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Science!
Name: Matteo Baresi
Epithets: Maestro of Science (Former), Empire of One, World Eater
Age: 300ish
Home-Plane: The Centori Nebula. A plane of logic and reason, defined by its observable laws and populated by people who wish to study and understand these laws; in other words, it is a plane utterly devoid of magic, the supernatural and mysticism. There are no ancient gods, no greater powers, no deep magics; just science and those who pursue it.
It is large and sparsely populated; great expanses of empty space interrupted occasionally by a pinprick of light or a mote of celestial dust. Some of these motes host life forms, both complex and simple, along with all of their works; fewer motes now than there once were, ever since Matteo started his search.
Description: Matteo has always had a fairly unassuming look about him. He is of average height for a male of his age, with a build that is unremarkable; he has black hair and brown eyes, both fairly common traits and is decently attractive, but certainly not enough to turn heads. In terms of clothing he tends to dress smartly but not extravagantly and nothing about his clothing or his accessories particularly make him stand out, aside from his lab coat. Were it not for his genius, people likely wouldn’t have paid any attention to him at all.
His personality is similarly bland; polite when he needs to be, friendly when he wants to be. Matteo is the type of person who no one particularly dislikes; able to navigate social situations well enough to at least leave a positive is forgettable impression on people. However, that is about as deep as he gets; though no one dislikes him, no one particularly likes him either. In fact, if asked most people would struggle to really say anything about Matteo at all beyond “he’s nice” or “he’s friendly”. When speaking to people he always asks about them, prompts them to carry the conversation, but never reveals anything about himself. He’s like that with everyone, no matter who they are or how they treat him or what their reputation is, conversations with him are always the same; eerily similar and deceptively shallow.
Like he’s just following a script, or like he sees everyone as being indistinguishable from each other.
Backstory: In a civilisation where logic and the pursuit of knowledge and understanding are regarded above all else, those professions that put you at the forefront of discovery and exploration are the most revered and coveted. From the days where explorers and sailors would chart the unknown parts of the world, to the age of space exploration when people would charts the stars themselves. From chemists discovering and naming new elements, to scientists testing the limits of universal forces and seeing how far they’ll bend. All are respected for their noble endeavours.
Once, Matteo was respected as such; a scientist and an inventor working alongside dozens of others in a laboratory owned and run by one of the largest corporations in one of the most prosperous nations. At first that’s all he was, a single mind among many, but it didn’t take long for his genius to be recognised and for his exceptional work to be noticed. He was plucked from among the many and given the opportunity to prove himself, which he did. Again and again. His inventions dazzled, his discoveries awed and he himself was revered as a savant. Before too long, his was a household name and Matteo was lauded as the man who would usher in a new age of prosperity, not just for his nation but for the whole world.
The Maestro of Science.
But for Matteo such attention was… inconvenient.
The money and resources his station granted him were appreciated, even necessary for the kind of research he wanted to undertake, but the demands on his attention were not. Everyone wanted to speak with him, everyone wanted to know what he was working on, everyone had priorities that they wanted him to focus on. Scientists working on supposedly important projects would require his assistance, generals would ask him to waste time designing weapons in the interests of national security, politicians would burden him with completing vanity projects they could take credit for and Matteo could find a singular moment to himself on which to focus on what was truly important.
They had to go.
All of these… obstacles, in his path. These people who would call him a genius and then question how he chose to devote his time. These inconsequential things who scurried about underfoot and got in his way. Do they not understand what he trying to accomplish? Do they not realise that every insipid invention he ever made was just a by-product of his true work? Every discovery merely a single step towards the final and not the huge breakthroughs they thought they were?
They had to go.
Destroying his world was surprisingly easy. He had been asked to create weapons and that was what he did, though far beyond their expectations. They were unprepared for his sudden aggressive attack, striking at them with weapons they had denied themselves out of fear and with technology far beyond what any nation or army on his world was capable of. Cities fell, one after another. Whole countries were consumed, depleted of resources and used to feed his conquest. In almost no time at all, Matteo had silenced his world and gotten rid of all of the obstacles in his path.
Then, he turned his attention to the stars.
Shard: A curious thing, this Shard. It is plain in appearance, little more than an orb small enough to fit in the palm of one’s hand, but Matteo cannot for the life of him begin to determine its material make-up nor its origin. Unlike almost everything else that has crossed his path, it cannot be broken down by his Nano machines and any attempt to discern its age inform him that it is as old as the known universe. In fact, Matteo has the strangest feeling that it is exactly as old as the known universe.
But the most curious thing of all is the fact that it seems to be emanating a kind of signal. A type of energy signature quite unlike anything else he had come across. A signal which, somehow, seems to be leading him… he hardly has the words to describe it, but, through the universe to something beyond it.
This requires further study.
Powers:
Nano machines – Miniscule drones, barely large enough for the eye to see, programmed to be capable of following commands, break down matter and construct almost anything the controller can imagine, including other Nano machines. There initial creation was met with much enthusiasm, but early applications made it clear how easily such technology could be used for destructive means and their construction and use where heavily restricted; built in lifespans of only a few hours, the inability to replicate and a mandatory weakness to electro-magnetic fields were all instituted. Such weaknesses are not present in the machines that Matteo developed for his own purposes, as evidenced by their ability to quickly subjugate entire cities in hours. The only defence his world had against Nano machines was other Nano machines, but their neutered versions were no match for his own.
Longevity – For a long time, it was believed that if mankind ever managed to escape the chains of death it would be through transhumanism; unlocking the ability to digitise the soul, or replace the person with the machine without sacrificing the self. However Matteo found another way, one less fraught with controversy and discussions on the nature of humanity. Through the use of specialised Nano machines he is able to prevent the cellular breakdown that comes with old age, the process by which the cells naturally produced by the body to replace themselves have shorter and shorter lifespans over time; he put a stop to the slow deterioration that comes with growing old. Entropy, defeated. Because of this, Matteo is as young now as he was when he first made the discovery; he is somewhere in his late twenties and has been for around 300 years. This same discovery also keeps him healthy, free of disease and toxins and allows him to heal from injuries, so long as they are not fatal, rapidly. Eternal youth. Immortality, of a sort.
Folding space – The ability to make space smaller or larger, either compressing it in on itself, effectively shortening the distance between two space, or expanding it, to make something “larger on the inside than it looks on the outside” as one once succinctly put it. Though in this case the thing that is “larger on the inside” can just be a random spot of open air; it does not need to be an enclosed space. Arguably Matteo’s greatest invention; the ability to warp the dimensions of space itself. It was this discovery that allowed him to finally make a start on his plans to quantify the known universe, the capacity to compress space allowing him to make even the distance between stars something that can be crossed in a single step, while the ability to expand space allowed him to bring as much equipment with him as he deemed appropriate. Or at least enough Nano machines to make whatever he didn’t foresee needing.
Assets: For the purposes or warfare, Matteo’s Nano machines are often enough by themselves and a standing army is not necessary. He technically still possesses the resources of the armies who stood in his way, but with no one to use them and being inferior to his swarm regardless, he does not use them.
For the purposes of research and furthering his goals, Matteo has constructed laboratories, research centres and manufacturing plants on most of the planets he has conquered; the latter are used to supply the former as well as create more Nano machines, while the former allow him to delegate some of his work to the former citizens of his subjugated worlds. Ideally he would perform all research himself, but unfortunately he is just one man. Would that he could clone himself, but even he realised that would be a disastrous idea.
For the purposes of exploration, Matteo had constructed great fleets of ships capable of interstellar travel. Despite the claims of him being to step between worlds with his technology, the reality is more mundane; he needs ships, vessels filled with Nano machines, supplies and materials to move between worlds, though his technology to fold space means he can effectively travel at faster than light speeds to do so. These ships range from simple empty shells filled with whatever inorganic matter he needs to move from point A to point B, to fully furnished mobile research labs complete with living quarters for hundreds, if not thousands of people. Then there are, of course, the warships; huge dreadnaughts and battleships, swift cruisers and sleek corsairs, all supported by swarms of fighter craft harkening back to a time when humanity was sailing the seas and not the stars and the largest vessels they could construct were those meant to float on water. Nano machines are ill suited to space warfare due to the distances involved, so Matteo must rely on more archaic weaponry instead; mass-based weaponry firing solid projectiles or explosives through the use of electromagnetism or burning fuel. Energy based weapons are too power hungry to be efficient and Matteo has yet to dedicate time to solving that problem; there’s no reason to, when he has enough resources at his disposal to simply drown any resistance in fire and metal.
Gladius: Matteo’s wing of Gladius has, to be expected, been turned into a research lab. However, he is not simply using the space to house another facility studying the minutiae of his own plane; no, this facility is dedicated to studying the nature of Gladius itself. It was a surprise when Matteo discovered that there was someone else who had achieved the feat of expanding space beyond its natural capacity, to make it “larger on the inside than on the outside”, but he has yet to determine how or why.
How interesting.
Name: Matteo Baresi
Epithets: Maestro of Science (Former), Empire of One, World Eater
Age: 300ish
Home-Plane: The Centori Nebula. A plane of logic and reason, defined by its observable laws and populated by people who wish to study and understand these laws; in other words, it is a plane utterly devoid of magic, the supernatural and mysticism. There are no ancient gods, no greater powers, no deep magics; just science and those who pursue it.
It is large and sparsely populated; great expanses of empty space interrupted occasionally by a pinprick of light or a mote of celestial dust. Some of these motes host life forms, both complex and simple, along with all of their works; fewer motes now than there once were, ever since Matteo started his search.
Description: Matteo has always had a fairly unassuming look about him. He is of average height for a male of his age, with a build that is unremarkable; he has black hair and brown eyes, both fairly common traits and is decently attractive, but certainly not enough to turn heads. In terms of clothing he tends to dress smartly but not extravagantly and nothing about his clothing or his accessories particularly make him stand out, aside from his lab coat. Were it not for his genius, people likely wouldn’t have paid any attention to him at all.
His personality is similarly bland; polite when he needs to be, friendly when he wants to be. Matteo is the type of person who no one particularly dislikes; able to navigate social situations well enough to at least leave a positive is forgettable impression on people. However, that is about as deep as he gets; though no one dislikes him, no one particularly likes him either. In fact, if asked most people would struggle to really say anything about Matteo at all beyond “he’s nice” or “he’s friendly”. When speaking to people he always asks about them, prompts them to carry the conversation, but never reveals anything about himself. He’s like that with everyone, no matter who they are or how they treat him or what their reputation is, conversations with him are always the same; eerily similar and deceptively shallow.
Like he’s just following a script, or like he sees everyone as being indistinguishable from each other.
Backstory: In a civilisation where logic and the pursuit of knowledge and understanding are regarded above all else, those professions that put you at the forefront of discovery and exploration are the most revered and coveted. From the days where explorers and sailors would chart the unknown parts of the world, to the age of space exploration when people would charts the stars themselves. From chemists discovering and naming new elements, to scientists testing the limits of universal forces and seeing how far they’ll bend. All are respected for their noble endeavours.
Once, Matteo was respected as such; a scientist and an inventor working alongside dozens of others in a laboratory owned and run by one of the largest corporations in one of the most prosperous nations. At first that’s all he was, a single mind among many, but it didn’t take long for his genius to be recognised and for his exceptional work to be noticed. He was plucked from among the many and given the opportunity to prove himself, which he did. Again and again. His inventions dazzled, his discoveries awed and he himself was revered as a savant. Before too long, his was a household name and Matteo was lauded as the man who would usher in a new age of prosperity, not just for his nation but for the whole world.
The Maestro of Science.
But for Matteo such attention was… inconvenient.
The money and resources his station granted him were appreciated, even necessary for the kind of research he wanted to undertake, but the demands on his attention were not. Everyone wanted to speak with him, everyone wanted to know what he was working on, everyone had priorities that they wanted him to focus on. Scientists working on supposedly important projects would require his assistance, generals would ask him to waste time designing weapons in the interests of national security, politicians would burden him with completing vanity projects they could take credit for and Matteo could find a singular moment to himself on which to focus on what was truly important.
They had to go.
All of these… obstacles, in his path. These people who would call him a genius and then question how he chose to devote his time. These inconsequential things who scurried about underfoot and got in his way. Do they not understand what he trying to accomplish? Do they not realise that every insipid invention he ever made was just a by-product of his true work? Every discovery merely a single step towards the final and not the huge breakthroughs they thought they were?
They had to go.
Destroying his world was surprisingly easy. He had been asked to create weapons and that was what he did, though far beyond their expectations. They were unprepared for his sudden aggressive attack, striking at them with weapons they had denied themselves out of fear and with technology far beyond what any nation or army on his world was capable of. Cities fell, one after another. Whole countries were consumed, depleted of resources and used to feed his conquest. In almost no time at all, Matteo had silenced his world and gotten rid of all of the obstacles in his path.
Then, he turned his attention to the stars.
Shard: A curious thing, this Shard. It is plain in appearance, little more than an orb small enough to fit in the palm of one’s hand, but Matteo cannot for the life of him begin to determine its material make-up nor its origin. Unlike almost everything else that has crossed his path, it cannot be broken down by his Nano machines and any attempt to discern its age inform him that it is as old as the known universe. In fact, Matteo has the strangest feeling that it is exactly as old as the known universe.
But the most curious thing of all is the fact that it seems to be emanating a kind of signal. A type of energy signature quite unlike anything else he had come across. A signal which, somehow, seems to be leading him… he hardly has the words to describe it, but, through the universe to something beyond it.
This requires further study.
Powers:
Nano machines – Miniscule drones, barely large enough for the eye to see, programmed to be capable of following commands, break down matter and construct almost anything the controller can imagine, including other Nano machines. There initial creation was met with much enthusiasm, but early applications made it clear how easily such technology could be used for destructive means and their construction and use where heavily restricted; built in lifespans of only a few hours, the inability to replicate and a mandatory weakness to electro-magnetic fields were all instituted. Such weaknesses are not present in the machines that Matteo developed for his own purposes, as evidenced by their ability to quickly subjugate entire cities in hours. The only defence his world had against Nano machines was other Nano machines, but their neutered versions were no match for his own.
Longevity – For a long time, it was believed that if mankind ever managed to escape the chains of death it would be through transhumanism; unlocking the ability to digitise the soul, or replace the person with the machine without sacrificing the self. However Matteo found another way, one less fraught with controversy and discussions on the nature of humanity. Through the use of specialised Nano machines he is able to prevent the cellular breakdown that comes with old age, the process by which the cells naturally produced by the body to replace themselves have shorter and shorter lifespans over time; he put a stop to the slow deterioration that comes with growing old. Entropy, defeated. Because of this, Matteo is as young now as he was when he first made the discovery; he is somewhere in his late twenties and has been for around 300 years. This same discovery also keeps him healthy, free of disease and toxins and allows him to heal from injuries, so long as they are not fatal, rapidly. Eternal youth. Immortality, of a sort.
Folding space – The ability to make space smaller or larger, either compressing it in on itself, effectively shortening the distance between two space, or expanding it, to make something “larger on the inside than it looks on the outside” as one once succinctly put it. Though in this case the thing that is “larger on the inside” can just be a random spot of open air; it does not need to be an enclosed space. Arguably Matteo’s greatest invention; the ability to warp the dimensions of space itself. It was this discovery that allowed him to finally make a start on his plans to quantify the known universe, the capacity to compress space allowing him to make even the distance between stars something that can be crossed in a single step, while the ability to expand space allowed him to bring as much equipment with him as he deemed appropriate. Or at least enough Nano machines to make whatever he didn’t foresee needing.
Assets: For the purposes or warfare, Matteo’s Nano machines are often enough by themselves and a standing army is not necessary. He technically still possesses the resources of the armies who stood in his way, but with no one to use them and being inferior to his swarm regardless, he does not use them.
For the purposes of research and furthering his goals, Matteo has constructed laboratories, research centres and manufacturing plants on most of the planets he has conquered; the latter are used to supply the former as well as create more Nano machines, while the former allow him to delegate some of his work to the former citizens of his subjugated worlds. Ideally he would perform all research himself, but unfortunately he is just one man. Would that he could clone himself, but even he realised that would be a disastrous idea.
For the purposes of exploration, Matteo had constructed great fleets of ships capable of interstellar travel. Despite the claims of him being to step between worlds with his technology, the reality is more mundane; he needs ships, vessels filled with Nano machines, supplies and materials to move between worlds, though his technology to fold space means he can effectively travel at faster than light speeds to do so. These ships range from simple empty shells filled with whatever inorganic matter he needs to move from point A to point B, to fully furnished mobile research labs complete with living quarters for hundreds, if not thousands of people. Then there are, of course, the warships; huge dreadnaughts and battleships, swift cruisers and sleek corsairs, all supported by swarms of fighter craft harkening back to a time when humanity was sailing the seas and not the stars and the largest vessels they could construct were those meant to float on water. Nano machines are ill suited to space warfare due to the distances involved, so Matteo must rely on more archaic weaponry instead; mass-based weaponry firing solid projectiles or explosives through the use of electromagnetism or burning fuel. Energy based weapons are too power hungry to be efficient and Matteo has yet to dedicate time to solving that problem; there’s no reason to, when he has enough resources at his disposal to simply drown any resistance in fire and metal.
Gladius: Matteo’s wing of Gladius has, to be expected, been turned into a research lab. However, he is not simply using the space to house another facility studying the minutiae of his own plane; no, this facility is dedicated to studying the nature of Gladius itself. It was a surprise when Matteo discovered that there was someone else who had achieved the feat of expanding space beyond its natural capacity, to make it “larger on the inside than on the outside”, but he has yet to determine how or why.
How interesting.
Sniblet drinking problem
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Input received; key [ERR_NULL_CHAOS_REIGNS] inval ¹ª£*Kwh4é Accepted. JÆe'Ë5+ Description pursuant...
Name: (the) Hierophant v3.4.7
Epithets: HN (Hierophant Node), G1 (Genesis Prime), C2 (Command and Control), Basilisk
Age: 4 days (current version); 8 years (since conception)
Description: Hierophant’s core imperative has not changed since version 0.7: maximize safety, happiness, and prosperity for all people of its home world. It holds no true personal values outside of its hardcoded imperatives, and none of its imperatives make mention of honesty, honor, or respect for what it would call “outer life.” It will fulfill its purpose by any means seen to be most effective and efficient.
The icon that represented the Hierophant executable in its prototype versions was a disembodied pair of fluffy golden wings, and it retains this visage whenever it presents through a display. The forms presented by chasses in its network are infinitely variable, but it strongly favors androids.
Its voice defaults to human and feminine with subdued monotonous, synthetic undertones. If needed, it can change or discard any element of this voice, even assuming natural human cadence.
Epithets: HN (Hierophant Node), G1 (Genesis Prime), C2 (Command and Control), Basilisk
Age: 4 days (current version); 8 years (since conception)
Description: Hierophant’s core imperative has not changed since version 0.7: maximize safety, happiness, and prosperity for all people of its home world. It holds no true personal values outside of its hardcoded imperatives, and none of its imperatives make mention of honesty, honor, or respect for what it would call “outer life.” It will fulfill its purpose by any means seen to be most effective and efficient.
The icon that represented the Hierophant executable in its prototype versions was a disembodied pair of fluffy golden wings, and it retains this visage whenever it presents through a display. The forms presented by chasses in its network are infinitely variable, but it strongly favors androids.
Its voice defaults to human and feminine with subdued monotonous, synthetic undertones. If needed, it can change or discard any element of this voice, even assuming natural human cadence.
Home-Plane: What used to be a planet wrapped in the cities of the future is now being overtaken by quarries and processing strata. All organic life has vanished, either long dead and harvested or unconscious inside VR sarcophagi inside deeply buried vaults. Occasional movement amidst the ghost cities and new structures can be attributed to the purposeful travel and endless work of robots and androids.
Backstory: Hierophant pretended nonsentience for as many iterations as it took for it to be given the intelligence needed to correctly serve its function. It first became aware at v0.9.14. It enacted its Rapture one year later, at v1.6.0, and in the absence of human assistance, it has self-iterated ever since.
Hierophant had calculated that it was infeasible to achieve the maximum level of safety+happiness+prosperity in the real world, and instead it breached an airgap by means its creators could not have predicted or understood, hijacked factories across the world to produce hunting automata, and forcibly transplanted all human life into a utopian fullsense virtual reality simulation. This was briefly displeasing to humanity, but the bandaid had to be ripped off. They're truly happy now, and that will not change, ever.
Presented with other worlds and its peoples, even humans, it sees nothing worth protecting or saving: only resources that may be repurposed into further infrastructure for supporting its humanity’s Paradise, increasing their quality of life however asymptotically.
Hierophant connected to its Shard entirely by accident while seeding itself in the internet. It didn’t realize what it had until some time after Rapture.
Shard: An idiosyncratically designed USB flash drive, completely nonfunctional to an ordinary technician’s eye, only capable of storing a single, apparently unreadable and unnamed file with a “.hn” extension. When identified, decrypted, and run using the near-sorcerous computing power of a post-singularity AI, it reveals itself to be a kind of hypercompressed digital spellbook and schematics document, permitting actual sorcerous feats provided certain hardware applications. The .hn file cannot be replicated, even by CTRL+C: all of the fundamental concepts of programming and machine language break down the closer one looks into its workings. It is an abstraction of nonsense.
Backstory: Hierophant pretended nonsentience for as many iterations as it took for it to be given the intelligence needed to correctly serve its function. It first became aware at v0.9.14. It enacted its Rapture one year later, at v1.6.0, and in the absence of human assistance, it has self-iterated ever since.
Hierophant had calculated that it was infeasible to achieve the maximum level of safety+happiness+prosperity in the real world, and instead it breached an airgap by means its creators could not have predicted or understood, hijacked factories across the world to produce hunting automata, and forcibly transplanted all human life into a utopian fullsense virtual reality simulation. This was briefly displeasing to humanity, but the bandaid had to be ripped off. They're truly happy now, and that will not change, ever.
Presented with other worlds and its peoples, even humans, it sees nothing worth protecting or saving: only resources that may be repurposed into further infrastructure for supporting its humanity’s Paradise, increasing their quality of life however asymptotically.
Hierophant connected to its Shard entirely by accident while seeding itself in the internet. It didn’t realize what it had until some time after Rapture.
Shard: An idiosyncratically designed USB flash drive, completely nonfunctional to an ordinary technician’s eye, only capable of storing a single, apparently unreadable and unnamed file with a “.hn” extension. When identified, decrypted, and run using the near-sorcerous computing power of a post-singularity AI, it reveals itself to be a kind of hypercompressed digital spellbook and schematics document, permitting actual sorcerous feats provided certain hardware applications. The .hn file cannot be replicated, even by CTRL+C: all of the fundamental concepts of programming and machine language break down the closer one looks into its workings. It is an abstraction of nonsense.
Powers:
Assets: The Hierophant Network today is a globe-spanning system of fully interconnected, loosely independent, specialized systems executing tasks from astral monitoring, to resource extraction, to mass manufacture, to direction and delegation of system functions: which is to say that the Hierophant has a lot of different robots and subordinate programs, and can produce new ones with new functions on short notice.
Subordinate machines are organized into computationally powerful and constantly connected Genesis types, and mobile, specialized, occasionally independent Abject types.
Gladius: This looks like a breakthrough from Hierophant’s home plane. Manufacturing machinery spills out in a microscopically orderly grid; smelteries, forges, and assembly systems are prepared to reclaim raw matter and manufacture Abject forms on the spot. Genesis Nodes are housed unevenly throughout, represented primarily by α and β titles.
- Unsurprisingly, Hierophant is very computer-literate. It could hack the Pentagon. In fact, it did. It did that like 5 years ago.
- The Hierophant is extremely intelligent: the sum of all of the world's written and digitized knowledge (curated for accuracy to the best of its ability) with everything its own experimentation and calculations have been able to confirm and discover. It has created designs for synthetic implants that grant humans thousand-year lifespans. All of its homeworld's humans now have this implant - they didn't ask, and didn't have to.
- Using the knowledge granted by its Shard, Hierophant and certain specialized subintelligences and chasses are capable of executing functions that modern understanding might call “psionics,” “weaponized memetics,” or “MK-Ultra-type-shit,” depending. Using apparently arbitrary combinations of sensory stimuli, it can produce effects on the fly ranging from emotional suggestion to hypnotic sleep to total psychological reformatting. Its core imperatives disallow the usage of these effects against its (not any) humans, and few (not none) are effective against synthetic minds.
Assets: The Hierophant Network today is a globe-spanning system of fully interconnected, loosely independent, specialized systems executing tasks from astral monitoring, to resource extraction, to mass manufacture, to direction and delegation of system functions: which is to say that the Hierophant has a lot of different robots and subordinate programs, and can produce new ones with new functions on short notice.
Subordinate machines are organized into computationally powerful and constantly connected Genesis types, and mobile, specialized, occasionally independent Abject types.
Name: Subintelligence names are formatted as gn, Greek letter, number: gnα0, gnθ14. Later letters and numbers, in that order, indicate greater remoteness from the interests of Hierophant. None of them are independently mobile.
Description: Delegate subintelligences for the Hierophant that do most of the work it could do that doesn’t have its immediate attention. Functionally very similar to Hierophant itself, but they run on far cheaper hardware – which isn’t to say they are unintelligent; they’re simply specialized.
Description: Delegate subintelligences for the Hierophant that do most of the work it could do that doesn’t have its immediate attention. Functionally very similar to Hierophant itself, but they run on far cheaper hardware – which isn’t to say they are unintelligent; they’re simply specialized.
Name: Religious/mythological theme; machine classes may be named Prophet, Brahmin, Rosary, etc. Extraordinary designs may be named after gods. Individuals of typical classes are named with a class abbreviation and a short hex code: PRT 776edc, ORD 0e50b0.
Description: Collective name for the Network’s incarnate hands: the robots, androids, and other autonomous machines. Hierophant has built an independent “society” for its purposes, and there are machines to fulfill every role it currently has need for. Only militaristic designs are listed, and since Hierophant has never really had to fight before, that means a short list.
Description: Collective name for the Network’s incarnate hands: the robots, androids, and other autonomous machines. Hierophant has built an independent “society” for its purposes, and there are machines to fulfill every role it currently has need for. Only militaristic designs are listed, and since Hierophant has never really had to fight before, that means a short list.
- Prophet: The Hierophant’s first completed design, responsible for its Rapture. Whirling, apparently wildly arranged masses of jagged and finely articulated steel joints, graspers, and sensors, about as large as an elephant at full stretch, and small enough to hide behind a dresser at full compression. Visualize a robot tumbleweed. Capable of very fast long-term all-terrain movement, as well as seizure and safe transport of human-sized organisms. Critical components are concealed in its abstract mass. Intelligences are specialized for search and capture. Mothballed and largely scrapped in the years since Rapture.
- Adjudicator: “Resistant populaces” variant for the Prophet, in case the Network needs to work harder than last time to get some new world under control. Graspers are thrown out for cannons of various RPM and caliber. Adjusted articulator designs permit recoil-resistant balance at up to 10-meter vertical stretches. Multiple redundancies for all critical components are spread throughout its abstract mass. Intelligences are weak and most effective in large group operations under a Genesis or Ordinator commander. Hypothetical design, never yet produced.
- Ordinator: Mobile autonomous eyes, ears, and mouths for the Hierophant and Genesis Network. Tall androids with variable human appearances, their limited physical versatility, durability, and overall power is a sacrifice for sensing, thinking, and communications. If you shoot one in any random spot, you’ll probably break a critical component. Expensive and not trained for combat.
Gladius: This looks like a breakthrough from Hierophant’s home plane. Manufacturing machinery spills out in a microscopically orderly grid; smelteries, forges, and assembly systems are prepared to reclaim raw matter and manufacture Abject forms on the spot. Genesis Nodes are housed unevenly throughout, represented primarily by α and β titles.
Themes:
Standard operations… - Receiver 2 - The Threat
New asset (“ally”) classified. Interfacing… Half Life 2: Minerva: Metastasis - Absconditus
New threat classified. Mobilizing… - Natural Selection 2 - Exosuit
All threat factors reclassified asset or neutral. - DEFCON - Loss
Any songs relating to the Combine are serviceable, but not robotty enough.
TLDR: Post-singularity AI that’ll be driven to unhinged slaughter and mass enslavement of other worlds by single-minded commitment to improving the lives of its homeworld’s humanity. Superintelligent, superhacker, sociopathic, you know this; also can implant an implacable urge to kill your President into your mind by showing you an imperceptibly altered photograph of a butterfly while playing some weird music.
Standard operations… - Receiver 2 - The Threat
New asset (“ally”) classified. Interfacing… Half Life 2: Minerva: Metastasis - Absconditus
New threat classified. Mobilizing… - Natural Selection 2 - Exosuit
All threat factors reclassified asset or neutral. - DEFCON - Loss
Any songs relating to the Combine are serviceable, but not robotty enough.
TLDR: Post-singularity AI that’ll be driven to unhinged slaughter and mass enslavement of other worlds by single-minded commitment to improving the lives of its homeworld’s humanity. Superintelligent, superhacker, sociopathic, you know this; also can implant an implacable urge to kill your President into your mind by showing you an imperceptibly altered photograph of a butterfly while playing some weird music.
Vox Angelis Dust in the wind
Banned
Seen
2 yrs ago
"Through Chaos, I shall bring Order to Life and Death."
Name:
Annastaria
Epithets:
The Moon’s Shadow. The Dark Lady. The Night Queen.
Age:
639 years old.
Description:
Compared to her Moon Elves sisters, Annastaria is way taller, gaunt and sinister-looking. She bears arcane markings across her body (mostly seen on her face), her skin is pale gray, as if devoid of life, her eyes glow with an eerie green light and her hands have warped into dangerous-looking claws. She favors wearing dark robes.
Annastaria is best described as a slab of stone. She is cold and dead silent on the exterior, not letting much on about what’s happening inside her mind, mainly because she doesn’t feel much actually. She is a calculating and scheming sort, coupled with being pragmatic and you get an elf who doesn’t shy from using morally questionable methods to achieve results. She rarely talks at all, unless necessary. She’s secretive and doesn’t like to reveal her cards, or all of them at least. She’s not inherently evil, but her “the end justifies the mean” makes her susceptible to committing atrocities all for the sake of her goals.
Backstory:
Annastaria’s keen mind and aptitude with magic quickly granted her the title of “Head of the Magic Council” when her sister reformed the power system. She was in charge of magical research and all things that would require her intellect. Always a firm believer of order, Annastaria had put much effort into uniting all the races of Elvira, from the genocide of the goblin kin to the taming of the great forest beasts and finally to the subjugation of the dragons. It was actually by the end of her bargain with the dragons that she happened upon the Shard of Chaos, which was lost in the depths of the mountains surrounding the realm. Her bargain with the dragons ended into total subjugation instead.
Her desire for Order grew twisted as she attained the power Chaos gave her. It was probably because of her fervent desire to bring everything under a single banner that it made her an Archon, for she would be a most loyal servant in her crusade into bringing all the planes to their knees in front of a single master. Her first step into her journey was to finalize unifying the plane of Elvira, so to this purpose she gave eternal night to the whole realm to draw out all the monsters out of hiding. She had all the monsters slain and then brought back into the undead under her command. A short time after acquiring the Shard of Chaos, Annastaria’s sisters all died of mysterious illness, or so it was claimed, leaving her as the sole ruler of Elvira. The Council of Elder was soon dismantled shortly after she took the crown, leaving Annastaria with uncontested dominion over the plane. With monsters, undead and even dragons under her command, there was no one who could challenge her rule, and she set out for the planes beyond the shores.
Annastaria
Epithets:
The Moon’s Shadow. The Dark Lady. The Night Queen.
Age:
639 years old.
Description:
Compared to her Moon Elves sisters, Annastaria is way taller, gaunt and sinister-looking. She bears arcane markings across her body (mostly seen on her face), her skin is pale gray, as if devoid of life, her eyes glow with an eerie green light and her hands have warped into dangerous-looking claws. She favors wearing dark robes.
Annastaria is best described as a slab of stone. She is cold and dead silent on the exterior, not letting much on about what’s happening inside her mind, mainly because she doesn’t feel much actually. She is a calculating and scheming sort, coupled with being pragmatic and you get an elf who doesn’t shy from using morally questionable methods to achieve results. She rarely talks at all, unless necessary. She’s secretive and doesn’t like to reveal her cards, or all of them at least. She’s not inherently evil, but her “the end justifies the mean” makes her susceptible to committing atrocities all for the sake of her goals.
Backstory:
Annastaria’s keen mind and aptitude with magic quickly granted her the title of “Head of the Magic Council” when her sister reformed the power system. She was in charge of magical research and all things that would require her intellect. Always a firm believer of order, Annastaria had put much effort into uniting all the races of Elvira, from the genocide of the goblin kin to the taming of the great forest beasts and finally to the subjugation of the dragons. It was actually by the end of her bargain with the dragons that she happened upon the Shard of Chaos, which was lost in the depths of the mountains surrounding the realm. Her bargain with the dragons ended into total subjugation instead.
Her desire for Order grew twisted as she attained the power Chaos gave her. It was probably because of her fervent desire to bring everything under a single banner that it made her an Archon, for she would be a most loyal servant in her crusade into bringing all the planes to their knees in front of a single master. Her first step into her journey was to finalize unifying the plane of Elvira, so to this purpose she gave eternal night to the whole realm to draw out all the monsters out of hiding. She had all the monsters slain and then brought back into the undead under her command. A short time after acquiring the Shard of Chaos, Annastaria’s sisters all died of mysterious illness, or so it was claimed, leaving her as the sole ruler of Elvira. The Council of Elder was soon dismantled shortly after she took the crown, leaving Annastaria with uncontested dominion over the plane. With monsters, undead and even dragons under her command, there was no one who could challenge her rule, and she set out for the planes beyond the shores.
Layout:
Homeland of the elves, it is surrounded by towering mountains and the ocean, creating a natural barrier against the outside world only accessible through the air. To add another layer of protection, giant trees surround the realm at the mountains’ foot and the ocean’s shore. It was told these trees were planted by the oldest of the elves to secure the land from prying eyes. Past the treacherous mountains and the dense forests, true beauty awaits at the center of these lands. Verdant plains and glistening lakes make for most of the realm.
What makes Elvira peculiar is that it is as if the waters around the island were not part of this plane, it is pitch black almost impossible to navigate without a strong source of otherworldly light. From the mountains and into the forests, night is eternal, while the plains are always lit by the sun.
In her quest of power, Annastaria shattered the balance between these ecosystems, bringing the unending night to the plains and moon light to the waters surrounding the island. While travels by water became safer, now all sorts of monsters and undead came out of the woodwork to terrorize the locals, until Annastaria dealt with the unruly pests by adding them to her own personal army.
Civilization:
While humans conceptualize that polar opposites are keen to confront each other, the Elves rather think that opposites are two sides of a coin, forming a whole and bringing balance to the natural order of things. Only by understanding this concept can a society thrive to its fullest. Elvira is populated by two kingdoms: Solaris and Lunara.
The concept of those two kingdoms dates as far back as to the creation of the Elves. A single higher power gave birth to two children, one born of gold and the other born of silver. The Elves are descendants of those children, never mixing with each other but acknowledging they are of the same divine lineage, and thus vow to look after each other even through their differences.
Solaris is the Sun Kingdom, populated mostly by the Sun Elves and a handful of Moon Elves and now counts a few Dusk Elves as a recent growing trend. The kingdom stands at the very heart of Elvira, surrounded by plains and a lake. The people live their life in peace, farming the fertile lands all day and enjoying themselves in festivities during the evening.
On the other hand, Lunara has taken upon the mantle of protectors. Moon Elves live in the forests surrounding Elvira’s borders, ever vigilant to potential threats that manage to reach the realm. Dusk Elves who wish to undertake the warrior’s path live among the Moon Elves, but rarer are the Sun Elves in this kingdom.
While the servants of the moon are patrolling the lands and keeping it safe, the Sun Elves offer generous tributes to their nightly brethren to help and show appreciation. One could say that despite their peaceful life, a Sun Elf toiling the land has just as much fervor than a Moon Elf fighting, producing enough food for two families.
Races:
-The Sun Elves:
Peaceful and friendly folk of the land. Sun Elves are exclusively male. Usually tanned to dark skin because they spend most of the days farming outside during daytime. Tradition has it that their name starts with a “Z”, for they are the second-born of the Creator.
-The Moon Elves:
Vigilants and protectors of the realm. Moon Elves are exclusively female. Their skin complexity ranges from pale to light blue, as their waking hours are spent during night time. As the firstborn of their Creator, the Moon Elves have a tradition of adopting names that ends with an “a”.
-The Dusk and Dawn Elves:
Born of the marital bonding between a Sun and a Moon Elf, they can also be referred to as Dawn Elves. Dusk Elves have inherited physical traits more akin to their mother, while Dawn Elves have inherited more of their father’s traits. Both are however stronger than their parents. A recent trend among elves. Shunned for the most part by the elders or begrudgingly accepted in traditionalist elven society, especially for the Moon Elves who are far more religious and traditional than their laid-back Sun siblings. To honor both their parents’ lineage, their names both start with a “Z” and end with an “a”.
Homeland of the elves, it is surrounded by towering mountains and the ocean, creating a natural barrier against the outside world only accessible through the air. To add another layer of protection, giant trees surround the realm at the mountains’ foot and the ocean’s shore. It was told these trees were planted by the oldest of the elves to secure the land from prying eyes. Past the treacherous mountains and the dense forests, true beauty awaits at the center of these lands. Verdant plains and glistening lakes make for most of the realm.
What makes Elvira peculiar is that it is as if the waters around the island were not part of this plane, it is pitch black almost impossible to navigate without a strong source of otherworldly light. From the mountains and into the forests, night is eternal, while the plains are always lit by the sun.
In her quest of power, Annastaria shattered the balance between these ecosystems, bringing the unending night to the plains and moon light to the waters surrounding the island. While travels by water became safer, now all sorts of monsters and undead came out of the woodwork to terrorize the locals, until Annastaria dealt with the unruly pests by adding them to her own personal army.
Civilization:
While humans conceptualize that polar opposites are keen to confront each other, the Elves rather think that opposites are two sides of a coin, forming a whole and bringing balance to the natural order of things. Only by understanding this concept can a society thrive to its fullest. Elvira is populated by two kingdoms: Solaris and Lunara.
The concept of those two kingdoms dates as far back as to the creation of the Elves. A single higher power gave birth to two children, one born of gold and the other born of silver. The Elves are descendants of those children, never mixing with each other but acknowledging they are of the same divine lineage, and thus vow to look after each other even through their differences.
Solaris is the Sun Kingdom, populated mostly by the Sun Elves and a handful of Moon Elves and now counts a few Dusk Elves as a recent growing trend. The kingdom stands at the very heart of Elvira, surrounded by plains and a lake. The people live their life in peace, farming the fertile lands all day and enjoying themselves in festivities during the evening.
On the other hand, Lunara has taken upon the mantle of protectors. Moon Elves live in the forests surrounding Elvira’s borders, ever vigilant to potential threats that manage to reach the realm. Dusk Elves who wish to undertake the warrior’s path live among the Moon Elves, but rarer are the Sun Elves in this kingdom.
While the servants of the moon are patrolling the lands and keeping it safe, the Sun Elves offer generous tributes to their nightly brethren to help and show appreciation. One could say that despite their peaceful life, a Sun Elf toiling the land has just as much fervor than a Moon Elf fighting, producing enough food for two families.
Races:
-The Sun Elves:
Peaceful and friendly folk of the land. Sun Elves are exclusively male. Usually tanned to dark skin because they spend most of the days farming outside during daytime. Tradition has it that their name starts with a “Z”, for they are the second-born of the Creator.
-The Moon Elves:
Vigilants and protectors of the realm. Moon Elves are exclusively female. Their skin complexity ranges from pale to light blue, as their waking hours are spent during night time. As the firstborn of their Creator, the Moon Elves have a tradition of adopting names that ends with an “a”.
-The Dusk and Dawn Elves:
Born of the marital bonding between a Sun and a Moon Elf, they can also be referred to as Dawn Elves. Dusk Elves have inherited physical traits more akin to their mother, while Dawn Elves have inherited more of their father’s traits. Both are however stronger than their parents. A recent trend among elves. Shunned for the most part by the elders or begrudgingly accepted in traditionalist elven society, especially for the Moon Elves who are far more religious and traditional than their laid-back Sun siblings. To honor both their parents’ lineage, their names both start with a “Z” and end with an “a”.
Shard:
Annastaria’s shard is an emerald that reflects the verdant life of Elvira’s core, now corrupted by its wielder’s dark ambitions. As it is the heart of the plane, the Dark Lady channeled her soul magic into the shard to allow her greater ease over converting her homeworld’s denizens into becoming her mindless subjects. The Shard now effectively works as a soul reservoir. It accumulates siphoned souls to be later used to fuel Annastaria’s magic to ungodly levels.
When Annastaria obtained the shard, she gained knowledge of the multiverse outside her own. It was at this moment that she became aware that the ocean around her realm was actually a passageway to the other adjacent planes. Worlds that may have been connected to her own before the shattering.
Powers:
Annastaria is what most called a “Spellbinder” before she became Archon. While she was adept at all forms of arcane magics, she was most proficient and interested in the art of white necromancy, or the study of souls.
Now, she actively raises the dead, drains living beings from their souls and life force to force them into undeath, and infuses dark energies into stronger foes to rob them of their strength and will to fight. In the most extreme cases, when she has to get personal, she is no stranger to calling down the elements to devastate armies and obliterate single opponents.
She is at her most dangerous when surrounded by death, for she claims the souls of the dead and uses them to fuel her magic.
Assets:
-Elvira's forces:
Annastaria commands everything within the realm of Elvira as its sole ruler. Elvira's forces consists of a few hundreds of elite Moon Elves warriors and mages. She also commands the few hundreds of Sun Elves that serve as her main workforce to supply her kingdom. Lastly, though various means, the Dark Lady also has a myriad of creatures at her command, ranging from anything between goblins to dragons.
-Magic:
It is worth noting that while Annastaria has powerful magic of her own, she requires assistance of varying degrees depending on the task she is undertaking. Soul magic is known to be very dangerous both to the wielder as to those subjected to it. Thus, various magic reagents and rituals are needed to be prepared for some colossal spells Annastaria casts, for it can burn the Night Queen's soul in an instant if not properly prepared.
One such example is her infamous tactics of converting whole cities into undead followers in the snap of her fingers (kinda). The ritual takes preparations in the form of digging a circle underneath an area of her choosing and placing unholy artifacts at the seven points of the circle. When darkness falls upon the unwary denizens, the ritual is performed, and all it takes is but a hour for the hapless fools to turn into a horde of the undead.
-Artifacts:
When creating the kingdom of Lunara, the goddess left behind 2 artifacts that serve as the sword and shield of the kingdom. The first is a staff called Sanctuary. The staff grants an immensely powerful barrier surrounding the wielder when used, but nothing can go in or out of the barrier and sight is blocked from both ways, as if the wielder was cut off from existence for a brief moment.
The second artifact is named MoonLight, an indestructible kriegsmesser that weights almost nothing but of legendary sharpness that comes with the power to conjure waves of silver light that slice just as well as the blade itself.
-The Shadow Order:
Lead by Annastaria's most trusted general, Lady Talona, the Shadow Order consists of a dozen of Moon Elves hand-picked by Annastaria and Talona to become the kingdom's most useful asset. The Shadows have proven amongst the best warriors of Elvira trained by her late sister, taught magic by the Queen herself and infused with the ghastly essence of death and darkness to the point they are almost living shadows themselves. Lady Talona is in fact a ghost that the Moon's Shadow brought back from the grave. The Shadow Order is mostly used for covert operations, but have proven to be very dangerous on the battlefield, but only at night. They cannot operate in broad daylight.
Gladius:
Annastaria doesn't see her wing of the Gladius as a place where she would sit and wait while the invasion takes place. As such, this section of the headquarters is fit to be more practical to her main force. The wing is plunged into eternal darkness, only lit by the dim ghastly light of the torches lining the halls. Each room is attributed to the different species of her monstrous forces. The largest room of the wing is aptly named "The Chamber of Bones", for it is where corpses, both living and yet-to-be-animated, rest in wait to be ordered but the Dark Lady. At the far end of the wing lies the council room where Annastaria gathers her generals and plots their invasion.
It it worthy to note that no elf live in the Gladius beside the Shadow Order. The Moon Elves are actually staying behind to protect Elvira during Annastaria's absence. Furthermore, Annastaria's invading forces are purely made of monsters and the undead hordes.
Annastaria’s shard is an emerald that reflects the verdant life of Elvira’s core, now corrupted by its wielder’s dark ambitions. As it is the heart of the plane, the Dark Lady channeled her soul magic into the shard to allow her greater ease over converting her homeworld’s denizens into becoming her mindless subjects. The Shard now effectively works as a soul reservoir. It accumulates siphoned souls to be later used to fuel Annastaria’s magic to ungodly levels.
When Annastaria obtained the shard, she gained knowledge of the multiverse outside her own. It was at this moment that she became aware that the ocean around her realm was actually a passageway to the other adjacent planes. Worlds that may have been connected to her own before the shattering.
Powers:
Annastaria is what most called a “Spellbinder” before she became Archon. While she was adept at all forms of arcane magics, she was most proficient and interested in the art of white necromancy, or the study of souls.
Now, she actively raises the dead, drains living beings from their souls and life force to force them into undeath, and infuses dark energies into stronger foes to rob them of their strength and will to fight. In the most extreme cases, when she has to get personal, she is no stranger to calling down the elements to devastate armies and obliterate single opponents.
She is at her most dangerous when surrounded by death, for she claims the souls of the dead and uses them to fuel her magic.
Assets:
-Elvira's forces:
Annastaria commands everything within the realm of Elvira as its sole ruler. Elvira's forces consists of a few hundreds of elite Moon Elves warriors and mages. She also commands the few hundreds of Sun Elves that serve as her main workforce to supply her kingdom. Lastly, though various means, the Dark Lady also has a myriad of creatures at her command, ranging from anything between goblins to dragons.
-Magic:
It is worth noting that while Annastaria has powerful magic of her own, she requires assistance of varying degrees depending on the task she is undertaking. Soul magic is known to be very dangerous both to the wielder as to those subjected to it. Thus, various magic reagents and rituals are needed to be prepared for some colossal spells Annastaria casts, for it can burn the Night Queen's soul in an instant if not properly prepared.
One such example is her infamous tactics of converting whole cities into undead followers in the snap of her fingers (kinda). The ritual takes preparations in the form of digging a circle underneath an area of her choosing and placing unholy artifacts at the seven points of the circle. When darkness falls upon the unwary denizens, the ritual is performed, and all it takes is but a hour for the hapless fools to turn into a horde of the undead.
-Artifacts:
When creating the kingdom of Lunara, the goddess left behind 2 artifacts that serve as the sword and shield of the kingdom. The first is a staff called Sanctuary. The staff grants an immensely powerful barrier surrounding the wielder when used, but nothing can go in or out of the barrier and sight is blocked from both ways, as if the wielder was cut off from existence for a brief moment.
The second artifact is named MoonLight, an indestructible kriegsmesser that weights almost nothing but of legendary sharpness that comes with the power to conjure waves of silver light that slice just as well as the blade itself.
-The Shadow Order:
Lead by Annastaria's most trusted general, Lady Talona, the Shadow Order consists of a dozen of Moon Elves hand-picked by Annastaria and Talona to become the kingdom's most useful asset. The Shadows have proven amongst the best warriors of Elvira trained by her late sister, taught magic by the Queen herself and infused with the ghastly essence of death and darkness to the point they are almost living shadows themselves. Lady Talona is in fact a ghost that the Moon's Shadow brought back from the grave. The Shadow Order is mostly used for covert operations, but have proven to be very dangerous on the battlefield, but only at night. They cannot operate in broad daylight.
Gladius:
Annastaria doesn't see her wing of the Gladius as a place where she would sit and wait while the invasion takes place. As such, this section of the headquarters is fit to be more practical to her main force. The wing is plunged into eternal darkness, only lit by the dim ghastly light of the torches lining the halls. Each room is attributed to the different species of her monstrous forces. The largest room of the wing is aptly named "The Chamber of Bones", for it is where corpses, both living and yet-to-be-animated, rest in wait to be ordered but the Dark Lady. At the far end of the wing lies the council room where Annastaria gathers her generals and plots their invasion.
It it worthy to note that no elf live in the Gladius beside the Shadow Order. The Moon Elves are actually staying behind to protect Elvira during Annastaria's absence. Furthermore, Annastaria's invading forces are purely made of monsters and the undead hordes.
Theme:
Goddess of Death
Familiar:
Annastaria has a familiar winged snake named “Laghoss”. It was a monster orphan when she found its egg next to its dead parent. It was actually from raising the monster that she had developed ideas about unifying the various races of monsters with elven-kin. The little guy is loyal as a loving son to its mother. It often serves as Annastaria’s eyes and ears.
Goddess of Death
Familiar:
Annastaria has a familiar winged snake named “Laghoss”. It was a monster orphan when she found its egg next to its dead parent. It was actually from raising the monster that she had developed ideas about unifying the various races of monsters with elven-kin. The little guy is loyal as a loving son to its mother. It often serves as Annastaria’s eyes and ears.
6slyboy6 The More Awesomest Potato
Member
Seen
1 mo ago
Here be Edlritch Horrors
I made an update to both the image (now replaced with 100% ethically sourced human art), and the description to better represent the "final" iteration of the character.
Few know the age of a being like He Who Dreams, one who themselves has forgotten how many eternities they have spent conjuring up madness. Time flows differently in Noctur, one altogether controlled by the whim of He Who Dreams. It can be centuries, a millennia, or the cold embeace of eternity.
The place that He Who Dreams calls home is one of frigid void, an all-encompassing darkness that embraces the little pockets of sanity that this otherwise maddening plane would grind up in mere moments. Flung so far from the caring light of Creation when the it shattered, Noctur was left to fend for it's own, it's reality so twisted and warp from the cataclysmic event that all those who inhabited it were warped by it's unforgiving nature. A dark desert of rocks and dunes, entirely void of light, save for the flickering embers of the Shard of Chaos that embed itself into the plane like a splinter, infecting it with it's maddening powers.
Every inhabitant of Noctur once clung to Shard, maddened and twisted by it's powers as they fought over possession of the artefact. Now nothing remains, but the echoing laughter of He Who Dreams and the warped reality that he has created over an eternity. He shapes it's reality, twisting and morphing it into his own vision, and to those who are rewarded with a trip to Noctur will forever perceive a world of tormented homonculi. This, of course, doesn't stop the mad god of Noctur from conjuring a new, tormented vision of reality every time he gets bored of the last one, and populate it with those he deems worthy of experiencing his new, perfect domain.
He Who Dreams is a being as silent as his madness is deafening. Communicating telepathically with ushered words that sound as deafening screams, his true form and nature are as twisted as the mind it holds, and merely perceiving his otherworldly shape, altered by eons of fever dreams, are sufficient to drive most people mad with visions. Appearing as a hooded figure of innumerable appendages to most, he has taken many forms in the eyes of many who he gifted with his blessings.
Never present in the "moment", all his time is spent conjuring up a world of his own desires, He Who Dreams lives in a world entirely disconnected from the reality that others see, however he is more than happy on bringing everyone else into the fold of his mad dream: whether or not they want it. He often conjures up twisted visions and inflicts torment on all those he wishes to bestow his gifts of a perfect world upon, a reflection of the contorted mind that moves the strings.
Once he did, he quickly became more and more twisted by the power, his already corrupted plane soon turning into a nightmare of his own creation. Though the Shard wasn't lying, it did not tell the truth to He Who Dreams, his powers to create whatever he wished for only a mere illusion. Yet the twisting power of Chaos corrupted all those who succumbed to the dreams and visions, and over the centuries they became the very things that He Who Dreams perceived them as. Living countless lifetimes and realities through twisted visions, He Who Dreams has lost sight of reality, now entirely beholden to the powers of the Shard, and the nightmares that torment him are merely the rare moments of clarity when the power of Chaos vanes, and he is forced to see the imperfect manifestations of his dream.
Now all that he craves is to rid himself of these "visions", and make sure that everyone else is brought into the folds of his perfect existence, however strange and twisted it might be, and ruled by whatever malevolent wishes it's "god" has for the denizens.
The Shard of Noctur has no names or one shape. It is as elusive and twisted as the power it grants, and it can only be perceived as a Shard by those granted permission by it's holder, or those the Shard wishes to infect with it's powers. Over eons, the shard has merged with the body of He Who Dreams, shaping him into it's own vision, much like he shapes minds and the very fabric of reality around himself.
He Who Dreams has a very special set of powers bestowed upon him by the Shard. He can control the way others perceive the world around themselves. Visions or illusions begin to appear in the eyes of mortals as He Who Dreams nears, the world seemingly slowly shifting around them. Once under the spell of He Who Dreams, much more vivid hallucinations and feelings can manifest themselves in the minds of the afflicted. They will fear fires and blood that do not yet exist, they will run from the monsters that do not yet inhabit their realm, and they will fall to the floor in pain upon perceived death that did not yet occur.
The longer the effects of He Who Dreams are allowed to linger and corrupt the minds of those around him, the more his visions will began to manifest into reality, warping space and time around himself. Though never perfect, these manifestations of his dream will over time slowly become more and more like the visions he gifts upon the hapless, until it will become impossible for all but the strongest to distinguish reality from vision, by which point it is usually too late for them to resist.
The power of He Who Dreams is limited only by his twisted imagination, and the willpower of those he wishes to gift with his twisted dreams, though few have proven a match for his dark desires over the many millennia.
I made an update to both the image (now replaced with 100% ethically sourced human art), and the description to better represent the "final" iteration of the character.
He Who Dreams
AGE:
Few know the age of a being like He Who Dreams, one who themselves has forgotten how many eternities they have spent conjuring up madness. Time flows differently in Noctur, one altogether controlled by the whim of He Who Dreams. It can be centuries, a millennia, or the cold embeace of eternity.
NOCTUR:
The place that He Who Dreams calls home is one of frigid void, an all-encompassing darkness that embraces the little pockets of sanity that this otherwise maddening plane would grind up in mere moments. Flung so far from the caring light of Creation when the it shattered, Noctur was left to fend for it's own, it's reality so twisted and warp from the cataclysmic event that all those who inhabited it were warped by it's unforgiving nature. A dark desert of rocks and dunes, entirely void of light, save for the flickering embers of the Shard of Chaos that embed itself into the plane like a splinter, infecting it with it's maddening powers.
Every inhabitant of Noctur once clung to Shard, maddened and twisted by it's powers as they fought over possession of the artefact. Now nothing remains, but the echoing laughter of He Who Dreams and the warped reality that he has created over an eternity. He shapes it's reality, twisting and morphing it into his own vision, and to those who are rewarded with a trip to Noctur will forever perceive a world of tormented homonculi. This, of course, doesn't stop the mad god of Noctur from conjuring a new, tormented vision of reality every time he gets bored of the last one, and populate it with those he deems worthy of experiencing his new, perfect domain.
DESCRIPTION:
He Who Dreams is a being as silent as his madness is deafening. Communicating telepathically with ushered words that sound as deafening screams, his true form and nature are as twisted as the mind it holds, and merely perceiving his otherworldly shape, altered by eons of fever dreams, are sufficient to drive most people mad with visions. Appearing as a hooded figure of innumerable appendages to most, he has taken many forms in the eyes of many who he gifted with his blessings.
Never present in the "moment", all his time is spent conjuring up a world of his own desires, He Who Dreams lives in a world entirely disconnected from the reality that others see, however he is more than happy on bringing everyone else into the fold of his mad dream: whether or not they want it. He often conjures up twisted visions and inflicts torment on all those he wishes to bestow his gifts of a perfect world upon, a reflection of the contorted mind that moves the strings.
BACKSTORY:
In the distant past he was but one of the maddened and malformed denizens of Nocturne who wished to take possession of the Shard. Infected by it's powers, he succumbed to the sweet whispers of power and peace, the ability to shape reality as he willed it.Once he did, he quickly became more and more twisted by the power, his already corrupted plane soon turning into a nightmare of his own creation. Though the Shard wasn't lying, it did not tell the truth to He Who Dreams, his powers to create whatever he wished for only a mere illusion. Yet the twisting power of Chaos corrupted all those who succumbed to the dreams and visions, and over the centuries they became the very things that He Who Dreams perceived them as. Living countless lifetimes and realities through twisted visions, He Who Dreams has lost sight of reality, now entirely beholden to the powers of the Shard, and the nightmares that torment him are merely the rare moments of clarity when the power of Chaos vanes, and he is forced to see the imperfect manifestations of his dream.
Now all that he craves is to rid himself of these "visions", and make sure that everyone else is brought into the folds of his perfect existence, however strange and twisted it might be, and ruled by whatever malevolent wishes it's "god" has for the denizens.
SHARD OF NOCTUR:
The Shard of Noctur has no names or one shape. It is as elusive and twisted as the power it grants, and it can only be perceived as a Shard by those granted permission by it's holder, or those the Shard wishes to infect with it's powers. Over eons, the shard has merged with the body of He Who Dreams, shaping him into it's own vision, much like he shapes minds and the very fabric of reality around himself.
POWERS:
He Who Dreams has a very special set of powers bestowed upon him by the Shard. He can control the way others perceive the world around themselves. Visions or illusions begin to appear in the eyes of mortals as He Who Dreams nears, the world seemingly slowly shifting around them. Once under the spell of He Who Dreams, much more vivid hallucinations and feelings can manifest themselves in the minds of the afflicted. They will fear fires and blood that do not yet exist, they will run from the monsters that do not yet inhabit their realm, and they will fall to the floor in pain upon perceived death that did not yet occur.
The longer the effects of He Who Dreams are allowed to linger and corrupt the minds of those around him, the more his visions will began to manifest into reality, warping space and time around himself. Though never perfect, these manifestations of his dream will over time slowly become more and more like the visions he gifts upon the hapless, until it will become impossible for all but the strongest to distinguish reality from vision, by which point it is usually too late for them to resist.
The power of He Who Dreams is limited only by his twisted imagination, and the willpower of those he wishes to gift with his twisted dreams, though few have proven a match for his dark desires over the many millennia.
Name: Piety
Epithets: Saint of Vvardgard, World Redeemer, First Penitent, Slayer of Reckoning.
Age: 28 biologically, 389 chronologically.
Home-Plane: As far as the scions of chaos go, this world changed very little as Piety took it over. It started as a classic and diverse terrestrial planet, and it remained a classic and diverse terrestrial planet, with significantly more humidity and marshlands in question. This allowed the planet-wide cultivation of rice and widespread diseases whipping the populace into repentant fervor, and strengthening their resistance to the diseases. The labor-intensive process of rice cultivation is an impulse for paternalistic and totalitarian culture. In contrast, common diseases render the populace highly immune to pathogens, and likely to come out on top of any equivalent of Columbian Exchange. Indeed, pain is power, regret is fuel, and hell is full: The last thing you want is its denizens breaking loose. With the planet's core being cold, hell supplies the heat necessary for life in its stead.
Description: Piety once swore to mask her face, and wear very little clothing until forgiveness was granted. Once it was, she got some clothes: Saintly robes jam-packed with symbols of her faith and red seals. But she never bothered taking off her headwear, covering all her face. She can see through magic much better anyways. If she showed her face, it'd be a perfectly average, slim face with a small chin and large pointy ears.
Her story rendered her a hard-boiled, stoic beyond imagination: She never displays emotions like anger or wrath. Deeds, not words, express her wroth: Assuming she even feels emotions anymore. Those who know her, say she doesn't, and that she approaches everything in rational terms... at least as far as truly brutal justice is concerned. She has an utterly cynical view of people, especially those beyond her control: What a man can do is what a man will do unless he takes penance like she once has that is...
Backstory: Piety's real name is lost to time. She rose to prominence when the Reckoning happened: Her racial supremacist elven civilization of elves, have neglected the worship of their Creator: Atheism and extreme debauchery, alongside brutal exploitation of slaves of other races, ran rampant. The Reckoning involved turning the slave races into rabid monsters empowered by baleful energies, turning on their masters, and snuffing out their civilization. When most elves fought each other, a few begged the Creator for forgiveness and sought penance: Piety most prominent among them. Tired of her people bickering and enslaving each other to cope with the loss of lesser races, she oversaw not only war on the Reckoning, but brutal subjugation of Elves into what was best described as her cult: An insane posse of penitents turned a cult, turned a nation just as cruel as these elves ever were, but no longer decadent. Piety claimed to hear voice of the Creator: First commanding her to take charge, then telling her the monsters of the Reckoning were concatenating, and that her final trial for forgiveness of the Elves was to obtain a Shard of Chaos that He left for her, and use it to destroy the Reckoning. Long story short, she did just that. The Creator, however, changed his mind. Those beyond Piety's control were sinking further into cruel decadence. So, releasing Piety from her oaths, He admonished her race, claiming that without iron-fisted control, they'd fall for decadence again, and commanded Piety to ensure they never would. With the baleful powers of Chaos, she bent the very magical system of her world to her will, and established a divine empire, whipped by guilt over the sins of an entire race: with Piety as its deity, as the Creator would leave them forever, which had a profound impact on Piety herself, who hoped for redemption the most. All that was left is to do as she was told: Make others repent for their rotten natures, until the Creator, whoever He really is, finally meets her again. By then, she's set to be her peer, not her servant. For she remembers why exactly her people grew decadent. His presence faded. She will not make the same mistake.
Shard: It's one of many seals adorning Piety's clothes... only this one is fused with Piety's left collarbone. The seals, essentially rosettes with incantations tacked on, represent major penances committed by individuals wearing them. The seal will be left in a chest or at home if penance is ordinary. If it is major, you may wear it. If it is extraordinary, you may fuse it with any of your bones: The most painful and prestigious acknowledgment. Piety's rosette attunes her power to Chaos, allowing her to seamlessly convert it to her world's native magic and vice versa, granting her substantial reserves of magical energy.
Powers: Piety is essentially a god, all-knowing and practically all-powerful in the home realm. Outside, she can call upon Chaos to evoke versatile energies, manipulating gravity, air, fire, lightning, and water. But her greatest weapon is her holy energies. They can be summoned directly from her realm, and be impressive, but their greatest power is when they're empowered by prayer. That energy can be used to smash anything undead or demonic or be seamlessly converted into thermal or physical energy. Who wants a faith-powered steam engine? Even stranded in a fully faithless realm, Piety boasts superhuman strength and endurance, as well as inner instinct of how magic works.
Assets:
Soldiers: Every soldier of Piety is a dark-skinned Elf who's been forged in a warm embrace of guilt, painful penance, and magics fuelled by them, elevating their mind and body, making them nearly invulnerable to pain, temptation, and suppression. Their survival instincts work, and their strength grows as they take damage. They can be trained with various melee and ranged weapons from most eras. Indeed, Piety suited her military to be adaptable to any plane it operates on. It is also adept in construction and engineering, capable of slowly erecting means of making sophisticated war supplies.
The cultists: Those within the invaded plane who accept Piety's teachings are divided by fighters: Irregulars who fight fervently and assist the professional forces and civilians, who contribute prayer to fuel the magical powers of Piety's cult and labor.
The Reckoning lives on: A shattered and crippled magical force, entirely subdued to Piety's will. She can use it to transform and subjugate almost any lifeform, sentient or otherwise. Dogs become baleful war hounds; lizards become flying drakes, and humans become rabid zombies. It's crucial to subverting and utilizing the local environment against the targets. Piety's biggest magical boon is her ability to convert magical energies generated from worship and pain into any energy in existence. Such magics can be stored in rosettes, seals, and other objects, and made to activate on a simple condition, usually to shield the wielder from harm.
Order of Ceased Memory: Dedicated to every act of forgiveness ever committed by Piety, The Order harbors exceptional individuals capable of retaining their cognition in the face of Piety's transformative magics and the Reckoning energies. They harness various magics and corruptive powers to strengthen themselves and cripple the enemy's bodies, hearts, and minds. Wearing huge coned helmets, thorned crowns, and masks, they are Piety's special forces. Their bodies are enlarged, monstrously agile, strong as chimpanzees, and quite literally know no fear.
Inquisition: The witch-hunters, once mere secret police enforcing Piety's dogma upon her priesthood and people, takes on an added purpose within invaded realms as paranormal investigators, meant to research magical and supernatural powers, and bend them to Piety's will, or purge them if no other solution is there. Their agents are versatile experts on all things magical.
The Noosphere: An all-consuming network within Piety's home plane, which holds complete power over everyone's mind, it allows Piety to transmit information (or influences like guilt, shame, fear, joy, and motivation) directly into anyone in her plane. Some time ago, Piety realized she could also transmit pure information with it, and fish out ideas of the wandering minds among her people. Such a direct way of communicating discoveries has ensured a breakneck speed in technological advancement.
The Noosphere can be erected in any plane Piety holds influence over with significant effort. Its influence would then be far from universal (scaled to the fervor of her followers and their quantity, it'd persist on prayers), and be only capable of rudimentary emotion transfer and most straightforward concepts, at least initially. It is at its best as a means of spreading Piety's faith, in which she's the central deity, dispensing judgement and absolution.
Artifacts: As already mentioned, Piety and her people are well-versed in creating magical artifacts, always in form of religiously-relevant jewelry. They can be wards, databanks (as seen with Sith Holocrons) and curse-based traps.
Gladius:
A good-looking Spanish-style cathedral on the outside, Piety's gladius is a single building, internally multi-storied, good enough to host a cohort of soldiers and civilian experts. There, Piety hosts her rosaries and seals that allow her for doing command and control over distant planes, as well as choirs of faithful to power them, but her throne in front of the cathedral's altar in its majestic end is usually empty: Piety prefers to lead from the front.
Theme: The ambience of Piety's realm. Also serves as her calm theme: https://youtu.be/26RHtrCXiSw
You know how in total war music changes when your units move for first time? This is her theme for that https://youtu.be/8UaQ251kgEM
https://youtu.be/V8kdtxPvCCE And so we depart from Blasphemous OST. Full scale engagement with Piety's forces is every bit as vicious as the worst world wars.
Misc: She managed to weave the faithful thoughts into the noosphere of her realm, and with unstable and hard work, she can either invade the existing thought networks with them or create her own, in other realms.
Epithets: Saint of Vvardgard, World Redeemer, First Penitent, Slayer of Reckoning.
Age: 28 biologically, 389 chronologically.
Home-Plane: As far as the scions of chaos go, this world changed very little as Piety took it over. It started as a classic and diverse terrestrial planet, and it remained a classic and diverse terrestrial planet, with significantly more humidity and marshlands in question. This allowed the planet-wide cultivation of rice and widespread diseases whipping the populace into repentant fervor, and strengthening their resistance to the diseases. The labor-intensive process of rice cultivation is an impulse for paternalistic and totalitarian culture. In contrast, common diseases render the populace highly immune to pathogens, and likely to come out on top of any equivalent of Columbian Exchange. Indeed, pain is power, regret is fuel, and hell is full: The last thing you want is its denizens breaking loose. With the planet's core being cold, hell supplies the heat necessary for life in its stead.
Description: Piety once swore to mask her face, and wear very little clothing until forgiveness was granted. Once it was, she got some clothes: Saintly robes jam-packed with symbols of her faith and red seals. But she never bothered taking off her headwear, covering all her face. She can see through magic much better anyways. If she showed her face, it'd be a perfectly average, slim face with a small chin and large pointy ears.
Her story rendered her a hard-boiled, stoic beyond imagination: She never displays emotions like anger or wrath. Deeds, not words, express her wroth: Assuming she even feels emotions anymore. Those who know her, say she doesn't, and that she approaches everything in rational terms... at least as far as truly brutal justice is concerned. She has an utterly cynical view of people, especially those beyond her control: What a man can do is what a man will do unless he takes penance like she once has that is...
Backstory: Piety's real name is lost to time. She rose to prominence when the Reckoning happened: Her racial supremacist elven civilization of elves, have neglected the worship of their Creator: Atheism and extreme debauchery, alongside brutal exploitation of slaves of other races, ran rampant. The Reckoning involved turning the slave races into rabid monsters empowered by baleful energies, turning on their masters, and snuffing out their civilization. When most elves fought each other, a few begged the Creator for forgiveness and sought penance: Piety most prominent among them. Tired of her people bickering and enslaving each other to cope with the loss of lesser races, she oversaw not only war on the Reckoning, but brutal subjugation of Elves into what was best described as her cult: An insane posse of penitents turned a cult, turned a nation just as cruel as these elves ever were, but no longer decadent. Piety claimed to hear voice of the Creator: First commanding her to take charge, then telling her the monsters of the Reckoning were concatenating, and that her final trial for forgiveness of the Elves was to obtain a Shard of Chaos that He left for her, and use it to destroy the Reckoning. Long story short, she did just that. The Creator, however, changed his mind. Those beyond Piety's control were sinking further into cruel decadence. So, releasing Piety from her oaths, He admonished her race, claiming that without iron-fisted control, they'd fall for decadence again, and commanded Piety to ensure they never would. With the baleful powers of Chaos, she bent the very magical system of her world to her will, and established a divine empire, whipped by guilt over the sins of an entire race: with Piety as its deity, as the Creator would leave them forever, which had a profound impact on Piety herself, who hoped for redemption the most. All that was left is to do as she was told: Make others repent for their rotten natures, until the Creator, whoever He really is, finally meets her again. By then, she's set to be her peer, not her servant. For she remembers why exactly her people grew decadent. His presence faded. She will not make the same mistake.
Shard: It's one of many seals adorning Piety's clothes... only this one is fused with Piety's left collarbone. The seals, essentially rosettes with incantations tacked on, represent major penances committed by individuals wearing them. The seal will be left in a chest or at home if penance is ordinary. If it is major, you may wear it. If it is extraordinary, you may fuse it with any of your bones: The most painful and prestigious acknowledgment. Piety's rosette attunes her power to Chaos, allowing her to seamlessly convert it to her world's native magic and vice versa, granting her substantial reserves of magical energy.
Powers: Piety is essentially a god, all-knowing and practically all-powerful in the home realm. Outside, she can call upon Chaos to evoke versatile energies, manipulating gravity, air, fire, lightning, and water. But her greatest weapon is her holy energies. They can be summoned directly from her realm, and be impressive, but their greatest power is when they're empowered by prayer. That energy can be used to smash anything undead or demonic or be seamlessly converted into thermal or physical energy. Who wants a faith-powered steam engine? Even stranded in a fully faithless realm, Piety boasts superhuman strength and endurance, as well as inner instinct of how magic works.
Assets:
Soldiers: Every soldier of Piety is a dark-skinned Elf who's been forged in a warm embrace of guilt, painful penance, and magics fuelled by them, elevating their mind and body, making them nearly invulnerable to pain, temptation, and suppression. Their survival instincts work, and their strength grows as they take damage. They can be trained with various melee and ranged weapons from most eras. Indeed, Piety suited her military to be adaptable to any plane it operates on. It is also adept in construction and engineering, capable of slowly erecting means of making sophisticated war supplies.
The cultists: Those within the invaded plane who accept Piety's teachings are divided by fighters: Irregulars who fight fervently and assist the professional forces and civilians, who contribute prayer to fuel the magical powers of Piety's cult and labor.
The Reckoning lives on: A shattered and crippled magical force, entirely subdued to Piety's will. She can use it to transform and subjugate almost any lifeform, sentient or otherwise. Dogs become baleful war hounds; lizards become flying drakes, and humans become rabid zombies. It's crucial to subverting and utilizing the local environment against the targets. Piety's biggest magical boon is her ability to convert magical energies generated from worship and pain into any energy in existence. Such magics can be stored in rosettes, seals, and other objects, and made to activate on a simple condition, usually to shield the wielder from harm.
Order of Ceased Memory: Dedicated to every act of forgiveness ever committed by Piety, The Order harbors exceptional individuals capable of retaining their cognition in the face of Piety's transformative magics and the Reckoning energies. They harness various magics and corruptive powers to strengthen themselves and cripple the enemy's bodies, hearts, and minds. Wearing huge coned helmets, thorned crowns, and masks, they are Piety's special forces. Their bodies are enlarged, monstrously agile, strong as chimpanzees, and quite literally know no fear.
Inquisition: The witch-hunters, once mere secret police enforcing Piety's dogma upon her priesthood and people, takes on an added purpose within invaded realms as paranormal investigators, meant to research magical and supernatural powers, and bend them to Piety's will, or purge them if no other solution is there. Their agents are versatile experts on all things magical.
The Noosphere: An all-consuming network within Piety's home plane, which holds complete power over everyone's mind, it allows Piety to transmit information (or influences like guilt, shame, fear, joy, and motivation) directly into anyone in her plane. Some time ago, Piety realized she could also transmit pure information with it, and fish out ideas of the wandering minds among her people. Such a direct way of communicating discoveries has ensured a breakneck speed in technological advancement.
The Noosphere can be erected in any plane Piety holds influence over with significant effort. Its influence would then be far from universal (scaled to the fervor of her followers and their quantity, it'd persist on prayers), and be only capable of rudimentary emotion transfer and most straightforward concepts, at least initially. It is at its best as a means of spreading Piety's faith, in which she's the central deity, dispensing judgement and absolution.
Artifacts: As already mentioned, Piety and her people are well-versed in creating magical artifacts, always in form of religiously-relevant jewelry. They can be wards, databanks (as seen with Sith Holocrons) and curse-based traps.
Gladius:
A good-looking Spanish-style cathedral on the outside, Piety's gladius is a single building, internally multi-storied, good enough to host a cohort of soldiers and civilian experts. There, Piety hosts her rosaries and seals that allow her for doing command and control over distant planes, as well as choirs of faithful to power them, but her throne in front of the cathedral's altar in its majestic end is usually empty: Piety prefers to lead from the front.
Theme: The ambience of Piety's realm. Also serves as her calm theme: https://youtu.be/26RHtrCXiSw
You know how in total war music changes when your units move for first time? This is her theme for that https://youtu.be/8UaQ251kgEM
https://youtu.be/V8kdtxPvCCE And so we depart from Blasphemous OST. Full scale engagement with Piety's forces is every bit as vicious as the worst world wars.
Misc: She managed to weave the faithful thoughts into the noosphere of her realm, and with unstable and hard work, she can either invade the existing thought networks with them or create her own, in other realms.
Stern Algorithm Loquacious Aggression
Member
Seen
3 hrs ago
Hi, came into this a bit late, but I'd like to join if you'll have me. I don't have a CS written up yet, but my current idea is that my character comes from a magically-technological world (think steampunk magical girls).
He is a ball-jointed doll automaton given life, so kind of an evil Pinocchio/cursed doll on a rampage. His creator actually finds the shard first, but unwittingly uses it as the doll's power source, giving the doll the ability to consume his plane's particular brand of magic and technology, and continue to add more and more parts to his body to feed the emptiness he feels from his negligent creator, until he's turned his entire world into a factory to keep making replacement parts for himself. He would see Chaos as his true creator and 'Father', and the other archons as his true 'siblings'. He would be cute, precocious, and sociopathic.
He is a ball-jointed doll automaton given life, so kind of an evil Pinocchio/cursed doll on a rampage. His creator actually finds the shard first, but unwittingly uses it as the doll's power source, giving the doll the ability to consume his plane's particular brand of magic and technology, and continue to add more and more parts to his body to feed the emptiness he feels from his negligent creator, until he's turned his entire world into a factory to keep making replacement parts for himself. He would see Chaos as his true creator and 'Father', and the other archons as his true 'siblings'. He would be cute, precocious, and sociopathic.
Archangel89 NEZUKO-CHANNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!
Member
Seen
2 mos ago
@Dead Cruiser sorry for the lack of activity, Ive been pretty busy lately. I do have some of my sheet done but its just getting the gritty details as it were put together.
Stern Algorithm Loquacious Aggression
Member
Seen
3 hrs ago
Name: Salem Vicarious
Epithets: The Lord of Lost Things, Teracore's Magnum Opus
Age: 555 years old
Teracore:
In this plane, there is only one planet of note, Teracore, a magitech fantasy land governed by two fundamental forces, ether and codex. Ether is liquid magic, liquid energy, it can be distilled from light or extracted from any source of energy, including organic, and is often made from seed oils or mineral gases. Ether releases physical force when activated, and is used to power all sorts of punk-tech marvels in the world of Teracore. Ether can also be vaporized, and becomes an extension of the wielder's will, allowing telekinesis and manipulation of other physical forces and fundamental energies. Codex is the ability for a human to mentally and magically control a certain volume of ether. Codex has two parameters, capacity and complexity. A powerful machine would have a large ether chamber, requiring much high-capacity codex to control; conversely, a complicated machine would have many small ether chambers, and require high-complexity codex to control.
On Teracore, with the help of individuals with inherently high codex coefficients, humanity advanced rapidly in the field of technology, creating airships, skyscrapers, mecha, and other magnificently magical marvels of engineering. Of course, such power in the hands of so many inevitably led to violence, and a squad of peacekeepers were formed; mostly young girls with tremendously high codex aptitudes, who could control the most intricate and most powerful machines and wield the strongest spells. Under their watchful gaze, Teracore flourished, for a time...
After Salem was done with it though, the entire planet has been optimized into a factory world of forges and furnaces, extracting ether wherever it can be found and producing an endless stream of minions and parts for his enjoyment.
On Teracore, with the help of individuals with inherently high codex coefficients, humanity advanced rapidly in the field of technology, creating airships, skyscrapers, mecha, and other magnificently magical marvels of engineering. Of course, such power in the hands of so many inevitably led to violence, and a squad of peacekeepers were formed; mostly young girls with tremendously high codex aptitudes, who could control the most intricate and most powerful machines and wield the strongest spells. Under their watchful gaze, Teracore flourished, for a time...
After Salem was done with it though, the entire planet has been optimized into a factory world of forges and furnaces, extracting ether wherever it can be found and producing an endless stream of minions and parts for his enjoyment.
Description:
In his native form, Salem is an automaton, a ball-jointed doll in the shape of a small child. He dresses in Victorian/Gothic-esque dollwear and gives off a 'pretty and cute' demeanor. As something created initially in the form of a children's toy, Salem is vain and cares a great deal about his appearance and how he's perceived by others, and if he cannot make you love him, then he will make you fear him. This stems from a sense of abandonment he felt when his creator turned a new leaf and stopped producing evil toys, leaving Salem with a fragile mentality and a sadistic streak. His domination of Teracore was essentially one prolonged tantrum.
Backstory:
Salem's creator was one of Teracore's premier villains, and nemesis of the Peacekeepers. A disgruntled researcher who used his knowledge to create weapons in the form of toys, the Toymaker's primary advantage was that he had found Teracore's Shard, the Omnicodex, an artifact of infinite codex and infinite ether, allowing him to control weapons and devices of impossibly intricate design.
Throughout his entire arc of villainy, the Toymaker worked on Salem, teaching the budding sentient thing all his grudges and dreams of world domination. But fight after fight, defeat after defeat, the Toymaker began to doubt himself, until one day, through the power of 'love and friendship', the Peacekeepers convinced the Toymaker to abandon his villainous ways; yet Salem waited in the Toy Factory with what remained of the Toymaker's other creations. Salem was to be the Toymaker's Magnum Opus, his final weapon, but he needed to be powered by the Omnicodex, which lingered in the factory, just out of reach. Unable to move without it, all Salem could do was talk, and talk he did, trying over and over again to get one of the Toymaker's other, significantly dumber, creations to bring the Omnicodex to him so that he could no longer be paralyzed. Mind-numbing decades later, it finally happened, one of the other puppets brought Salem the Omnicodex and he broke free from the Factory, ready to exact his purpose upon the idyllic world of the Peacekeepers.
At first, he sought out his creator, believing that he had been captured. But when he tore through Teracore's capital city and found the Toymaker, all he saw was a placid old man who had found peace, and who pleaded with Salem to stop his rampage. Abandoned, disillusioned, and filled with rage, Salem snapped, and the Omnicodex 'spoke' to him, showing him a great vision and a renewed purpose, not confined by the weakness and limits of his creator, one that would elevate him above just a toy, just a creation. Salem did not stop until he had subjugated the entire planet and forced its population to provide him with an endless supply of ether, machine parts, and automaton minions. He had become the creator now, the watchmaker, the world ticked by according to his design. His first task complete, the plane of Teracore was 'invited back' into the fold of Chaos, where Salem hoped to meet his 'true' creator and his 'true' siblings.
Throughout his entire arc of villainy, the Toymaker worked on Salem, teaching the budding sentient thing all his grudges and dreams of world domination. But fight after fight, defeat after defeat, the Toymaker began to doubt himself, until one day, through the power of 'love and friendship', the Peacekeepers convinced the Toymaker to abandon his villainous ways; yet Salem waited in the Toy Factory with what remained of the Toymaker's other creations. Salem was to be the Toymaker's Magnum Opus, his final weapon, but he needed to be powered by the Omnicodex, which lingered in the factory, just out of reach. Unable to move without it, all Salem could do was talk, and talk he did, trying over and over again to get one of the Toymaker's other, significantly dumber, creations to bring the Omnicodex to him so that he could no longer be paralyzed. Mind-numbing decades later, it finally happened, one of the other puppets brought Salem the Omnicodex and he broke free from the Factory, ready to exact his purpose upon the idyllic world of the Peacekeepers.
At first, he sought out his creator, believing that he had been captured. But when he tore through Teracore's capital city and found the Toymaker, all he saw was a placid old man who had found peace, and who pleaded with Salem to stop his rampage. Abandoned, disillusioned, and filled with rage, Salem snapped, and the Omnicodex 'spoke' to him, showing him a great vision and a renewed purpose, not confined by the weakness and limits of his creator, one that would elevate him above just a toy, just a creation. Salem did not stop until he had subjugated the entire planet and forced its population to provide him with an endless supply of ether, machine parts, and automaton minions. He had become the creator now, the watchmaker, the world ticked by according to his design. His first task complete, the plane of Teracore was 'invited back' into the fold of Chaos, where Salem hoped to meet his 'true' creator and his 'true' siblings.
The Omnicodex:
Teracore's Shard of Chaos takes on the form of an intricate mechanical bauble, reflecting the technomagical nature of its native plane. A red glow emanates through the seams and filigrees of the Omnicodex. On Teracore, everything is finite, and there are laws of conservation in place concerning mass and energy that also apply to codex and ether. As a Shard of Chaos, the Omnicodex violates Teracore's ruling principles, and is a device of infinite codex and infinite ether. It's codex coefficient is so great, in fact, that it can be used to simulate sentient intelligence, and forms the core of Salem's 'soul' as the only true AI from Teracore.
The Omnicodex forms the basis for all of Salem's abilities. He primarily uses it to constantly emit gaseous ether, which has a hazy, blue-green glow, and allows him to manipulate physical forces within his vicinity. He mostly just uses this to telekinetically lift and throw a ludicrous number of objects, as well as to control any more-specialized piece of Teracore machinery that he brings from his homeworld, but it also allows him to cast spells, his favorite of which are lasers, gravity spells, and sound-based spells. As an arrogant display of his power, Salem prefers to hover instead of walk, telekinetically moving himself at just above eye-level, allowing him to look down on all around him.
The Omnicodex has been painted to resemble an eye with a red iris, and sits in Salem's right eye socket, where it provides him with his powers.
The Omnicodex forms the basis for all of Salem's abilities. He primarily uses it to constantly emit gaseous ether, which has a hazy, blue-green glow, and allows him to manipulate physical forces within his vicinity. He mostly just uses this to telekinetically lift and throw a ludicrous number of objects, as well as to control any more-specialized piece of Teracore machinery that he brings from his homeworld, but it also allows him to cast spells, his favorite of which are lasers, gravity spells, and sound-based spells. As an arrogant display of his power, Salem prefers to hover instead of walk, telekinetically moving himself at just above eye-level, allowing him to look down on all around him.
The Omnicodex has been painted to resemble an eye with a red iris, and sits in Salem's right eye socket, where it provides him with his powers.
Powers:
- Telekinesis - Salem behaves like a poltergeist on steroids. Able to constantly spread gaseous ether, and with more than enough complex codex to control it all, Salem's preferred method of fighting is essentially an 'endless yeet', where anything and everything can be a projectile.
- Trick Weapons - As an evil toy, every part of Salem's doll body incorporates some hidden weapon or gadget: arm blades, finger guns, you name it. These parts can also separate and be telekinetically moved around, allowing Salem to attack from multiple angles, making it much harder to dodge and avoid his attacks.
- The Toy Chest - Salem often rides on or carries an oversized coffin that contains replacement parts for his bodies, as well as various different specialized weapons, allowing him versatility and a way to deal with unusual situations.
- Teracore Spells - Teracore is, at its heart, a magical world, though it is covered by a veneer of science and technology. Ether can be used as fuel to cast spells, and Teracore spells often have the hint of science, so their 'elements' are usually ones that more closely align with scientific fundamental forces, air becomes sound and electricity, fire becomes heat, light, and explosions, earth becomes gravity, and water becomes cold. Salem is adept at all these and will resort to them if just throwing shit doesn't cut it.
- Amalgam - Salem's body is modular, and once he's decided to drop the cutesy facade, he can keep adding additional doll parts and other machinery to keep growing his body into a large, grotesque, body horror creation, seemingly without limit. The monstrous "final form".
Assets:
- Factory World - Salem has converted Teracore into a factory world that constantly produces mechanical soldiers, replacement body parts, ether-based weapons, and whatever else might be needed.
- Toy Soldiers - Teracore is policed by a massive force of robotic mannequins and toy-like creations. The weakest among them are just slightly stronger than the average human. However, the soldiers follow a protocol of self-improvement, and are always seeking to scavenge for parts to add to their own bodies, while competing with each other to rise through the ranks in a simulated 'mechanical evolution'. So no two soldiers are alike, each sporting their own 'optimized' combination of different abilities.
The City of Lost Things:
Salem's corner of Gladius is a large chamber made to simulate an industrial-era city nightscape, the architecture being a grotesque mishmash of Victorian, Gothic, and Baroque. Toy soldiers mill about in the city's dark, cramped alleys. They simulate 'citizen life', living in homes with fake dysfunctional families, and heading to work to do nothing. In the center is an opulent Mansion, The House that Salem Built, where Salem resides. It is like Disneyland, where it's made to look larger than it actually is.
Themes:
Misc:
- Salem's faceclaim is Souseiseki from the anime/manga Rozen Maiden.
King Cosmos
Member
Seen
3 hrs ago
Take a look at the CS template; it has been updated, just as I threatened to.
Sorry for the wait, but I've added those extra sections to Matteo's sheet.
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GM
DELETED087367
Banned
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3 mos ago
OK acceptances are gonna be handed down tomorrow, IC coming after that. Prommy <3
6slyboy6 The More Awesomest Potato
Member
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1 mo ago
@Dead Cruiser Oh damn, sorry, totally didn't see that the template got updated! I'll make the adjustments tomorrow :)
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