DELETED jdl3932

I.F. There Was Magic

Moved.

I.F. There Was Magic

<Snipped quote by ZAVAZggg>

Thanks for letting me know. I'll set the next one to not expire.

<Snipped quote by ZAVAZggg>

An Angel works, but you would need to come up with a reason their power has been diluted or restricted. This is because all characters begin with similar stats, and angels are a powerful race. Maybe you can work it into their backstory. On that note, I'm going to adjust the stats a little, in case you've already looked at it.

@Balthazar007

Alright. With that in mind I'm thinking of something like exile with a little bit of Saiyan physiology thrown in. Like angels send their exiles to Pratta after stripping them of their wings, which weakens them greatly, similar to how a Saiyan becomes weaker after losing their tail.

I.F. There Was Magic

Also your discord link expired.

I.F. There Was Magic

I was considering going with an angel, unless that doesn't follow the story arc, in which case I'll make something else.

I.F. There Was Magic

Alright, taking the plunge here, but how active will this be and how active is this currently? And what people are playing which characters, assuming any have been made?

Tales From The Codex.

Index Alpha, Volume I

---

---

---

_{Part One: A Trip Down Memory Lane.}

---

There are three things you must remember when undergoing Reminiscence.

1. Whatever happens to your past self, happens to you.

2. You can only remain in the past for twenty-four hours at a time before being Recalled.

3. The past cannot be changed.

These were the words that flashed in the center of Amanda's vision as she activated her chronal implant, their abrasive colors searing themselves into her visual cortex as she read along. An old habit of hers that was, and one she had never bothered suppressing, even though the chips built-in artificial intelligence was more than capable of reading the all too familiar warning for her. Its synthetic cadence similar in nature to vocoded audio, albeit lighter, and far more human. Not an unpleasant combination, really, except for when she was trying to read. Then it was most annoying little gadget on the face of God's green Earth. Still she resisted the growing urge to just shut it off. Despite its annoying tendency to break her train of thought, the other voice in her head was simply too valuable to silence.

It was the only way for her to check how much time she had before recall. An experience as traumatic and disorientating as the act of reminiscing itself, albeit in reverse. Where reminiscing felt like vomiting out your intestines, recall felt like having them shoved right back in, but in all the wrong ways. An odd side effect honestly, and one she still couldn't comprehend even after all this time. The entire process of Anamnesis was mental, with the only physical components being the brain and the implant, so why should one be able to feel it as it happened? Seemed like a rather annoying drawback to her. Then again, she hadn't been one of the engineers assigned to work on the device itself, but one of the unwashed masses who had been allowed the privilege of using it after it had left its testing phase.

Letting her mind wander from that thought with a faint sigh, Amanda found herself becoming aware of the AI once more as it finished its recitation. Tearing her gaze away from the seemingly endless vista of snow and ice blanketing the rooftops stretching out beyond her living room window, she returned her attention to the holographic panel floating off in her periphery. Giving the warning one last glance as she scrolled past, Amanda found herself faced with two buttons, each bearing labels conceptually opposed to one another. Stifling a yawn, she made herself as comfortable as she possibly could, sprawling out to take up most of the space on her couch. The coming reminiscence would be difficult. Painful. And it would be best for her to lie down before the worst of it hit. So, finding a relatively languid position, she lay her head against the armrest and closed her eyes. The holographic display remained, waiting, yet unaffected by the darkness that had engulfed it. For why should it be?

It was only in her head, after all.

Shifting her gaze over to the leftmost button, which said 'BEGIN REMINISENCE', Amanda took a deep breath and sent out a mental command confirming her selection. She already had an idea in mind of when she wanted to go and the implant would pick up on that without any need for further input on her behalf. Now all she had to do was weather the storm that was to come, and then she'd find herself in a body several decades younger than the one she currently inhabited. Laying still, her breathing began to increase in speed as the reminiscing truly began. Within the darkness she saw flashes of light as her guts began to twist and turn, as if they were trying to claw their way up her throat. As this was going on a dull noise, akin to granite grinding against granite, began to grow into a loud roar. One that felt as though it were encompassing the entire room, even though the house was silent save for the pained whimpers emanating from Amanda, her body writhing as her consciousness was slowly torn from this present era and cast adrift across the winds of time. What little blooms of color she could see within the black abyss that lay before her began to churn and swirl, before exploding into a violent kaleidoscope of light, sound, and pain. All of which threatened to overwhelm the senses until, finally, they dissolved into nothingness, leaving her free at last to experience the mind bending spectacle that was Anamnesis.

Where before she had simply been lying on her couch, she now found herself moving down a silent glass vortex of color suspended in a dense latticework of crystal spiderwebs, the end of which was nothing more than an impossibly bright disk of light. One towards which she was rapidly falling. Something that would have terrified many first-time travelers, but not veterans like her. If anything it was starting to become mundane, loathe as she was to admit it. Quite shocking really, as something like this-something many considered impossible for the longest time-should never be mundane. Yet here she was, wishing her trip through this metaphysical realm would come to an end. But, of course, it wouldn't. Not for another minute or so anyway. So there she sat, carried along by invisible currents until the lights radiance reached a blinding peak, and she found herself somewhere else.

Somewhen else.

Strange Arrivals (A ZAVAZggg & Calle Roleplay)

Alastor nodded at Andy's assumption. He was indeed more than smart enough to figure out this primitive device, though he would do so later and at his own leisure. Turning his attention back to Andy as he slid the phone into his pants pocket, Alastor took another sip of whiskey as a thoughtful expression washed over his face.

"Come to think of it," he said, absentmindedly swirling the liquid in his glass around. "No, I don't think I did. Then again, can you really blame me? I am used to my found being around me at all times. As such it is rather difficult for me to actually go and get something to eat. That aside though..."

He paused, setting his glass down as he moved to the other side of the counter and towards the fridge.

"I did find some books on cooking while I was at the library, and if you have the ingredients, I wouldn't mind trying my hand at making a dish or two. Might seem strange for a former lord to be making their own meal, but there is something about the act of meal preparation that I find absolutely fascinating."

Deepest Abyss (Conquer the World)

---

---

---

---

Azrael's eyes narrowed as the divine creatures strode forth, their winged forms floating imposingly. He didn't recognize these beings, but he could sense the power they radiated. Power far greater than anything he could hope to muster, even in his own original state. Power that felt almost as great, or perhaps greater, than that which was radiated by the archangels themselves.

"I can certainly try," Azrael began, glancing over at the Drow. "But I must warn you, I do not recognize these beings. They are angelic in nature, like me, that much is true-"

He directed his gaze back to the Watchers, the inner workings of his ancient mind beginning to turn as he struggled to recall the origins of these celestial creatures, to no avail.

If they did have an origin story written down somewhere, he hadn't seen or heard of it.

Pushing that thought aside for the time being, as it bore no true relevance to the situation at hand, Azrael approached the lead Watcher. The same one that had consumed the wolf minutes prior. As he drew closer, however, he decided to confront these beings in his true form. Although he could sense their angelic nature, he wasn't entirely sure if they could sense his, so maybe if he approached them in a similar form, they would be less inclined to try and eat him. Letting out a sigh as his human form sloughed off into a nondescript puddle of steaming liquid, Azrael floated over to the Watchers, his feathers buffeting slightly as they sliced through the air while his tongues flapped about limply.

"Hail brothers," he began, his voice a font of gurgling acid. The fallen seraph wasn't sure the term truly applied given that this was their first meeting, but he felt it worked well enough.

They were both of the same kind of being at the end of the day, if nothing else.

"We mean you no harm," he went on, his gaze coming to rest on the spear.

It was a simple statement, one spoken in the friendliest of tones, but one he felt absolutely necessary given everything they had seen. The last thing he wanted was to die in this stinking pit, let alone the churning gut of another angel. The Watcher, however, seemed to ignore his words and unfurled its armor to reveal the same undulating spear once more. Only this time it was pointed directly at Azrael's head. Realizing the beings intent, he dashed to the side, narrowly avoiding the projectile as it flew past to embed itself within a rock wall behind the party.

"Well, you can't say I didn't try!" Azrael shouted, his tongues flexing agitatedly as he moved back to the main group, his quintessence in hand.

The Watcher withdrew the spear, pulling it back into itself before shutting its armor once again. Apparently readying for another strike as its two companions made their towards the group, their armor expanding and contracting in a rhythmic fashion.

Azrael moved to float next to Willowa, one of his tongues pointed in her general direction.

"I suggest you ready any concoctions you might have," he said through the squirming appendage. "And watch your step. One mistake and you'll be in their gut faster than you can blink."

Shifting his attention back to the Watchers, Azrael readied himself for the fight that was about to ensue.

Main Character Wars!

Might take me a bit to get a real understanding of the screen time and the like, but I think I could manage it. Count me in.

Also, just reposting this here for the whole approval phase.

Gervasius Col

Gervasius Theme

The Chronarch's Wrath (1st Combat Theme)

Majesty of The Aeternal Lord (2nd Combat Theme)

Titles: Prime Chronarch of The Aeternal Empire. The title of Prime Chronarch only came into use after he had begun taking control of other timelines in which his alternate selves followed paths similar to the one he had taken here in the primary timeline, as a means of distinguishing himself from the rest so that there would be no confusion among his subjects.

Main Character Archetype: Lone wolf.

Sub Character Archetype: Tsundere.

Personality: Gervasius is a cold man because he must be. As the only Marked ever in the long history of Irilia to take near total control of the many branching paths composing the infinite cosmic latticework that is the spacetime-continuum, Col has seen a lot of things over the course of his long life, most of which were bad. People having years of their life stolen in an instant, along with their memories. Entire timelines being erased from existence as the war between those men loyal to his empire and the tyrannical forces of Aevum-the time conquering kingdom created by one of the darker and far more sadistic versions of himself-grows worse and worse, its devastating effects rippling out across the fabric of spacetime like tsunami's, destroying everything in their path. And seeing those he cared about, along with many alternate versions of himself, die time and time again only to be reborn and experience it all over again. This, in addition to his practical inability to die thanks to various alterations he's made to his own relationship with time, has caused him to grow quite distant and cold. To the point where the friendly and caring ruler the world once knew has become naught more than a dim memory, preserved only in legend and myth.

Or so everyone thinks, at least.

For there is still some small part of him, some small fraction of his being, that does care. That can laugh, love, and enjoy life despite its flaws and horrors.

All it needs is someone to come along and unlock it.

Powers

Power List

Magic on Irilia is governed via the use of runes inscribed into ones flesh. Runes that, once inscribed, allow for the manipulation of natural forces. Basic forces such as fire, air, and water, or more esoteric ones such as time, space, and even the soul. Each individual, referred to with a descriptor of their respective force or element followed by the title Marked, can only have two runes on their body at any one time, and two opposing elements cannot be wielded by the same person. So, for example, an Inferno Marked cannot wield a rune of water, but they can use one of air, as it complements their original ability. It should be noted, however, that should the marked individual lose the patch of skin or appendage upon which the rune is engraved, they will lose the powers it grants as well. This is the reason many of the Marked wear armor over certain parts of their bodies, even in times of peace.

Can't be too careful after all.

As for Gervasius, he's what's known as a Continuum Marked, someone who has the runes of space and time inscribed on their body and is capable of manipulating both to a certain degree. A rarer occurrence than you might think, as very few remember these markings, with fewer still being able to fully comprehend, let alone effectively use the immense powers they bestow.

Aegis of Eternity: Due to various temporal alterations through the use of his runes, Col has removed his natural susceptibility to age, effectively granting himself eternal youth, locked his timeline-and as many alternates of it he could find-into an entirely different section of the void that is not connected to the main hub of temporal lines so that they cannot be altered via time travel, and rendered himself immune to any manipulations of time or space another individual make while in his presence. This lets him move through areas that are spatially and temporally warped with impunity, in addition to giving him the ability to remember any changes one makes to the past. The only thing he has not done, however, is remove his ability to be affected by objects residing within the third dimension. This is because of what he learned in one of his alternate timelines, one in which his other self had grown tired of being hurt, and removed their ability to feel pain of any kind by making themselves immune to physical reality as a whole. A foolish act as he soon learned, because it booted this alternate version from existence and into the void, where their corpse floats to this day, the universe having ceased its recognition of their presence entirely.

Since becoming aware of this unpleasant outcome the Prime Chronarch has, sensibly, refrained from following in his alternate selves footsteps.

Alterations and the like aside, however, Gervasius still possesses the same bodily needs he's always had. He might not die from age, but starvation, dehydration, and sleep deprivation will all take their toll on him if he's not careful.

Cessation of Time: Using his runes, Gervasius brings the flow of time within a certain radius to a halt. The exact range of which seems to be decided by Gervasius himself. Once cast however, those in the outside world see nothing more than an impenetrable crystalline dome or bubble obscuring the affected area, while those within-other than the user of course-perceive the experience the same way one who has lost time does. With the process of objects, people, and time moving appearing to have been skipped altogether. As for the user, they are free to do what they please within the confines of the bubble, even granting individuals trapped inside the same degree of freedom they themselves possess should the fancy strike them. This can be applied in a wide variety of practical ways, such as to prevent eavesdropping, or keep a particularly dangerous foe at bay to buy allies an extra bit of time.

Fate's Acceptance: With naught more than a touch, Gervasius can manipulate the age of objects and individuals, making them too young or old to be able to put up any kind of meaningful fight. If he's feeling generous that is. If not, then he'll simply age them into a pile of dust before continuing on with his day.

Fate's Denial: Reversing time around himself or others lets Gervasius heal the most damaging of wounds he or those he is aligned with may receive during combat. While he can simply use this power with nothing more than a thought when it comes to his own body, when it comes to others though, he must be physically touching the damaged area or else his temporal rewind will be ineffective.

Voidal Shift: Gervasius could, through the utilization of the empty spaces between timelines, travel to whatever moment in history he desired, provided he knows of it beforehand of course. After arriving in this strange new world, however, Gervasius found this ability greatly reduced. No longer able to leave the current timeline for reasons he has yet to discern, he now uses it as a means of transporting himself and others across long distances, as well as a defensive measure for avoiding enemy attacks.

Eyes of Chronos: Gervasius can momentarily enter a trancelike state and peer into a number of different possible futures to glean information from them, but their state of constant flux prevents any one course of action he may take after gaining said information from being more advantageous than the rest.

Strengths

Strength List

Political Savant: Being a ruler who is overseeing multiple versions of himself and his kingdom simultaneously, in addition to waging a war across time, has made Gervasius quite skilled when it comes to political maneuvering. As he must find solutions that not only satisfy himself, but his people as well.

Pinnacle of Humanity: Centuries of training, leadership, and war have allowed Gervasius to reach the peak of what a normal human could hope to achieve in terms of physical might and intellectual prowess, making him much faster, stronger, and smarter than anyone else in his native universe.

Aside from himself that is.

Master Tactician: Given his personality, and way of handling things in general, Gervasius' cold and detached nature has one major upside in the form of strategizing. Unlike most people, who would react in horror at seeing their friends being ripped limb from limb, the amount of insanity inducing shit has rendered Col almost completely immune to such reactions. This lets him maintain his focus in the most stressful situations, times when remaining calm is of the utmost importance, and allows him to achieve victory where none was thought possible.

Weaknesses

Weakness List

Socially Inept: While he may be good at strategizing and politics, he is perhaps the last person one would consider inviting out to a social gathering-or any sort of gathering really-due to the cold and mostly apathetic nature he has developed since the war between his empire and Aevum began. Unless the goal is to bring said party to a slow pain filled stop, in which case Gervasius should be the first person whose services you employ. Gatherings aside, he's also not the one you want trying to comfort your dying friends, as he will do an absolutely piss poor job of it.

Arrogant: While he may not seem that way at first, especially in a place and situation he's unsure of, once Gervasius has his feet under him, he can be the most arrogant bastard you've ever met. Granted, it's not exactly something a he can really avoid given his immortality. Age and experience tends to make one more sure of oneself and one's own actions after all, and Col is no different. Hell, if anything his long life has made him more self-confidant than most ordinary people, as it has been spent-for the most part-maintaining the well-being of a literal history spanning empire. This general air of superiority tends to drive most away, as there are only so many condescending explanations and critiques people can take before getting fed up, while simultaneously providing a potential weakness for enemies to exploit.

Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer after all.

History

Biographical Index

Gervasius history is a long and bloody one. One in which even the earliest of his days of his life were filled with conflict. Conflict between his parents as they both tried to carry out their own plans for their son's future-a future that would see him working on the family farm in any case-conflict between the petty nobles of the land and the even pettier bandits. A lot of whom had taken to using the power of rune magic to bolster their chances of conducting a successful raid. So it was no surprise then when they came to his father's farm that fateful midsummers eve, stealing the crops they had labored over for years, scouring their house from top to bottom for anything not nailed down, and killing one of the two central authority figures in his life in the process. The other, his mother, was taken prison as Gervasius himself was, although the two would meet very different fates. His mother would be sold off to a local lord, who had very unsavory intentions, while he would be recruited into the ranks of the bandits themselves. They did not brand him with any runes, however, for obvious reasons.

Anyway, for the longest time after his capture, Gervasius had attempted to fight back, to be brash, but eventually came to the realization that he would heighten his chances of survival and escape if he simply played along. So he did. For years he went along with their raids and schemes, all the while learning the skills that allowed him to slay his captors while they slept, leaving him free to make his own way in the world. Well, almost. First he would make sure his mother was safe, if she were still alive that is. Deciding on this course of action, he made his way to the lords keep, and began snooping about, somehow managing to remain lucky enough to avoid being detected by the guards. After a few minutes of searching, he finally found the room in which his mother was being held. He did not, however, make an attempt to break her free. During his time with the bandits he learned that when confronted with a larger force one could not overcome through subtlety, to fall back and regroup. Formulate a plan of attack, learn patrol movements, and identify the main weak points of whatever you were attacking. Then, gather some men, get some weapons, and go all out.

And that's exactly what he did.

Leaving the keep, he spent the rest of his young adult years gathering resources running jobs as a freelance mercenary. Weapons, armor, rations, and men, slowly over the course of years he prepared until, at long last, he was ready. Riding forth from the city of Aeryith with its shining spires and bustling streets, he and his company of three hundred mercenaries laid siege to the castle, the main force providing an excellent distraction for the guards while Gervasius infiltrated the structure itself and freed what remained of his family. Making his way out he regrouped with his warband, who had lost around a hundred or so during the siege, and fled into nearby forest, losing their pursuers. Breaking up into smaller groups from here, they returned to Aeryith under the cover of darkness. Although some small part of him wished to know, Gervasius knew better than to ask his mother about what had happened during her time in the keep.

He knew that it'd be better for the memories to simply fade away.

After their return, the group settled down within the city. Years passed and people moved on, Gervasius mother found work as a seamstress, while he continued to lead his mercenary warband out on mission's for the inhabitants of Aeryith. New recruits were brought in to fill the empty spaces left by the dead, and new ventures are undertaken. Life, in general, was good.

Until it wasn't.

The ruling king wished to go to war with another realm across the sea, and began recruiting several mercenary parties alongside the usual gaggle of townsfolk. Among those selected was Gervasius company. And while he didn't like it, he did heed the call nonetheless, unable to refuse the orders of the highest power in the land. So, once again, the band road out to war.

Only this time things did not go as smoothly as they had expected. Quite the opposite in fact. As they went to ambush a heavily guarded caravan, Gervasius had found himself underestimating the numbers their enemy truly had, and found both himself and what little remained of his men fleeing back to the safety of a nearby city. A defeat that not only devastated troop morale, but one that gave Col pause as well. For the first time in his life, he truly began to consider the state of his world. How its petulant lords and greedy kings squabbled amongst themselves for the so-called honor of victory, while simultaneously squandering the lives of the very people who helped them attain that victory in the first place. Or how the rogue Marked roamed the lands, looting and pillaging. And at the end of it all, he decided something had to be done.

Action had to be taken, and a new order had to be established in place of the rotting corpse that was the old. It was the only way for peace to truly flourish.

So Gervasius made his way to the city's library, a hoarde of knowledge that contained books on almost everything imaginable, rune magic included. It was here that he first found mention of individuals known as Continuum Marked within the dusty pages of some long forgotten, and clearly neglected tome. While the book didn't have much in the way of specifics, it did reveal to him the location of secret temple, one in which the aforementioned Marked were rumored to have lived. Armed with this knowledge in mind, he began making preparations for his trip to the mountain temple. He gathered as much food, water, and climbing equipment as he could before finally setting off...

Alone.

While most would have gone in a group, Gervasius knew his men would just slow him down. Not only that, but he couldn't be sure they wouldn't just double cross him at some point during the journey, what with everything that had happened. So he ventured out, by himself, and started off on his long trek. One that took three grueling weeks to complete. But, finally, he arrived at the temple. Only to find it in ruin. Its walls broken and crumbling, and what little remained of its halls abandoned. Still, he would not be denied. Making his way inside, he began searching the place from top to bottom, scouring every nook and cranny for any sort of inscription or drawing that would reveal the shape of the runes he sought. And, after several hours of clawing through stone and rotten wood, he finally found what he was looking for.

In the center of one of the side chambers, deep within the temple, there was an old dusty tome lying on top of an equally old and dusty pedestal. Its pages yellowed, cracked, and worn, but still readable. And on them were the runes he sought. The power that would allow him to tear down the old kingdoms and replace them with a new, unified, empire. One that would ensure its citizens were treated with the respect they deserved. One that would live on through the ages...

One that would be, eternal.

Approaching the book in a careful manner, one almost akin to reverence, he examined its pages. On the left was the angular symbol of an hourglass, while the right held a spiral with warped lines, almost as though the drawing was trying to eat the page on which it was inscribed. Hastily pulling off his pack and retrieving a dagger from its cavernous depths, Gervasius rolled up his sleeve and started cutting. The bite of cold steel against warm flesh was stinging, but it was nothing he hadn't felt before. And by the end of it, he had finally finished the first part of his plan.

He had finally become a Continuum Marked.

Destroying the book, the runes having been committed to memory and flesh, Gervasius made his way out of the temple and started off down the mountain. Along the way he encountered several wild beasts, which helped provide him with some much needed practice. Calling upon the powers of his runes, which blazed in the falling snow, he destroyed them quickly and continued on his way. After a few more weeks of trekking, he finally made it back to Aeryith where he began using his runes more often while out fulfilling contracts. Once again, alone, as it seemed his company had gone their separate ways after his little trip. Somewhat disappointing he had to admit, and somewhat saddening, but not unexpected. He would have left for greener pastures too if he were in their shoes, especially after everything they'd been through.

So he let them be and continued on with his plan.

During his time running contracts, he had a custom tailored set of robes and piece of armor made for him by one of the local craftsmen. Mainly because he needed some better clothes, but also because he needed a better way to protect the runes engraved in his arm. Once he had them, however, he was finally able to use his magic more freely. Without the ever present fear his arm would be chopped or bitten off when he least expected it. With this new advantage, he was able to become even more powerful, and after a certain point decided it was time for the next phase of his plan. Perhaps the most difficult part yet.

He declared an all out war on the rulers of the world. Using his powers to his advantage, he amassed an army and, using advanced tactics and control over spacetime to his advantage, led a conquest that saw the lords and kings fall one by one to his forces. To further air his efforts, Gervasius also forged his own blade-Omega-and imbued it with power over space and time as well. How he learned to do so is unknown, as no soul currently living on Irilia knew the secrets of weapon enchanting, but he did so nonetheless. And so it went for the next couple of years, with town after town and palace after palace falling to his might, until at last his banner was the only one flying in the ocean blue skies of Irilia. From here he began the even longer process of establishing a new order, altering his interaction with time in order to do so. Once this was done, however, the newly christened Aeternal Empire had become something beyond anything anyone could have ever imagined. A vast realm that spanned multiple timelines, overseen not only by Gervasius from the new capital of Aeryith, but his alternate selves in the other realities. Variations the he gave his runes and knowledge to, establishing the order of Chronarch's-with him as the Prime-that kept the empire running as smoothly as possible.

In addition to this he also created a legislation governing the use of runes known as the Marked One's Law, which prohibited their use inside cities and villages unless it was for self defense, the defense of another, to help fend off an approaching warband, or to aid in work, be that your own or someone else's. This was done in the hopes of preventing the rampant banditry and rune abuse Gervasius had been victim to years prior and, for the most part anyway, it worked. There were minor exceptions to this ruling of course, with small uses of rune magic for convenience sake being allowed, as they posed no real threat to the world at large.

With these things done, and the safety of the kingdom he'd built in the best hands possible, Gervasius took the time to enjoy life once again. Hosting public feasts, authorising new infrastructural developments, exploring some of the possibilities he'd conquered in greater detail, and spending more time with several friends he'd made along the way, were just a few of the activities he occupied his immortal mind with.

All things considered, life was good. Perfect, even. The kingdom was flourishing in a new era of technological and cultural enlightenment, the wars and disagreements of the past were seemingly forgotten with each new generation that came along, and people were-for the most part-satisfied with the way things were going.

But, as with many things in his life, this peace was not to last. For a few centuries later, a Chronarch driven by a desire for more power rose up in defiance of Gervasius rule. From what timeline they came or how they managed to amass an army great enough to challenge the Legions of Brass that defended the empire, no one knew. Not even the Prime himself. By the time everything was said and done, and the army mobilized, the rebellious force had already built up enough might to christen itself a temporal power in its own right. And thus a small band of rebels led by a rogue Chronarch, became Aevum, a time conquering realm that rivaled the even the great Aeternal Empire in might. So war was declared, a war of attrition as the kingdom of Aevum put more and more of existence to the sword.

It is during this troubled time that the Prime Chronarch has become the coldest he's ever been, as the effects of watching masses of people die, timelines collapse, and some of his best friends perish, have finally started to take their toll on him. Yet still he preservers. Still he carries on, as it is his duty to do so. His duty to all the friends he's lost, all the innocents who've had their families torn apart by the conflict, and all the soldiers who have given their lives in defense of the empire. As such it was this duty, this unrelenting desire to make things right once more, that drove him to recklessly traverse the void and come to the aide of a Chronarch in need. And it was this reckless traversal that sealed his fate. For just as he was about to enter the time period, a force stronger than anything he'd felt before suddenly pulled him away. Sent him tumbling through the darkness and towards a future unknown...

Other stuff: Col's weapon, Omega, while a normal steel longsword by all outward appearances, is actually a very powerful blade capable of attacking with both warped space and time. When it comes to use in combat, Gervasius will usually feint his foes first with regular strikes, before switching to launching thin waves of distorted space and time, mercilessly cutting down all those who stand in his way with attacks that are almost impossible to avoid.

One of Col's runes can be found on the back of his left hand, while the other is further up along his arm, coming to rest in the center of the outer region of his left bicep. This is the main reason he wears a gauntlet on that side of his body and very little armor anywhere else, as protecting the source of his powers is of the utmost importance. Body parts may be renewed, but the runes cannot.

Gervasius' alternate selves, at least those not aligned with Aevum anyway, all refer to themselves as Chronarch's, with him being the only one to hold the additional title of Prime. A sign of his status as the true ruler of the empire, the fact that he was the first out of all his other selves to master the powers of a Continuum Marked, and the fact that he is the only variation of himself to hail from the primary timeline. The latter two being distinctions no one can lay claim to, either in word or deed.

Main Character Wars! (Fantasy isekai RP with a twist!)

@RoflsMazoy

While I still think my character doesn't exactly fit, and that the universe I've made for him is a jumbled mess, here's the finished sheet. Maybe a second pair of eyes can help me see if there really is anything wrong with it, or if it's just me.

Gervasius Col

Gervasius Theme

The Chronarch's Wrath (1st Combat Theme)

Majesty of The Aeternal Lord (2nd Combat Theme)

Titles: Prime Chronarch of The Aeternal Empire. The title of Prime Chronarch only came into use after he had begun taking control of other timelines in which his alternate selves followed paths similar to the one he had taken here in the primary timeline, as a means of distinguishing himself from the rest so that there would be no confusion among his subjects.

Main Character Archetype: Lone wolf.

Sub Character Archetype: Tsundere.

Personality: Gervasius is a cold man because he must be. As the only Marked ever in the long history of Irilia to take near total control of the many branching paths composing the infinite cosmic latticework that is the spacetime-continuum, Col has seen a lot of things over the course of his long life, most of which were bad. People having years of their life stolen in an instant, along with their memories. Entire timelines being erased from existence as the war between those men loyal to his empire and the tyrannical forces of Aevum-the time conquering kingdom created by one of the darker and far more sadistic versions of himself-grows worse and worse, its devastating effects rippling out across the fabric of spacetime like tsunami's, destroying everything in their path. And seeing those he cared about, along with many alternate versions of himself, die time and time again only to be reborn and experience it all over again. This, in addition to his practical inability to die thanks to various alterations he's made to his own relationship with time, has caused him to grow quite distant and cold. To the point where the friendly and caring ruler the world once knew has become naught more than a dim memory, preserved only in legend and myth.

Or so everyone thinks, at least.

For there is still some small part of him, some small fraction of his being, that does care. That can laugh, love, and enjoy life despite its flaws and horrors.

All it needs is someone to come along and unlock it.

Powers

Power List

Magic on Irilia is governed via the use of runes inscribed into ones flesh. Runes that, once inscribed, allow for the manipulation of natural forces. Basic forces such as fire, air, and water, or more esoteric ones such as time, space, and even the soul. Each individual, referred to with a descriptor of their respective force or element followed by the title Marked, can only have two runes on their body at any one time, and two opposing elements cannot be wielded by the same person. So, for example, an Inferno Marked cannot wield a rune of water, but they can use one of air, as it complements their original ability. It should be noted, however, that should the marked individual lose the patch of skin or appendage upon which the rune is engraved, they will lose the powers it grants as well. This is the reason many of the Marked wear armor over certain parts of their bodies, even in times of peace.

Can't be too careful after all.

As for Gervasius, he's what's known as a Continuum Marked, someone who has the runes of space and time inscribed on their body, and is capable of manipulating both to a certain degree. A rarer occurrence than you might think, as very few remember these markings, with fewer still being able to fully comprehend, let alone effectively use the immense powers they bestow.

Aegis of Eternity: Due to various temporal alterations through the use of his runes, Col has removed his natural susceptibility to age, effectively granting himself eternal youth, locked his timeline-and as many alternates of it he could find-into an entirely different section of the void that is not connected to the main hub of temporal lines so that they cannot be altered via time travel, and rendered himself immune to any manipulations of time or space another individual make while in his presence. This lets him move through areas that are spatially and temporally warped with impunity, in addition to giving him the ability to remember any changes one makes to the past. The only thing he has not done, however, is remove his capability to be affected by objects residing within the third dimension. This is because of what he learned in one of his alternate timelines, one where his other self had grown tired of being hurt, and removed their ability to feel pain of any kind by making themselves immune to physical reality as a whole. A foolish act as he soon learned, because it booted this alternate version from existence and into the void, where their corpse floats to this day, the universe having ceased its recognition of their presence entirely.

Since becoming aware of this unpleasant outcome, the Prime Chronarch has, sensibly, refrained from following in his alternate selves footsteps.

Alterations and the like aside, however, Gervasius still possesses the same bodily needs he's always had. He might not die from age, but starvation, dehydration, and sleep deprivation will all take their toll on him if he's not careful.

Cessation of Time: Using his runes, Gervasius brings the flow of time within a certain radius to a halt. The exact range of which seems to be decided by Gervasius himself. Once cast however, those in the outside world see nothing more than an impenetrable crystalline dome or bubble obscuring the affected area, while those within-other than the user of course-perceive the experience the same way one who has lost time does. With the process of objects, people, and time moving appearing to have been skipped altogether. As for the user, they are free to do what they please within the confines of the bubble, even granting individuals trapped inside the same degree of freedom they themselves possess should the fancy strike them. This can be applied in a wide variety of practical ways, such as to prevent eavesdropping, or keep a particularly dangerous foe at bay to buy allies an extra bit of time.

Fate's Acceptance: With naught more than a touch, Gervasius can manipulate the age of objects and individuals, making them too young or old to be able to put up any kind of meaningful fight. If he's feeling generous that is. If not, then he'll simply age them into a pile of dust before continuing on with his day.

Fate's Denial: Reversing time around himself or others lets Gervasius heal the most damaging of wounds he or those he is aligned with may receive during combat. While he can simply use this power with nothing more than a thought when it comes to his own body, when it comes to others though, he must be physically touching the damaged area or else his temporal rewind will be ineffective.

Voidal Shift: Gervasius could, through the utilization of the empty spaces between timelines, travel to whatever moment in history he desired, provided he knows of it beforehand of course. After arriving in this strange new world, however, Gervasius found this ability greatly reduced. No longer able to leave the current timeline for reasons he has yet to discern, he now uses it as a means of transporting himself and others across long distances, as well as a defensive measure for avoiding enemy attacks.

Eyes of Chronos: Gervasius can momentarily enter a trancelike state and peer into a number of different possible futures to glean information from them, but their state of constant flux prevents any one course of action he may take after gaining said information from being more advantageous than the rest.

Strengths

Strength List

Political Savant: Being a ruler who is overseeing multiple versions of himself and his kingdom simultaneously, in addition to waging a war across time, has made Gervasius quite skilled when it comes to political maneuvering. As he must find solutions that not only satisfy himself, but his people as well.

Pinnacle of Humanity: Centuries of training, leadership, and war have allowed Gervasius to reach the peak of what a normal human could hope to achieve in terms of physical might and intellectual prowess, making him much faster, stronger, and smarter than anyone else in his native universe.

Aside from himself that is.

Master Tactician: Given his personality, and way of handling things in general, Gervasius' cold and detached nature has one major upside in the form of strategizing. Unlike most people, who would react in horror at seeing their friends being ripped limb from limb, the amount of insanity inducing shit has rendered Col almost completely immune to such reactions. This lets him maintain his focus in the most stressful situations, times when remaining calm is of the utmost importance, and allows him to achieve victory where none was thought possible.

Weaknesses

Weakness List

Socially Inept: While he may be good at strategizing and politics, he is perhaps the last person one would consider inviting out to a social gathering-or any sort of gathering really-due to the cold and mostly apathetic nature he has developed since the war between his empire and Aevum began. Unless the goal is to bring said party to a slow pain filled stop, in which case Gervasius should be the first person whose services you employ. Gatherings aside, he's also not the one you want trying to comfort your dying friends, as he will do an absolutely piss poor job of it.

Arrogant: While he may not seem that way at first, especially in a place and situation he's unsure of, once Gervasius has his feet under him, he can be the most arrogant bastard you've ever met. Granted, it's not exactly something a he can really avoid given his immortality. Age and experience tends to make one more sure of oneself and one's own actions after all, and Col is no different. Hell, if anything his long life has made him more self-confidant than most ordinary people, as it has been spent-for the most part-maintaining the well-being of a literal history spanning empire. This general air of superiority tends to drive most away, as there are only so many condescending explanations and critiques people can take before getting fed up, while simultaneously providing a potential weakness for enemies to exploit.

Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer after all.

History

Biographical Index

Gervasius history is a long and bloody one. One in which even the earliest of his days of his life were filled with conflict. Conflict between his parents as they both tried to carry out their own plans for their son's future-a future that would see him working on the family farm in any case-conflict between the petty nobles of the land and the even pettier bandits. A lot of whom had taken to using the power of rune magic to bolster their chances of conducting a successful raid. So it was no surprise then when they came to his father's farm that fateful midsummers eve, stealing the crops they had labored over for years, scouring their house from top to bottom for anything not nailed down, and killing one of the two central authority figures in his life in the process. The other, his mother, was taken prison as Gervasius himself was, although the two would meet very different fates. His mother would be sold off to a local lord, who had very unsavory intentions, while he would be recruited into the ranks of the bandits themselves. They did not brand him with any runes, however, for obvious reasons.

Anyway, for the longest time after his capture, Gervasius had attempted to fight back, to be brash, but eventually came to the realization that he would heighten his chances of survival and escape if he simply played along. So he did. For years he went along with their raids and schemes, all the while learning the skills that allowed him to slay his captors while they slept, leaving him free to make his own way in the world. Well, almost. First he would make sure his mother was safe, if she were still alive that is. Deciding on this course of action, he made his way to the lords keep, and began snooping about, somehow managing to remain lucky enough to avoid being detected by the guards. After a few minutes of searching, he finally found the room in which his mother was being held. He did not, however, make an attempt to break her free. During his time with the bandits he learned that when confronted with a larger force one could not overcome through subtlety, to fall back and regroup. Formulate a plan of attack, learn patrol movements, and identify the main weak points of whatever you were attacking. Then, gather some men, get some weapons, and go all out.

And that's exactly what he did.

Leaving the keep, he spent the rest of his young adult years gathering resources running jobs as a freelance mercenary. Weapons, armor, rations, and men, slowly over the course of years he prepared until, at long last, he was ready. Riding forth from the city of Aeryith with its shining spires and bustling streets, he and his company of three hundred mercenaries laid siege to the castle, the main force providing an excellent distraction for the guards while Gervasius infiltrated the structure itself and freed what remained of his family. Making his way out he regrouped with his warband, who had lost around a hundred or so during the siege, and fled into nearby forest, losing their pursuers. Breaking up into smaller groups from here, they returned to Aeryith under the cover of darkness. Although some small part of him wished to know, Gervasius knew better than to ask his mother about what had happened during her time in the keep.

He knew that it'd be better for the memories to simply fade away.

After their return, the group settled down within the city. Years passed and people moved on, Gervasius mother found work as a seamstress, while he continued to lead his mercenary warband out on mission's for the inhabitants of Aeryith. New recruits were brought in to fill the empty spaces left by the dead, and new ventures are undertaken. Life, in general, was good.

Until it wasn't.

The ruling king wished to go to war with another realm across the sea, and began recruiting several mercenary parties alongside the usual gaggle of townsfolk. Among those selected was Gervasius company. And while he didn't like it, he did heed the call nonetheless, unable to refuse the orders of the highest power in the land. So, once again, the band road out to war.

Only this time things did not go as smoothly as they had expected. Quite the opposite in fact. As they went to ambush a heavily guarded caravan, Gervasius had found himself underestimating the numbers their enemy truly had, and found both himself and what little remained of his men fleeing back to the safety of a nearby city. A defeat that not only devastated troop morale, but one that gave Col pause as well. For the first time in his life, he truly began to consider the state of his world. How its petulant lords and greedy kings squabbled amongst themselves for the so-called honor of victory, while simultaneously squandering the lives of the very people who helped them attain that victory in the first place. Or how the rogue Marked roamed the lands, looting and pillaging. And at the end of it all, he decided something had to be done.

Action had to be taken, and a new order had to be established in place of the rotting corpse that was the old. It was the only way for peace to truly flourish.

So Gervasius made his way to the city's library, a hoarde of knowledge that contained books on almost everything imaginable, rune magic included. It was here that he first found mention of individuals known as Continuum Marked within the dusty pages of some long forgotten, and clearly neglected tome. While the book didn't have much in the way of specifics, it did reveal to him the location of secret temple, one in which the aforementioned Marked were rumored to have lived. Armed with this knowledge in mind, he began making preparations for his trip to the mountain temple. He gathered as much food, water, and climbing equipment as he could before finally setting off...

Alone.

While most would have gone in a group, Gervasius knew his men would just slow him down. Not only that, but he couldn't be sure they wouldn't just double cross him at some point during the journey, what with everything that had happened. So he ventured out, by himself, and started off on his long trek. One that took three grueling weeks to complete. But, finally, he arrived at the temple. Only to find it in ruin. Its walls broken and crumbling, and what little remained of its halls abandoned. Still, he would not be denied. Making his way inside, he began searching the place from top to bottom, scouring every nook and cranny for any sort of inscription or drawing that would reveal the shape of the runes he sought. And, after several hours of clawing through stone and rotten wood, he finally found what he was looking for.

In the center of one of the side chambers, deep within the temple, there was an old dusty tome lying on top of an equally old and dusty pedestal. Its pages yellowed, cracked, and worn, but still readable. And on them were the runes he sought. The power that would allow him to tear down the old kingdoms and replace them with a new, unified, empire. One that would ensure its citizens were treated with the respect they deserved. One that would live on through the ages...

One that would be, eternal.

Approaching the book in a careful manner, a manner almost akin to reverence, he examined its pages. On the left was the angular symbol of an hourglass, while the right held a spiral with warped lines, almost as though the drawing was trying to eat the page on which it was inscribed. Hastily pulling off his pack and retrieving a dagger from its cavernous depths, Gervasius rolled up his sleeve and started cutting. The bite of cold steel against warm flesh was stinging, but it was nothing he hadn't felt before. And by the end of it, he had finally finished the first part of his plan.

He had finally become a Continuum Marked.

Destroying the book, the runes having been committed to memory and flesh, Gervasius made his way out of the temple and started off down the mountain. Along the way he encountered several wild beasts, which helped provide him with some much needed practice. Calling upon the powers of his runes, which blazed in the falling snow, he destroyed them quickly and continued on his way. After a few more weeks of trekking, he finally made it back to Aeryith where he began using his runes more often while out fulfilling contracts. Once again, alone, as it seemed his company had gone their separate ways after his little trip. Somewhat disappointing he had to admit, and somewhat saddening, but not unexpected. He would have left for greener pastures too if he were in their shoes, especially after everything they'd been through.

So he let them be, and continued on with his plan.

During his time running contracts, he had a custom tailored set of robes and piece of armor made for him by one of the local craftsmen. Mainly because he needed some better clothes, but also because he needed a better way to protect the runes engraved in his arm. Once he had them, however, he was finally able to use his magic more freely. Without the ever present fear his arm would be chopped or bitten off when he least expected it. With this new advantage, he was able to become even more powerful, and after a certain point decided it was time for the next phase of his plan. Perhaps the most difficult part yet.

He declared an all out war on the rulers of the world. Using his powers to his advantage, he amassed an army and, using advanced tactics and control over spacetime to his advantage, led a conquest that saw the lords and kings fall one by one to his forces. To further air his efforts, Gervasius also forged his own blade-Omega-and imbued it with power over space and time as well. How he learned to do so is unknown, as no soul currently living on Irilia knew the secrets of weapon enchanting, but he did so nonetheless. And so it went for the next couple of years, with town after town and palace after palace falling to his might, until at last his banner was the only one flying in the ocean blue skies of Irilia. From here he began the even longer process of establishing a new order, altering his interaction with time in order to do so. Once this was done, however, the newly christened Aeternal Empire had become something beyond anything anyone could have ever imagined. A vast realm that spanned multiple timelines, overseen not only by Gervasius from the new capital of Aeryith, but his alternate selves in the other realities. Variations the he gave his runes and knowledge to, establishing the order of Chronarch's-with him as the Prime-that kept the empire running as smoothly as possible.

In addition to this he also created a legislation governing the use of runes known as the Marked One's Law, which prohibited their use inside cities and villages unless it was for self defense, the defense of another, to help fend off an approaching warband, or to aid in work, be that your own or someone else's. This was done in the hopes of preventing the rampant banditry and rune abuse Gervasius had been victim to years prior and, for the most part anyway, it worked. There were minor exceptions to this ruling of course, with small uses of rune magic for convenience sake being allowed, as they posed no real threat to the world at large.

With these things done, and the safety of the kingdom he'd built in the best hands possible, Gervasius took the time to enjoy life once again. Hosting public feasts, authorising new infrastructural developments, exploring some of the possibilities he'd conquered in greater detail, and spending more time with several friends he'd made along the way, were just a few of the activities he occupied his immortal mind with.

All things considered, life was good. Perfect, even. The kingdom was flourishing in a new era of technological and cultural enlightenment, the wars and disagreements of the past were seemingly forgotten with each new generation that came along, and people were-for the most part-satisfied with the way things were going.

But, as with many things in his life, this peace was not to last. For a few centuries later, a Chronarch driven by a desire for more power rose up in defiance of Gervasius rule. From what timeline they came or how they managed to amass an army great enough to challenge the Legions of Brass that defended the empire, no one knew. Not even the Prime himself. By the time everything was said and done, and the army mobilized, the rebellious force had already built up enough might to christen itself a temporal power in its own right. And thus a small band of rebels led by a rogue Chronarch, became Aevum, a time conquering realm that rivaled the even the great Aeternal Empire in might. So war was declared, a war of attrition as the kingdom of Aevum put more and more of existence to the sword.

It is during this troubled time that the Prime Chronarch has become the coldest he's ever been, as the effects of watching masses of people die, timelines collapse, and some of his best friends perish, have finally started to take their toll on him. Yet still he preservers. Still he carries on, as it is his duty to do so. His duty to all the friends he's lost, all the innocents who've had their families torn apart by the conflict, and all the soldiers who have given their lives in defense of the empire. As such it was this duty, this unrelenting desire to make things right once more, that drove him to recklessly traverse the void and come to the aide of a Chronarch in need. And it was this reckless traversal that sealed his fate. For just as he was about to enter the time period, a force stronger than anything he'd felt before suddenly pulled him away. Sent him tumbling through the darkness and towards a future unknown...

Other stuff: Col's weapon, Omega, while a normal steel longsword by all outward appearances, is actually a very powerful blade capable of attacking with both warped space and time. When it comes to use in combat, Gervasius will usually feint his foes first with regular strikes, before switching to launching thin waves of distorted space and time, mercilessly cutting down all those who stand in his way with attacks that are almost impossible to avoid.

One of Col's runes can be found on the back of his left hand, while the other is further up along his arm, coming to rest in the center of the outer region of his left bicep. This is the main reason he wears a gauntlet on that side of his body and very little armor anywhere else, as protecting the source of his powers is of the utmost importance. Body parts may be renewed, but the runes cannot.

Gervasius' alternate selves, at least those not aligned with Aevum anyway, all refer to themselves as Chronarch's, with him the only one to hold the additional title of Prime. A sign of his status as the true ruler of the empire, the fact that he was the first out of all his other selves to master the powers of a Continuum Marked, and the fact that he is the only variation of himself to hail from the primary timeline. The latter two being distinctions no one can lay claim to, either in word or deed.