the judgement of his younger subjects. While he is quick to dispense with his teachings and worldly experience, his aphorisms and lessons often have their meanings hidden or muddled by Rúnlauf's vast expanses of memories and knowledge, and their value is usually not readily apparent. Rúnlauf appears to be in a perpetual state of bemused tranquility, and few living fae can claim to have seen him upset. Such is his temperament that he sees meaning and purpose in all things, and almost nothing can come to truly disturb him.

Appearance: A massive being, particularly when compared to the normally diminutive fae, Rúnlauf wears his years proudly. His grey-brown bark is gnarled and knotted, particularly where it forms his face, shaping his knobby, wizened features. His legs and knees are marked by the axes of Dwarves, and heavy roots burrow into the ground beneath his seven-toed feet. Tremendous branches sprout from his back, head and shoulders, where they grow into a lush verdancy of leaves and ripe, red berries and flowers. Eyes as red as cardinal feathers sit deeply in his wooden face, their gaze piercing, but kind. A tremendous beard of moss and lichen runs from the cork of Rúnlauf's chin, and trails down to rest in his lap. Lesser, smaller creatures and fae makes homes in Rúnlauf's bark and branches; birds and small pixies flit about and nest above his head, and small rodents and dryads live in the thick trunks of his legs.

Background: Ancient even among the Ent, Rúnlauf's earliest memories are vague recollections of the world in its purest, most primal state. The Ent cared for the forests, and the forests sheltered the Ent. The fae came later, bringing reason, order, and civilization to the world. Of course, as those things emerged where there was none before, they too brought unreason, chaos and incivility. The Ent paid little mind, as they were still content to tend the forests as they always had. The elves took notice of the Tree Giants, and looked up to them as the eldest defenders of the natural world. The elves taught the Ent to speak, and gave them names, as they were so insistent on doing to everything they saw.

But as the Ent became closer to the fae, they became more deeply involved in their conflicts. The fae warred against each other ceaselessly, and the Ent were caught in the crossfire, trying to their last to defend their forests. Later came Men, who as well took axe to the grand forests, and many Ent fell to their blows as well. Rúnlauf, named by an elf that came and died before he took notice of him, came to be eldest among his people after the felling of Yggdrasil, the grand elder, by the barbarous northmen. With the mighty magic of the primal wilds, Rúnlauf drove the Men from his sacred forests, and rooted himself as the fiercest defender of the trees. Impressed by his determination in such harrowing times, the Spring Court convened about Rúnlauf, and so he was instated as their ruler.

Years and peace have mellowed the once-fierce Rúnlauf, and he now lives to protect and guide the fae court that follows him. Having borne many a seedling over his countless years, Rúnlauf has by far lost count of his natural children, and considers all of his Spring subjects to be his children, looking after them as a protective ancestor. Possibly the oldest being known to the fae, Rúnlauf is revered by both the Seelie and Unseelie courts for his prowess in the mystic arts, his legendary might in battle, and his nigh-inexhaustible wisdom. Even the fleeting rulers of the "superior" Summer Court have at times bent the knee to the Eldest Ent to seek his guidance in troubled times. Though his reputation is fearsome, Rúnlauf has gone to root (literally) in the most recent centuries, and has not so much as left his throne in the Spring Court in recent memory. The Spring Court is run mostly below his notice, his lesser regents and advisors handling the affairs of the Court in truth, as Rúnlauf looks after the Court overall and guides its growth, slowly and gradually.

Even so, Rúnlauf grows uneasy in recent years. As he spends the Unseelie months asleep on his throne, the winds of winter whisper secrets to his runed leaves, and he divines the future in his dreams. Dark times loom ahead; nightmares plague Rúnlauf, as the wind whispers of war unending among the fae courts.

Name: Ryuji Monshiro

Age: 14

Gender: Female

Appearance: "Fufufu! It's not hard to go far in the world; all you have to do is follow me!"

Personality: Monshiro is a refined young lady with a presence far larger than her diminutive physical stature. While polite and well-tempered, she can be quite boisterous, and has a habit of commanding attention from other people. Her impressive intellect and willpower are matched by her maturity and charm. Monshiro's charisma is easily her strongest characteristic; when she speaks, people don't just hear her, they listen. Whether it is her adorable appearance, her authoritative voice, or her eloquence in speaking or some combination thereof, most people have a very difficult time disliking Monshiro, or even just ignoring her. She has a touch of her family's signature arrogance, but is more down to earth than her siblings. Monshiro does have a few childish traits, such as her love of cute things and her sweet tooth, but these are only seen by those she holds in close confidence.

Brief History: One of the several powerful and wealthy families in Sengoku City, the Ryuji Corporation is a family-owned international conglomerate. The Ryuji Corporation's business is people, as they scout skilled workers and individuals with special talents, and then coordinate with other businesses to place these persons in positions where they are best utilized. This sort of agency, as well as holdings in several service industries, is where the Ryuji family draws its profits. Or so it seems on the surface. This much of the Ryuji Corporation is a front for its operations as a paramilitary organization; the majority of the organization serves to recruit elite mercenaries and soldiers of fortune, to then lease out their services to the highest bidder.

Monshiro is the youngest daughter of the Ryuji Corporations founder and CEO, Ryuji Mikado (called "Emperor Ryuji" by some). She has lived in Sengoku city for the last eight years, though she has received her education privately. For her freshman year in high school, Monshiro has enrolled in Sengoku High School. Given that her older sister, Ageha, graduated last year, and her older brother, Hideo, is studying abroad, she is the only Scion of the Ryuji family currently attending Sengoku. Though she practices martial arts to keep fit, Monshiro really has no talent for fighting, and her underdeveloped stature gives her quite a disadvantage in physical confrontations. Knowing how dangerous Sengoku High would be for her, Monshiro's father assigned the most powerful member of the Ryuji Corporations private "Butler Corps" (elite agents used to protect the Ryuji family and the corporation's most private assets) to protect her.

Since enrolling in Sengoku High School, Monshiro has made great waves. She is the idol of the freshman class, and was elected as their class representative with a landslide victory. Even so, she is not without those that would attempt to discredit or defeat her, and she has met such challenges with dignity, and has prevailed with honor. Monshiro considers her truest rival to be Hirayama Chinatsu, as she aspires to become student council president to prove herself to her father. To aid her cause, she has begun to rally her own private sect of the Ryuji Corporation, comprised of students, with the intention of ridding the city of its more unsightly elements.

Weapons: While it is scarcely a weapon, Monshiro carries an antique fan with her, using it mostly to point dramatically. When actual weapons are required, she relies on Herman Hellsing.

Abilities: Monshiro has inherited her father's powerful charisma, which makes her a powerful orator and a highly magnetic person. Monshiro is not merely a likable person, but she is also very influential, and has a decent talent for what one might call manipulation. She can easily understand what people want, and how to play their motivations so that she gets what she wants. Monshiro inspires loyalty and dedication in those that follow her, and respect in those that dislike her. Even animals seem to enjoy Monshiro's presence and obey her instinctually. She is also remarkably intelligent, and is very good at playing politics.

Side?: Sengoku High School

Club: Student Council, Freshman Class Representative

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Name: Herman Hellsing

Age: 38

Gender: Male

Appearance: "Hmmh. Is this what passes for combat among youth these days?"

Personality: Herman is as polite and professional as one would expect a butler to be, and as level-headed and confident as the professional soldier that he truly is. Even so, he has a distinct air of arrogance about him, as he is clearly very sure of his power, with just a touch of sadism. An elitist and perfectionist both, Herman privately considers most people to be well below him, and very few people meet the high standards he imposes to be worthy of his respect. As a soldier-for-hire, Herman's morals are loose at best, and he will follow whatever orders given to him, though he still holds to a code of honor as a warrior.

Brief History: Much of this man's past is a mystery, but it is known that he was born and raised in Holland, and was the leader of a mercenary team renowned for having never failed a single mission. While he was completing a black ops mission within Japan nine year ago, Herman Hellsing happened to meet Ryuji Mikado, whereupon he was won over by the man's ideals and conviction, and pledged his service to him. Herman was inducted into the Ryuji Corporation's Butler Corps of special agents and personal bodyguards, and was assigned the secretive rank of 0.

Herman has known Ryuji Monshiro since she first began living in Sengoku city, and the two have formed a genuine bond in that time. Monshiro looks to Herman as a parental figure in place of her mostly-absent father and distant mother, and Herman respects and cares for Monshiro both as the blood of the man to whom he owes his loyalty, as well as an admirable young lady in her own right. Herman has been assigned to Monshiro as her personal attendant, to keep her safe within the perilous Sengoku High School. While he cannot always been seen, the man is always present around Monshiro, and is always watching.

Weapons: Herman mostly relies on his legs for his attacks, but is trained in numerous different styles of armed martial arts, and is a crack shot with a variety of firearms.

Abilities: Herman is placed as Rank 0 among the Ryuji Corporation Butler Corps, and not merely to keep him separate from the command structure of the other combat butlers; his ability in battle is leagues greater than the Rank 1 butler. His body is honed to a razor edge of perfection, as is his mind, essentially making Herman a living weapon. His speed and strength are both terrifying to behold, and his ability to hide both his physical body and his spiritual presence is unparalleled. Master of numerous forms of martial arts and styles of warfare, Herman most prefers close combat, with kicks powerful enough to kill a common man ten times over. Herman has also delved into several ki-utilizing techniques to give himself range when armed and diversify his skills, and his tolerance for pain makes it seem as though he does not feel pain whatsoever.

That aside, Herman is a Damn Good Butler, and is well-trained in such skills as cooking, cleaning, wilderness survival, mending clothes, handiwork, firearm maintenance, crochet and etiquette.

Side?: Sengoku, technically.

Club: None, he is a grown man.

Name: Hraf Raven-Eye, “Blackbird”

Age: 36

Gender: Male

Race: Nord

Appearance: Hraf can be seen in several ways as having the appearance of the typical Nord man; tall and stout in build, with a wide jaw and strong, broad features. His hair is very dark brown, nearly black, worn to shoulder-length, carefully combed and woven into thick braids. His beard, while thick and coarse, is kept short and neatly trimmed. Hraf’s most notable features are his dark, hollow eyes. Deeply-set with dark sockets, his brown eyes at times seem as dark as the sea on a moonless night. His gaze holds both worldly weariness and tenacity like a starving predator.

Taking pride in his appearance, Hraf makes efforts to keep himself well-groomed and smartly dressed. Fine furs, wools and leathers are his usual attire when not at sea, and he has a fondness for fancy brooches and necklaces. His attire at sea is more utilitarian, consisting of durable a black surcoat and boots, strongly-woven cotton clothes and a beaver-pelt cloak. Beneath his clothes, though, his body is covered by telltale marks from his escapades. Hraf's body is like a living scrapbook, with hands worn rough by ropes and oars, scars from skirmishes and bar fights, prison and maritime tattoos, and a pirate branding on his forearm (courtesy of the East Empire Trading Company).

Personality: For a hardy sailor and known privateer, Hraf is a surprisingly personable fellow. Charming and silver-tongued, most find Hraf to be a man both easy to like as well as trust. However, his affable persona can be quickly shut off and replaced with the cold, ruthless pragmatism that one would expect from a veteran smuggler and mercenary. Hraf is an opportunist at heart, always on the lookout for the next chance to advance himself or his goals. While he acknowledges its strength, Hraf does not care for social standing as much as he values cold, hard cash. The power money brings is of supreme value to him, and Hraf is no miser; he lives quite comfortably off of his pilfered fortunes, and hopes to eventually retire on his accumulated wealth. While he is not completely without empathy, Hraf is rather stone-hearted, and cares little for those that he misuses or kills in pursuit of riches. The most consideration one would earn would usually be either their usefulness to him in the future, or the potency of any enemies that he would make by abusing or killing someone. Not that he fears reprisals greatly, as Hraf is a cool and level-headed fellow, and is quite confident in his skills and experience to keep himself alive and prosperous.

History: The clan Raven-Eye is an old and well-respected merchant house in Skyrim, claiming that their roots extend to the Atmoran sailors who brought Ysgramor’s Companions to Tamriel. Hraf was born a distant scion to the house, the second son of a second son. Even so, he was raised comfortably among his siblings and cousins, schooled in the arts of sailing and mercantilism, and when he became of age, he was given his own ship to command. He rounded the ports of Tamriel, trading and selling common goods in every province of the Empire. However, he quickly learned that there were greater profits to be made in the business of goods made illegal by the Empire.

Be it slaves from Black Marsh or moon sugar from Elsweyr, Hraf managed to put a finger in nearly every pot of Tamriel’s seedy black market. However, competition in the smuggling business was fierce, and Hraf quickly learned that one either needed to get good fast, or be killed faster. His skills in battle and manipulation were forged on the razor’s edge of criminality, from repelling rival smugglers off the deck of his ship, to sweet-talking Imperial customs agents. Even so, Hraf was still a young sailor, and was not infallible. An Imperial galleon intercepted a shipment of Hist saplings, and engaged Hraf’s smaller trade ship in battle. Much of his crew was killed, his ship was destroyed, and Hraf himself was captured by the Imperial authorities. His family’s connections were able to ease his sentence to a mere seven years in the Imperial Prison, but with that he was disowned from house Raven-Eye, never again welcome in his ancestral halls.

Hraf’s imprisonment was not his first turn in the clink (nor would it be his last), and it was not the end of his career. Once released, he recovered a cask of gold that he had buried in the sands of Stros M’Kai, having planned for just such an emergency. With this, he commissioned a new ship from the shipwrights of Windhelm, dubbed “Blood Eagle,” and hired a reliable, yet suitable unsavory crew from the city’s slums. With a more battle-worthy ship and crew, Hraf took on more dangerous work that he was previously hesitant to engage in, including piracy, raids on coastal towns and mercenary work. With the onset of the Civil War in Skyrim, Hraf returned home as a privateer. Not that he truly chose a side; the Blood Eagle merely sacked whatever ships seemed most vulnerable, and he had acquired papers to prove that he was allied with either side as needed.

The calm following the defeat of the Stormcloak rebels and the return of Imperial law to Skyrim was disappointing to Hraf. Opportunity for his brand of work has died down in these peaceful times, and as such he has been forced further inland to put his particular set of skills to use.

Skills: First and foremost, Hraf is an inheritor of the long tradition of Nord sailors. Able to command a ship just as well as he can work as a deckhand on one, Hraf’s years at sea have made him just as comfortable in the open ocean as he is on land (perhaps even more so).  He knows the coastal waters of Tamriel like they were his hometown, and he is intimately familiar with the numerous byways and coves used by smugglers such as himself. Storms and icy waters mean little to a Nord sailor, and Hraf sails through such obstacles fearlessly.

As reliable a warrior as he is a captain, Hraf is an experienced swashbuckler, more than able to hold his own in a close-quarters battle. Short swords and scimitars are his forte, especially when fighting with a shield, but he is competent with axes or mauls as well. Fighting in a cramped space with little room to maneuver is second nature to Hraf, and in this way the corridor of crypt is much like the underdecks of a ship. In more open spaces, Hraf is a crack shot with a crossbow, his sharp “raven’s eyes” aiding his aim.

In more subtle matters, Hraf is a skilled haggler and negotiator, and is surprisingly knowledgeable in matters of trade and economics. Over the years, Hraf has established a network of contacts throughout the Empire, both reputable and otherwise, from which he frequently calls in favors and blackmail. While his charisma mostly lends itself to establishing deals, trades and other such short-term agreements, Hraf is never the less a dangerously smooth talker, and has a penchant for manipulation in certain circumstances. Some say that the “raven eyes” allow a man to see the desires of others, but Hraf attributes this talent to experience and practice. Once he knows what someone wants, bending them to his will is usually just a matter of time.

Equipment: Hraf’s most prized possession is his ship, the Blood Eagle. A Nord longboat, the Blood eagle has a sturdy, oak hull and mast (both reinforced with iron), twenty rowing benches, and a black sail emblazoned with the silhouette of a red eagle. Modified to fit Hraf’s specifications, the Blood Eagle’s bow and stern are fitted with steel beaks, designed to ram into and pierce the hulls of other ships. Below decks are many secret storage compartments for smuggled goods built into the hull. The deck is kept well-waxed, allowing spilled blood to be quickly and easily cleaned away.

In battle, Hraf prefers functionality far over form, and prefers his equipment to be easily replicable in the event it is dropped into the sea or broken. When preparing for combat, he equips armored plates to his boots and bracers, dons a simple steel helmet, and wears a mail shirt between his surcoat and fur cloak. He carries a sturdy shield, made mostly of steel for strength, but with a layer of wood to catch blades and axes. His weapons of choice are a simple, curved sword of castle-forged steel, and a long, straight knife of similar construction. When preparing for enemies afar, he wields a steel-spring crossbow and a quarrel of iron-tipped bolts.

Birthsign: The Serpent

Miscellaneous: Hraf keeps with him a trained raven, which he calls Muni. It usually perches on his wrist or shoulder, and Hraf feeds it small corns or scraps of meat. It has taken to imitating death-cries that it hears in Hraf’s presence, or calling out “Blood! Blood!” at random intervals. Hraf finds this behavior inexplicably amusing.

First Impressions: Given his line of work, Hraf has become a sharp judge of character, and has practiced the skill of cold reading. Based purely on first impressions, the Blackbird has made snap-decisions that have led him to fortune a handful of times, and saved his skin on innumerable other occasions.

The retired Legionnaire, Hector Sibassius, is not someone that Hraf thinks much of. While his skills would certainly be useful, the pirate instinctually distrusts those associated with the Empire. Hraf has spent too much of his life looking over his shoulder in anticipation of an Imperial galleon or an agent of the Pentius Oculatus to trust an Imperial soldier, even a retired one. Even so, Hraf is not outwardly hostile towards the man, and refrains from mentioning his days spent raiding Imperial frigates during the Civil War.

Balen Oril is an odd figure in Hraf’s eyes. He strikes the Blackbird as more of a wandering scholar than an adventurer or tomb raider, and he doubts that the Dark Elf would be of much use on their expedition. While scholarly pursuits have their place, that place is far away from the profits sought by Hraf, and so Balen earns little respect from the Nord on that point. If anything, he figures that Balen could serve as a shield or a pack mule in a pinch, but not much beyond that.

Angelique Something-Something… Merci, as she calls herself, is a familiar figure to Hraf. While he has personally never met the woman before, he recognizes her lifestyle, having seen it many times. The hedge witch is merely a peasant far from home, in over her head, but still scraping by. One resting on the shore of the underworld, but yet to tread its waters. In his early days, Hraf hired many people in similar situations to crew his ship after his more principled hands left him. These days he is more discriminating, valuing effectiveness over desperation. That said, Hraf figures that the Breton girl will be fairly easy to manipulate, should he need to. A little money goes a long way for some people.

Ashing is a familiar name to Hraf, as merchant families such as his own often knew others throughout Tamriel. While Hraf had not met the only daughter of the bereaved family before this expedition, he had met her father when the Blackbird was just a young lad. The man had died and Elayne had taken up the business while Hraf was doing time in the Imperial Prison, and as such had no dealings with her family’s company after Uthard’s death. Regarding Elayne herself, Hraf sees her as a simple sort of girl, smart enough to get herself in trouble, but not enough to get her back out of it.

The Dark Elven sellsword, Azriel Telvayn, is the sort of person that Hraf most prefers to deal with. The Blackbird puts great value on the mercenary’s one-track mind, lack of ambitions, marketable skills and manageable amount of intelligence. Hraf looks forward to working with him.

Meanwhile, the High Elven witch Aenyarin is precisely the type of person that Hraf most loathes to deal with. While the Blackbird himself was born much too late to fight in the Great War, in those times his father and uncle sold ships to the Empire and Imperial privateers alike, and suffered considerable losses when the Empire could not repay their bonds. As such, Hraf has a distinct distrust of High Elves, perhaps greater than his distrust of the Empire. Too smart to fool, and too haughty to charm, the Blackbird usually resorts to the last skill in his repertoire for High Elves: steel.  Hraf has decided to keep his eyes peeled for any convenient opportunities to rid their expedition of her.

Similar to the High Elf, Hraf does not care for the trickery of the Telvanni wizard Baladas Venym. Wizards are an unpredictable sort, and the Blackbird tries to keep his dealings with them to a minimum. Their motivations, Hraf finds, are usually strange, and their behavior stranger. Even so, the Dark Elf has enough of an ego that Hraf is still confident that he can be suitably manipulated, if need be.

Lastly, the Wood Elf Ungimros serves for Hraf as an example of why he doesn’t like or trust any sort of elf. Even the seemingly most reasonable and predictable of them, the Wood Elves of Valenwood, are inhuman degenerates without any sense of common decency. Not to say that Hraf prides himself on his own moral behavior; he merely laments that their deviation from the societal norms that he was raised to expect makes them all the more unpredictable and difficult to work with.

-Faction name: The Imperishable Empire of Azar
-Faction Type: Empire
-Flag/Banner: The Eye of Azar sees all, knows all.


NATIONAL
-Capital: Irem, City of Pillars
-Government Type: Absolute Monarchy
-Currency: The common peoples of Azar barter and trade for goods and services, but the state currency is the Hedj, silver coins backed by the Pharaoh's banks of grain and water.
-Population: 4 million, roughly.
-Unique Trait #1: Resource Rich: The reach of Azar is great and powerful, as they lay claim to the few remaining fertile rivers and oasis that are left in Azoth. Fresh, clean water is a prized yet accessible commodity, and is used to irrigate the great grain fields that branch off of the waterways of Azar. Grain is plentiful (though heavily taxed), as are other natural crops such as papyrus, sugarcane, flax and various fruits and legumes. Rare metals, minerals and gems can be found in mines that burrow beneath Azar, and even an Ichor spring and Spice refinery are jealously guarded by the God-King. Even more secret and precious are the relics of archaeo-tech hoarded by the Pharaoh in his personal vaults.
-Unique Trait #2: (Created by me)
-Unique Flaw #1: Vast Bureaucracy: Azar is large, but as well it is ponderous and unwieldy. The Pharaoh exerts his power through a complex system of clerks, accountants and advisors, which dulls his influence at the population level. Corruption is common in government officials, who frequently siphon funds and resources for their own personal benefit.
-Unique Flaw #2: (Created by me)


GEOGRAPHICAL
-World-Realm Map:
-Major Cities: The founding cities of Azar are situated over deposits of archaeo-tech that were quickly conquered and fortified by the earliest dynasties of the empire. Metropoli such as Maakep, Mesenebu, Seshahebsu, Sumenet and Tefaabhi sit along the riverways of Azar and serve as centers of politics, culture and commerce for their surrounding regions.
-Major Castles: Most cities in Azar are formed with the intention of being bastions against invasion. Most house a contingent of royal soldiers aside from its standard city guard, and are dedicated to the protection of surrounding villages and farms.
-Buildings of Interest: The ancient cities of Azar are filled with awesome displays of the wealth and power of the empire, in the form of huge monuments and tombs dedicated to its deceased God-Kings. Many of these structures are in fact ruins of the Old Ones, which themselves have been "entombed" by the reverent Azarites.
-Geographic Features of Interest: Irem itself is positioned over the Stygian Delta, a fertile expanse of land where the mighty River Styx meets the Great Inland Sea. The many branching waterways that flow into the Styx are the lifeblood of Azar, which jealously guards and regulates their waters.

RACIAL
-Majority Race: Simple humans make up the vast majority of Azarites, known in their tongue as Remet ("weeping ones").
-Majority Race Appearance: An empire as vast as Azar contains numerous different ethnic groups and subcultures, and so its citizens vary in appearance by some degrees. Skin tones range from near-pitch to lighter, dusky hues, and hair types range from smooth and flowing gold, to thick, kinky earthshades. Azarites are not known for their particular size, beauty or other outstanding features, and based on physique alone are rarely distinguishable from other human populations of Azoth.
-Majority Race Characteristics: Azarites are not a particular remarkable people. While they fare in the desert better than some, they are generally a simple, hard-working folk, content to live and work with the tides of the rivers, under the watchful eye of their God-King.
-Minority Races: As mentioned before, Azar is vast and its peoples are many. Nearly any race of Azoth can be counted among the population of Azar (save for Ghul and Magekin, which are traditionally culled), though there are some that are unique to the empire.

The God-Kings of Azar are the sole members of a peculiar subspecies of human, known as the Shaniatu. These beings claim to the the direct descendants of the Old Ones, "creatures born of the stars, shaped from fire as mere humans are shaped from earth." They generally resemble humans in shape, though the average Shaniatu stands head-and-shoulders above a normal human. The most remarkable of their features is their uncanny, inhuman beauty, which is said to cause the uninitiated to weep with joy at the sight of them. They move with impossible grace, as though traversing angles unseen by human eyes, and have the strength and speed of ten men. They grow no hair naturally, and their skin tone can appear as darkest ebony or as shimmering gold depending on the light. While they can interbreed with normal humans, most Shaniatu prefer to breed with their own kind, which due to their dwindling numbers over many generations has resulted in endemic inbreeding and numerous genetic defects. Pureblood Shaniatu are uniquely skilled in activating and wielding archaeo-tech, though the mysteries of magic utterly elude them.

A rare creature scarcely seen outside of Azar is the Sphinx, a particularly strange chimeric beast. While they are divided into various subspecies such as ram-headed Criosphinxes and hawk-headed Hieracosphinxes, they generally have a feline body, and are occasionally imbued with great, luxurious wings. Rarely smarter than common predatory animals, Sphinxes occupy the expanses of unsettled desert between the rivers of Azar, though some come to live near or in villages, necropoli or abandoned cities. Most Azarites see them as holy animals and guardian beasts. However, the rarest of them all are the Androsphinxes, who wear the faces of men and share in their intelligence (if not surpassing it). Elusive creatures, these Sphinxes most often live as hermits, far away from humans and other intelligent creatures, and spend their days brooding on philosophy and memorizing the ancient oral traditions of their kind. They generally look unfavorably upon pilgrims and other visitors, and are as like to kill and eat them as to speak with them. However, if impressed with strength or wit these creatures can make for loyal allies, who offer indispensable wisdom.

NATIONAL DRAMATIS PERSONAE
-Head of State/Monarch: The ruling Pharaoh is Sethansebranekha XII (Sethan for short). Even among the God-Kings of Azar he is known for his burning ambition, and has lead several campaigns of imperial expansion over his reign, with varying levels of success. He is known to have little tolerance for beings that fall outside of his purview of what is "natural," and has instituted many ethnic purges in the territories he has conquered. His rule is iron and his wrath is terrible, and for this he is known within Azar and without as the Black Pharaoh.
-Ruling Dynasty: Sethansebranekha is the twelfth in his line, the fifth dynasty known as the Sahu.
-Constable Of The Army: The Pharaoh is the supreme military leader of Azar, and under his rule has expanded considerably to become a more dedicated conquering force rather than a mere defensive army.
-Religious Head: The Pharaoh's title of God-King is not merely for show, as the ruling emperor is the focal point of worship in Azar. He alone is seen as the rightful ruler of the world through divine inheritance, and when his passing comes, he shall join the Judges of Duat and serve as chancellor to later Pharaohs as they currently advise him.
-Persons of interest: The only person that can approach the power of the Pharaoh in Azar is his royal Vizier. The current Vizier to Sethansebranekha is an Androsphinx that goes by the name of Sharuum. It is said that she came into the Pharaoh's service in his first campaign, when he was merely fourteen years old. When she saw the Pharaoh's armies, she was humbled by his power, and demanded to meet him, whereupon she was tempered by his conviction. Since then she has served as advisor and assistant to the God-King, his right hand and his closest confidant. As the most powerful civilian in the kingdom, Sharuum shares in the burden of ruling the empire with Sethan, and is the director the Azar's many bureaucratic administrations. Though she bends to the will of the Pharaoh, it is a deadly mistake to assume that she is subservient to any human, as many careless attendants have been flayed and eaten by the imperious Vizier.

CULTURAL
-History: Azar is an ancient nation, perhaps two-thousand years old, and its history is long and storied. Settlers on the Stygian Delta gave rise to one of the greatest empires in all of Azoth, after centuries of strife and toil. The Old Ones played a heavy hand in the rise of Azar, as the tools they left behind as well as their self-proclaimed descendants left their mark on this empty and ruined world. Theirs is a lengthy history of power and conquest, marked with tragedy and betrayal. Azar has swelled and receded just as the Styx does, though in modern times it rushes over its metaphorical riversides.
-List of Historical Grievances: Azar has an ancient rivalry with Dratha, as each sees the other as their major competitor for domination over all of Azoth. That aside, Azar makes no allowances for mutants and barbarians in the world, and seeks to eliminate them wherever it can.
-Relations: As one of the most dominant powers in the world, Azar makes allowances for various smaller nations and organizations. More often than not they are swallowed up by the empire and assimilated into it, but some manage to maintain their autonomy despite being caught up in the empire's expanding borders.
-Cultural Notes: Azarite culture relies on a highly-stratified sociopolitical system. Though all citizens bear approximately the same rights, those higher in caste are afforded preference and prestige compared to those below them. At the very top is the Pharaoh, the God-King of all Azar. Below him are his noble relatives, all pureblood Shaniatu. Then follow the royal advisors; scribes, judges and councillors, of which the royal Vizier holds the greatest honor. Their equals are the high priests of Azar, who serve in the Great Temples of Irem. In a unique position below the Pharaoh's advisors and high priests are his royal guard, which are comprised of his Shaniatu brethren that are either impure of blood, disgraced by their bloodline, or otherwise unconcerned with the honor of nobility. Below them are the more common government officials; lesser scribes, accountants and bankers. They stand equal to more common priests who man the temples of smaller cities and settlements. Skilled workers, such as masons, alchemists and embalmers, follow after. Below them are common peasants and farmers, who make up the vast majority of the population. At the very bottom are slaves, mostly people indentured through debt, but also criminals and prisoners of war. While not much social mobility is afforded to them, citizens of Azar are afforded substantial rights, as even the lowliest peasant has the right to petition the Vizier with his grievances. Women are afforded equal status as men (on paper), with rights to marriage, property and divorce. Even slaves are protected under Azarite law, and can buy their freedom from their masters.

RELIGION, MAGIC and ARCHEO-TECH
-State Religion: The Imperial Cult of Azar
-Religious Information: A religion as old as Azar itself, the Imperial Cult venerates the Old Ones as the godlike forebears of Azar, and views the afterlife in which they reside as yet another empire ruled by the Azarites' ancestors. The Pharaoh is the living avatar of the Old Ones, and is an immortal god in his own right. Even after his mortal form dies, he will live on eternally as one of the Judges of Duat, joining his ancestors in passing judgement on mortal souls that pass on into the afterlife.
-Religion Demographics: As the dominion of the Pharaoh is absolute, there is no room in Azar for other religions or heterodoxies. Citizens are expected to either subscribe to the Cult, or keep silent about their beliefs. Blasphemy is a crime punishable by mutilation of the face.
-Holy Relics In Possession: Artifacts of the Old Ones, known as Sekhem, are the holiest of relics to the Imperial Cult, and by law are to be turned over to temples, whereupon they are brought to the Pharaoh's personal possession. Countless relics sit in the Pharaoh's vaults, but the Sekhem with only aesthetic uses as usually donated to temples to serve as artifacts of power and worship.
-Holy Sites Under Control: The founding cities of Azar are sites with great numbers of ruins of the Old Ones, most of which interred in sandstone, marble and gold, with temples built at their foundations. Irem is famous for its five holy pillars, which are among the largest One One remains in Azoth.
-Magical Information: Mages and sorcerers of Azar are systematically rooted out and culled by the Pharaoh's secret police, an order known as Sybaris. The Shaniatu greatly fear magic and those who wield it, as it is the one power that eludes their authority, and could be used to overthrow them. Agents of Sybaris wield strange and unusual Sekhem in order to fight against the reality-warping powers of mages that may have entrenched themselves in Azar.
-Archeo-Tech: In more ancient days, Azar wielded Sekhem which shook the very world, and changed the landscape to suit their needs. In modern times, these relics are all but lost, and the Pharaoh's hoards are limited to artifacts that are mere trinkets in comparison. He and his royal guard wield weapons and armor with tremendous eldritch power, and the God-King is often adorned with many amulets and other treasures. The Pharaoh's royal alchemists are often experimenting with the few relics that still work, sometimes requesting the assistance of the noble Shaniatu to activate the ancient biometrics.

MILITARY
-Total Military Size: Discounting mercenaries, city guards, the royal guard, and Sybaris, the army of Azar counts 40,000 trained, professional soldiers. As many as double that number of conscripts can be recruited from the peasantry in times of peril.
-Military Details: The army is mostly comprised of infantry, each armed with spear, shield and kopesh. Archers make up another large portion, some mounted. Cavalry carries great lances and curved longswords, and may be mounted on horse or chariot. Azar makes great use of beasts of war in their battles, bringing massive snakes and scorpions to bear, and less commonly armored War-Sphinxes. Rare, yet evenly distributed among the army are elite officers (sometimes Sybaris agents in disguise) that bring mighty and terrible Sekhem to bear in battle, often turning the tide of the most dire conflict.

Alignment: Hero

Real Name: Casey Nakamura

Age: 17

Superhero Name: Galaxion

Normal Appearance: "This is my home, and I will protect it. Let me show you the strength of my resolve."

Superhero Appearance: "This isn't just my strength. It's the strength of my ancestors."

Meta type: Neohuman

Description of Powers: Casey has the ability to tap into an inherent power source within his body, known among his family as "the Mark" and "the Radiance." Unbeknownst to them, this power is actually a dormant, aeons-old being of immense cosmic power, ingrained in Casey's genetic code. By absorbing cosmic radiation (most usually solar photons), Casey can activate this power, transforming himself into various forms with advanced abilities. Less advanced forms consume less of Casey's reserves of power, and can be maintained passively for greater spans of time, though using more powerful abilities will also drain his power. Each transformation takes a period of time to complete relative to the level of the from, and disruptions of Casey's transformation can result in him reverting to his human form. In any of his transformed states, Casey has a significant vulnerability to magical and psionic attacks, as their damage to him seems to be aggravated by the alien power he wields.



Background: Casey is but the latest of a long lineage of metahumans, dating back thousands of years. Tracing their roots back to ancient Lebanon, their bloodline has carried through many ages and ethnicities. As such, Casey is of extremely mixed heritage, though he mostly identifies as Irish/Japanese-American. His mother was the previous bearer of the Mark, and as such, she lost her powers when she gave birth to Casey. The obvious transition of the Mark down the generational line heralded the arrival of the inheritor of the cosmic power of the radiance. However, not all were pleased; Casey's older brother, Sean, who had been passed over by the Mark, was intensely jealous of his younger brother, and tormented him throughout their youth.

Casey was raised from an early age to play the role of a righteous warrior, and was schooled in ethics and the history of his bloodline throughout the ages. He was trained intensely in combatives, including the art of swordsmanship, with both a single blade and dual swords. Essentially groomed to become a superhero by his family, Casey feels a great deal of pressure from the expectations for him to live up to his family's legacy, but his genuine desire to help others makes the path of the hero an easier one to follow.

Personality: As a civilian, Casey is charming and cheerful, with a playful, easygoing personality. He is very competitive, and loves to push himself to his limits. He makes friends easily, and is quick to forgive slights against him with a joke and a smile. However, when assuming his role as Galaxion (and in related affairs with his family), he takes on a far more serious demeanor. Evil must be rooted out and punished by all means, and the innocent must be protected at any cost. While he is against the idea of vengeance, he believes in firm and fair justice, and is more than willing to dole it out. A technical pacifist, Casey refuses to kill his opponents, seeking out methods of incapacitating them non-lethally, even when it would be far more difficult or dangerous to do so.

Origin Story: Galaxion made his debut some six months ago, fighting off a criminal organization known as the Star Crusade; thugs and gangsters hired by the wealthy elite to horde alien technology. Galaxion is an uncommonly-seen hero, only appearing to take on threats that are deemed worth of the application of his considerable power. Galaxion has so far mostly fought alone, but he is not adverse to team-ups with other heroes.

Secret identity known to public?: Negative.

City of residence: Angel City

Codename: Nova

House: The Squids

Grade: 10th

Age: 16

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Grey-Asexual

Birthday: 7 July

Blood Type: O+

Nationality: Japanese
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Hobbies:

• Classic Literature
• Astrology
• Astrophysics
• Electrical Engineering
• Computer Programming
• Occult Metaphysics
• Comic Books

Personality: Jin is a strange character, not well understood by his peers. His thoughts seem to operate on a different level, or axis than that of most people. While he seems perfectly reasonable to himself, others find him incredibly odd and difficult to interact with. Likely related to this is his incredible level of intelligence, likely easily classified as that of a genius, though he refuses to have his IQ tested. Jin is somewhat lacking in social graces, and will usually say exactly what he is thinking, with no consideration to tact or politeness. Prone to non-sequiturs and strange emotional reactions, Jin has learned that he often rubs off on people the wrong way, and as such limits his social contact. It's a bit lonely, but it's for the best, as he sees it. His expression is usually stoic and neutral, and he rarely speaks unless spoken to. These factors combine to give him the image of a strange, outlandish loner. Despite his isolationist tendencies, Jin is a perfectly sociable young man. Though he has a hard time picking up on social cues, he likes other people well enough, and is surprisingly friendly, open and generous when one takes the time to get to know him.

History: Jin had a fairly normal childhood. At least, from what he can remember of it. His father, Japanese, was a nuclear physicist who sumo wrestled as a hobby. His mother, half English and half Russian, was a kind-hearted and soft-spoken geneticist. Beyond that, things are fuzzy for Jin. He seems to be suffering from a degenerative neurological condition in recent years, which has had severely adverse effects on his memory. Jin can remember that his parents are still alive, but not where they are or why they never contact him. He can remember that he has not always lived at Star Ocean Academy, but not where he actually lived beforehand. He speaks five languages, but he doesn't know when or why he learned them. Is he an only child? Also a mystery. Almost no records exist for him, as such the school knows just as much as he does about his past: very little.

That said, Jin's most consistent memories start at his enrollment at the Academy. He has excelled at his studies with little effort, and his power training his proceeded smoothly. Whatever Jin was doing before he enrolled at the Academy involved rigorous training with his powers, and as such the school's curriculum came quite naturally to him. Despite his academic success, Jin's strange personality and mannerisms have not earned him many friends. The aura of an "elite" follows him, not due to any deliberate effort of his own, driving others further away. Jin is seen as an enigma by his peers; the strange and mysterious ionokinetic, an eccentric genius without a past.

Given his overt lack of a social life, Jin devotes his time to extracurricular studies. That is to say, he spends a lot of time holed up in his dorm room with books and computers. He researches the physics that fuel his powers in order to give him better insight into how to control them and circumnavigate his weaknesses. He builds and programs computers as a relaxation hobby, though he rarely makes much progress as accidental discharges of his powers frequently fry his electronics. The occult also holds a certain mystique to Jin, and he reads up on a broad variety of related topics, from religion, to augury, shamanism, to chaos magic. When in need of simpler pleasures, Jin reads through his vast collection of trade paperbacks, manga volumes, doujinshi, graphic novels, "alt comix," and indie Euro-comics. That, or he scrounges together a working computer and proxy server to trawl obscure imageboards and darknet forums for secret restaurant menus, visual novel programming engines, conspiracy theories implicating Prime Minister Abe being a reptilian, and other such miscellany.
___________________

Current Classification: Starborn (Orion Candidate)

Special Ability: Jin's ability is classified as "ionokinesis," or the ability to generate and manipulate ionized and excited gases, generally known as plasmas. The rarest form of matter on Earth, and yet the most common in the universe, plasma is found in such entities as fire, lightning, auroras, stars, nebulae and novae, among others. Fairly skilled with his powers, Jin can fairly easily ionize gases and other elements in his environment to create plasma, and manipulate it very effectively without an excessive need for concentration.

Imperfection: The generation and manipulation of plasma by Jin's powers leaves an overabundance of ionized free electrons in an area, increasing as his powers are used in the general area. This can have a variety of effects, depending on the severity of the electron overload. On a small scale, electronics can malfunction and short out, suffering effects similar to that of an electromagnetic pulse. At a large scale, Jin can generate an electrostatic buildup comparable to a thunderstorm, essentially inducing a localized lightning storm in his immediate surroundings. These phenomena are creatives passively and unintentionally by Jin, who has little to no control over them. As greater phenomena emerge from extended usage of his powers, Jin generally has to devote effort to defending himself and others from the "backlash" of his abilities.
___________________

School Clubs:

• Going-Home Club

Character Relations:

• TBA

Other: Feint - Horizons

Name: Sulk Mandragora

Race: Aconite: A humanoid race of ephemeral beauty and mystique, the Aconites commanded a vast interstellar empire in ages past. Wielding their great mastery of science and magic, they modified their own race to be without physical flaw, and to possess inborn psionic power. However, this served only to deepen their pride and vanity, and in time their empire crumbled until their homeworld was conquered by the Crux Tenebre, and their race was driven to near-extinction.

Age: 583

Gender: Male

Appearance: Like the other few remaining members of his dead race, Sulk is possesses a fey, almost supernatural beauty. Skin the color of bleached bone, long hair of pure white that turns to bright cerulean near its tips, and emerald eyes that burn with psionic power. His form is lithe and powerful, and his features appear as though wrought by a master sculptor. Marring his ephemeral beauty are a variety of battle scars across his chest and limbs, a tapestry of sailor and prison tattoos across his back and over his hands, and the Crux Tenebre's pirate branding on his left forearm. When outside of battle, he prefers to wear only a pair of loose-fitting trousers, and supportive wrappings about his wrists, ankles and midsection.

Homeworld: Phantasmagoria: Once a lush paradise world and the capital of the Aconite Empire, Phantasmagoria has since been reduced to a smoldering wasteland of black glass and glowing radiation. Nominally within the core-systems of the Crux Tenebre, after being rendered uninhabitable by atomic warfare, Phantasmagoria is considered a backwater planet of almost no value. The few surviving Aconites scrape out an existence deep underground, scavenging for technology and mourning the lost glories of their race.

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Role: Captain

Skills: Sulk's years of survival in Phantasmagoria's underground made him a tenacious survivor by nature, and imbued him with instinctive knowledge of scavenging and some principles of engineering gleaned from his father. Given his many years of experience both in the military and as a privateer, Sulk is a skilled warrior and voidship crewman, particularly adept in open-void combat and boarding actions. With centuries of experience commanding voidships, he is more than competent in his role as captain, and is an effective tactician in voidship combat. As part of his inborn Aconite nature, Sulk is a psion of considerable power, specializing in the psychic disciplines of telekinesis and telepathy.

In battle, Sulk's choice of armaments are his relic Aconite weapons and armor. While the armor itself serves as an effective voidsuit, providing a number of life-support and utility functions vital for open-void combat, it is also infused with psycho-reactive crystals that allow him to project a telekinetic protective field from the suit. His shield is imbued with similar crystals that amplify the effect into a concussive blast or a wide-range forcefield. His Aconite war-axe has these same crystals along its blade, giving it either supernatural cutting power, or a concussive burst effect on its strikes. His arquebus does not fire traditional ammunition, but explosive bolts of psychic power that can blast an enemy across a room and punch through heavy void-armor.

History: Aconites, the scions of a dying world and a long-dead empire, are a race all but lost to the universe. Sulk was a rarity among their kind, as it was a near-miraculous occurrence that he was born at all. Already slow-breeding by the nature of their long lifespans, the likelihood of two Aconites producing a child following the death of their race was even more slim. Raised in the subterranean ruins of Phantasmagoria, Sulk's mother died of rad-sickness not long into his childhood, and he was raised largely by his father. The underground was never meant to be home to Aconites, much less to raise a child, and so Sulk's youth was difficult and turbulent. By the time he was grown enough to care for himself, the lasting trauma of having survived the Crux Tenebre's war of extermination as well as the death of his wife drove Sulk's father to madness. An engineer by trade, he found some uncertain relic or another deep in the underground, and sat tinkering with it for the rest of his days, barely stopping to eat or drink.

Unwilling to watch his father slowly die from madness, Sulk set off on his own into the underground, hoping to escape the hellish life that it presented him. With raw ingenuity and tenacity, he managed to rig together a basic void-shuttle, a craft barely powerful enough to get him off-planet. After escaping the ruined husk of Phantasmagoria, he drifted for some time on the ether winds, before being picked up by a band of smugglers that had used one of the planet's moons as a hideout. Sulk was taken in by them and learned the void-sailor's trade, as well as the life of a privateer on the void seas. Sulk spent many years as a smuggler and mercenary, moving between many pirate bands, sometimes even commanding ships of his own, always skirting about the edge of the law.

Eventually his life of lawlessness caught up with him, and he was apprehended by the martial police of the Crux Tenebre. Charged with high piracy, he was presented with two options: death, or a lifetime of penitent servitude in the Crux's penal legions. Too much of a survivor at heart to surrender to death, he was taken in as a conscript marine upon one of the Crux's mighty warships. Conscripts were given such dangerous duties as performing boarding actions on enemy ships, and only the skilled managed to avoid certain death. Sulk proved to be among their number, as he quickly proved to be a vicious and effective warrior. Any time not spent in combat was spent either in a cell or performing menial duties, and in this time Sulk reflected inward, meditating and honing the psychic power deep within him.

After decades of penitent service to the Crux, Sulk's opportunity at escape presented itself. A brief sortie near Phantasmagoria's star, meant to purge pirate activity in the area, brough him back in contact with the privateer band that originally took him in. Though over two-hundred years had passed since then and none of the original crew remained, their iconography was the same. After cornering the band's captain with his squad of fellow conscripts, Sulk turned his gun on his squadmates, and revealed to the captain his pirate branding, and the tattoo of the band's crest on the back of his hand. Together they escaped to the surface of Phantasmagoria, and then hid deep in the underground, seeking to wait out the battle in the void overhead.

A psychic impulse lured Sulk to a particular corner of the underground, which felt strangely familiar to him. When he reached the point that the call had led him, he found his father still working away, just where he had left him two-hundred years ago. The man greeted his son as though he had only been gone a few minutes, announced his work complete, and then keeled over and died. The mysterious relic was now revealed to be a ship, which Sulk's father had spent his last remaining years repairing. The vessel was strange, most certainly not Aconite in origin, and yet had been buried underground for thousands of years. Sulk and the pirate captain boarded the ship and activated its long-dormant launch protocols, revealing a silo leading all the way up to the planet surface. Barely understanding how to pilot the strange ship, they accidentally launched it directly into the ongoing void battle above, and lingered just long enough before escaping via Hypertravel that the ship was logged in the Crux Tenebre's records.

Discovering the ship to be a legendary vessel spoken of it pirate tales of the deep void, Sulk named the ship Nova Dawn, and took on the pirate captain as his first mate. Slowly the two built up a band of mavericks and outcasts, and sought treasures and fortunes lost to the currents of time and the whims of the Void. Nova Dawn has sailed for more than a hundred years now, and while none of its original crew remains save for Sulk, its legacy lives on as one of the most infamous pirate ships to ever sail the Void.

Personality: The concept of an infamous pirate captain brings certain ideas to mind, and Sulk embodies many of those aspects. While he is ruthless and craves wealth and fame, he is not cruel, and keeps his focus sharp enough that his greed does not cloud his mind. He is a strong believer in codes of honor, bonds of loyalty, and the repayment of debts, especially among pirates and outlaws. Not necessarily superstitious as many sailors are, he is still keenly aware of the influence of the supernatural, and has a strong respect for such forces. That said, he actively distrusts and despises authority, and in some cases goes out of his way to disrupt it out of spite. Above all else he values freedom, both his own and that of others, as both a youth spent in Phantasmagoria's claustrophobic underground and decades spent a prisoner have ingrained in him freedom's true value.

Other: Sulk