Name:
Ahven Maldrich.Occupation: Demon Hunter.
Age: Early sixties, appears in his twenties.
Race: Former human, current half-breed (demon and human).
Appearance: Tall at 6’4” and slender at 200 pounds, Ahven possessed a lithe strength and speed that made him a formidable combatant even before his transformation, which only increased his physical capabilities further. In addition, the presence of demon blood in his body has turned his hair white, skin pale, and eyes a deep silver-red hue.
History: Born into a world on the brink of war, Ahven was trained from childhood to become a hunter of demons and drive them back to the realm from which they came. This task is not a simple one, as it is the magic, or essence, from the demon realm that powers the technology from the human one, and to seal the breaches entirely would destroy a civilization. Instead, once the effects that demon blood could have on a human were discovered, the hunters were created; humans that have consumed the blood of demons and survived. Doing so granted them access to the essence of the demons power and they became more than human; living conduits for the energy that is drawn from the demon realm to power the expansion of industry. Ahven was sixteen when he and eleven others went through the ritual to become a full hunter; seven of them were killed outright by the process while three more were driven insane. Of the original dozen students, only two passed through the final test unscathed. Since that time, Ahven has worked tirelessly to perfect the gifts his demon blood has granted him and become one of the foremost hunters to date, far surpassing the median life expectancy of forty-two years.
Demonic Blood:
Granted by his demon blood, Ahven possesses physical capabilities far superior to any human, allowing him to lift one ton of weight above his head, maintain a pace of thirty miles per hour for an extended period of time, and withstand blows from those who are his equal in strength. His eyesight has been altered to see clearly in darkness and at greater distance than a human, while his hearing and smell have become comparable to those of predatory animals. His blood as well has been altered, gaining a corrosive quality due to the demonic essence it is imbued with and rendering him resistant to poison and disease. If injured non-fatally, his body will repair the damage quickly enough to prevent the wound from becoming fatal in time, but only to the point where death is averted. To heal himself fully requires both time and an expenditure of energy, as well as complete focus (cannot be done in combat).
Essence Manipulation:
Due to his connection with the energy of the demon realm (via his now-demonic blood), Ahven has access to several forms of demon magic, though all require a portion of the same energy. This energy, when not in use, will replenish at a rate of 1% of its maximum capacity per second (or in writing terms, 5% per combat post, 20% per non-combat post). Additionally, he cannot be harmed by his own energy and any of his own offensive spells he is in range of will have no affect on him.
Essence Shift.
Teleportation would be a more common name for this ability, though in truth it is a method of traversing between dimensions as much as transporting oneself from one point to another within the same realm. This ability is what allows hunters to follow the demons to their own realm to destroy the portals they’ve created, then traverse back due to their human connection with their own realm. A hunter is the only known being that can pass back and forth entirely at will. When used to alter one’s location within the same realm, a full quarter (25%) of the user’s essence is required to initiate the spell and the user can then move anywhere within 25 meters of their current location, instantaneously. Any distance greater than that requires a corresponding increase in the expenditure of energy, up to a maximum distance of 100 meters (beyond 25 meters, the drain increases by 1% per meter, and below 25 meters the drain is always at least 25%). Once used, the hunter must wait a period of 15 seconds (3 combat posts) to shift again or risk a buildup of 'dead energy', which (predictably) will kill them.
Essence Binding.
As the name suggests, this spell is a method of attaching one object to another by binding them together with demonic essence. The strength of this bond, as well as the range of it, is determined by the amount of energy put into the spell, with the binding strength increasing by 50 pounds for every 1% of energy used (maximum binding force of 5,000 pounds with full energy expenditure). Likewise, the radius of the area the binding affects increases by 1 meter for every 20% of energy expended, with a cost increase of 0% if binding a single object to one other object (or a single object to itself to create a net-like effect). Binding force and area of effect do stack in regards to energy use, so a maximum of 2,500 pounds of binding force could be applied to a 2.5 meter radius, or 3,500 pounds to a 1.5 meter radius, or 1,000 pounds to a 4 meter radius, and so on (note: these variations require full energy expenditure to achieve, and are not examples of standard usage). The spell lasts for 5 seconds once cast (one post), and can be extended for another five seconds with an energy expenditure equal to half the initial casting cost (can be maintained until energy reserves are depleted). Ahven must be in physical contact with at least one of the objects being bound in order to initiate the spell (unless using a trap. See below). If used to bind Ahven himself to an object, energy expenditure is reduced to 5% per post, binding force is locked at 500 pounds, and area of effect is not applicable.
Essence Transfer.
By far the most violent of Ahven’s abilities, the transfer of essence allows Ahven to strike much harder than would otherwise be possible by releasing a portion of his energy into the target on contact. The rate of transfer is equal to 1% of his maximum essence per 50 pounds of force applied, for a maximum of 5,000 pounds of force (7,000 if supplementing with physical strength). This can also be applied as an area effect blast whose radius increases by 1 meter for every 20% of essence spent. As is the case with binding, the expenditure of energy does stack (2,500 pounds of force for a 2.5 meter radius explosion and so on. Again, this is an example of maximum potential, not standard usage). The explosion is either centered on Ahven himself, or whatever object he is touching.
Demonic Awareness.
A sixth sense, so to speak, this ability allows Ahven to sense his environment without the use of his eyes or other senses at a cost of 1% per second used (5% per post).
Non-combat abilities.
Meditative Restoration.
By focusing his supply of demonic essence within his own body, Ahven can use it to rejuvenate his own physical energy and well-being, healing wounds, curing disease and counteracting poison. To do this, however, he must be able to concentrate completely on the task (unlike combat skills, essence is still generated while using the restoration ability, though the cost for the skill cancels any gains that might have been made).
Essence Attunement.
Ahven is capable of sensing his own energy over vast distances, allowing him to easily determine the location of any traps he has set or any items powered by his essence.
Essence-based technology:
Swords. (non-lootable)
Short by most standards, these twin blades are nevertheless exceedingly effective at what they are designed to do. Fortified with enchantments that render them wholly unyielding as well as eternally sharp, they are the primary weaponry given to a demon hunter upon graduation, to then be enchanted further as each hunter desires. Ahven decided to forego any further enchantments in favor of the efficiency provided by simplicity, and thus far it has served him exceedingly well.
Pistols.
Powered by the demonic energy his body generates, these twin pistols are designed to store and release that energy on command in short but volatile projectile bursts. The mechanics of the weapon allow it to compress and multiply the force of the energy into a more destructive, yet much more precise attack than Ahven is capable of on his own, and the range of the weapon is also a distinct advantage against purely melee foes. Each projectile will travel for a distance of 100 meters before dissipating, and the force with which it strikes is enough to drive a hole through 2 centimeters of steel. Charging the weapon requires both time and concentration, and allows him to fire 7 times before needing to replenish. The replenishment process itself is similar to that of restoration, and cannot be done in combat. If these weapons are looted, the looter will be able to use them for however many shots remain, but after that will be unable to refill their reserves. There is no external indication of ammo reserves.
Traps.
Small disks that can easily fit in the palm of a hand, a hunter’s trap is a device designed to temporarily contain demonic essence while in a volatile state. To arm a trap, a demon hunter will simply cast the desired spell into the device, which will then create an appropriate seal to contain the energy. To detonate the trap, the seal can either be altered to decay at a specified rate, resulting in a delayed detonation, or simply destroyed remotely by the hunter who set the trap. When active, a trap will expand to four times its inactive size, making the transportation of more than a handful of armed traps difficult at best. Energy requirements are equal to those of the standard spells, with the only difference being the remote/ranged capability a trap provides. Ahven possesses 12 of these devices.
Armor.
With the exception of his bracers, which are an enchanted metal that can withstand blows from the swords of another hunter, Ahven’s armor is lightly enchanted leather designed to provide maximum agility and an increased ability to blend into shadows and darkness.
Bright light.
Due to his ability to see in near-total darkness, his eyes are very sensitive to bright light and sudden flashes can disorient and/or blind him temporarily (he generally wears a hood to help compensate for this).
Holy magic.
While his human side does provide some resistance to this, any use of holy magic against him will bypass the resistances granted by his demonic blood and affect him as it would a normal human.
