Glass Cathedral

[Hector]

Looking through shattered dreams and cracked memories, what will go here?

Heavy WIP.
Additional content will be added with time.

[Hector]

NPC BIN

Bin for Approved NPCs.

Vergil

N P C: Vergil Lapera

Details
Race: Human, Vampyre
Age: 53
born Searing 27, 68 AoS
Height: 6’5"
Weight: 265 lbs


Occupation: Chirurgeon, Phlebotomist
Title: Necrodoctor
NPC Type: Companion
Influence: 6

Skills:


Exp Log:

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250 Starter Pack
30 Ransera B-Day
150 Searing 122
350 NaNo
100 Ash 122
70 Frost 122
150 Glade 123 (pending)
Total: 1090

Banked Exp: 150

Personality:

-> Soft Spoken, Empathetic, Intelligent, Studious, Attentive, Patient, Stoic, Introverted, Austere, Passionate, Loyal, Vigilant, Gentle

Quiet and Introverted, Vergil has a tendency to keep to himself the overwhelming majority of the time. As a result, he spent the majority of his childhood buried in books which instilled into him a lifelong love of learning. Though he often comes across as academic and cold on the surface, this is not the case. Rather, he simply prefers to stifle his emotions and avoid displaying them.

Vergil is also something of a natural caretaker and protector towards that which he holds dear. By most, he is considered an amiable gentle giant. These things woven with a desire to help and heal led him down a path in the field of medicine where he is beloved by his patients for both his skill and temperament.

History:

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Born in Zaichaer to a working class family of the Grymalka coven, his childhood was relatively quiet. Bright, curious and kind, Vergil's thirst for knowledge began at a rather young age. As a result, he spent most of his youth studying various things that interested him from biology to Necromancy.

Rather than seek to destroy, Vergil wished to restore, to heal. He adored the medicinal applications of Necromancy and wound up working his way to becoming a rather prominent doctor in the city during his early adulthood. People quite liked him for his creative problem solving, diagnostic ability, skills when working under pressure in addition to his kindness and generally soft demeanor.

As time passed, one of his most admired colleagues, a surgeon he sought to model himself after, began to speak to him about a community he was a part of. The man spoke so highly of it for so long even without ever outright mentioning the name. Eventually, Vergil was both intensely curious and interested in joining. It was at that point that his companion revealed the community's name– the Cult of Mending. At first, he was taken aback. A lot of hear-say surrounding the cult was not quite positive, after all. And yet, the other man had made it all sound rather wonderful…so despite what else he had heard, he decided to join them anyway.

After ten years in the cult, at age forty, Vergil was granted the rune of Vitalis. Ever since, he'd focused on the medicinal applications of the rune. While all of his patients who were not members of the cult had no idea he possessed such a thing, he nonetheless used it to perform veritable miracles. As a result, his professional success bloomed ever more beautifully. With success often comes power, too. His social influence over those he worked with and worked on ballooned, allowing him to easily persuade many to join the flock of the Menders.

A few years after he gained the rune, the child of a couple running a prominent local apothecary began hanging around the cult's Vitalitasi. The boy, called Hector, had been taught the basics of his parents' craft as well as simple medicine and he wanted to learn more– more about the body, more about magic, more about blood, flesh and bone. The boy's particular interests and enthusiasm for learning reminded Vergil of himself in his youth, so he offered to help with his studies. While some of his mage colleagues' methods were rather cruel and callously used the child for their own gain, Vergil questioned the ethics of this and instead largely abstained. For the most part, he used corpses to teach the young one– although sometimes, he did opt not to use members of the dead.

As years went by and Hector aged, Vergil used the boy's tenacity, endurance, enthusiasm and precocious nature as reasons to convince others of high standing in the cult that he should be granted the rune of Vitalis. Having become the mentor figure that Hector both admired most and spent the majority of his time with, Vergil was told that if this was to be done, it would be he who gives the other the rune. Of course, he had little opposition to this. The initiation proceeded, although precariously, and the rune was granted. However, Hector was never quite the same after that experience.

Four years since then lies horrifying change; the age of steel year 122. In the time leading up to searing of that year, Vergil had continued his practice as a doctor as well as tutoring Hector in Blood Magic. For the most part, life was quiet…but there were signs something was amiss. Whispers about catastrophe, rumors drumming up fear of magic more aggressively than usual. In that time, he noticed a strange black fog sometimes enveloping his student– though when pressed, the younger man refused to say anything. Before he ever found out the answer, calamity struck. The skies cracked open and Zaichaer was torn asunder.

Life as he knew it was over and though unsure of the future, Vergil just wanted himself and his protege to survive.

Al'Kassis

N P C: Al'Kassis

Details
Nickname: Tirspi
Sphere: Eldritch
Current Level: Greater
Length of Contract: Permanent - Aidolon

Description:
Composed of what appears to be strange, viscous black liquid, it can shift its actual shape into whatever it sees fit– the creature, however, is about as tangible as an early morning’s mist. Usually, it picks a shape that benefits its purpose. For example, when it first appeared to Hector, it surrounded him in its fog and condensed into the shape of a human figure to appear more relatable despite having no ties to mortal races whatsoever.

Empowered now by having spent ample time entwined with Hector, the spirit is able to flex between standard, shapeless black smog and a fully solid corporeal form.

Temperament
Not much has been gleaned about the personality of this spirit. Other than the fact that it has a deep desire for power and claims that it wants a symbiotic relationship with Hector, there is little that has been expressed. This is likely because the creature is trying to hide its true motives– whatever they may be.

Despite having been connected for years, Hector has not managed to uncover much of this eldritch spirit’s storied origins. It, however, has grown notably more excitable and talkative as it has grown in strength.

In late Ash 122, it was found that the spirit is grandchild to Lyra, child to Kirva.

Abilities

Leech Life:
If the spirit somehow managed to gain access to the material world through one way or another– in function, its attachment to Hector– it has the ability to leech the vitality of mortals in order to begin the slow journey of self empowerment. As it is now, it may siphon from any living thing.

Anything that lives caught within the black shadows of its form is susceptible to being leeched. Though it depends on the tenacity of the creature in question, the speed at which it will drain something to death has increased to about the same as a vampyr thieving vitality through harvest.

Haunt:
If the spirit envelopes any creature in its mist, they will feel the fingers of paranoia gently begin to tug at their thoughts, terrifying whispers scratching at the back of their heads. These whispers are specific and personal to the target of the haunting. For somebody of sufficient wisdom or strength of mind, this can be ignored, but the strength required, at this point, would be somebody with magical resistance at or above master level– a grandmaster being capable of resisting, a master would struggle, and the average person has little chance to dispel the noise.

In addition, it can cause hallucinations within the darkness– flashes of things gleaned from a person’s memories, things evocative of only the most profoundly negative emotions. The hallucinations cannot cause harm in and of themselves but are visceral in their vividity.

Nightfall:
The spirit can create darkness without requiring the use of its body. Within a 50 meter circular radius, the spirit may engulf this area in complete darkness that absorbs or snuffs out all sources of light within. In addition, people within the radius will hear the spirit's voice as well as the sounds of bells and an incomprehensible chorus of odd feedback sounds and whispers. Lastly, the spirit itself will be able to see with perfect clarity during nightfall, insofar as being able to detect the aura of living creatures through solid structures.

Silence:
Within the boundaries of its own form or the darkness created by Nightfall, the spirit can mute all sound from crossing in or out of the effect.

Corporeal Form

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Having spent sufficient time gaining strength in the material realm, the spirit can now manifest for himself a 'mortal'-looking body. He can interact with the world as any other mortal mage can this way.

Bloodline: Kirva’s Descendant
Al'Kassis is son of Kirva, mother of monsters, grandson to Lyrielle. Though it was revealed to him that he was a descendent of Lyrielle, he remains unaware of who his true parents are– nevertheless, he still bears the gifts of his kin.

From her, he inherited the ability to further condense the miasma he's composed of into a viscous, slime-like ooze. This sludge is not unlike miasma in and of itself, but it is a primordial form with unique properties extended from Kirva herself. The ooze he creates is black, yet reflects and refracts light in a way that often results in a chromatic sheen. Further, it is odorless, tasteless, and completely benign on its own.

In a manner not unlike the Thaumaturgy of blood magic, Al'Kassis can manipulate this slime as a conduit for his own abilities. It may be slung at a target, left behind on surfaces as a parting gift, used as a poison, so on. The magic within the substance will persist until the slime itself dissipates or is otherwise manually removed. Potent as Al'Kassis has become from continuously feeding on Hector, the slime can persist for months if left alone. The duration of the effects once activated, however, depend on the skill imposed into the substance.

[Hector]

Medical Records

Trauma

*Specific records prior to Searing 122 were lost in the aftermath of great disaster.

5 Sun's Zenith, Searing, 122
Severe trauma from being clubbed by a grotesque abomination's mallet-esque arm; the arm as roughly the size of the average adult human male and patient made impact with a stone slab when he landed. This resulted in numerous broken bones, torn and bruised muscles and connective tissues, damaged organs, and dislocated joints.

Surgical repair done by Vergil Lapera later on 5 Sun's Zenith and completed on 6 Sun's Zenith.



19 Sun's Zenith, 122
Relatively minor flesh wounds, large amount of blood loss.

Both issues resolved with a combination of patient's own Vitalis rune and that of Vergil of Lapera.

*both of the above included Vergil reinforcing Hector's muscle and bone density in the process of the repairs, making him more durable.

Voluntary

*Specific records prior to Searing 122 were lost in the aftermath of great disaster, though his Vitalis initiation will forever be burned into his head.

7th Sun's Zenith, Searing 118
Fully body reconstruction as made possible by successful initiation into the ranks of the Vitalitasi.

The following changes were made:
-Hormones adjusted to that of what one would expect from a typical biological male.
-He opted to not regenerate his breasts, instead leaving his chest as one would expect on a biological male.

Psychology

*Specific records prior to Searing 122 were lost in the aftermath of great disaster, though his Vitalis initiation will forever be burned into his head.

File penned by [redacted].

Notes:
Patient is emotionally volatile; facilitating his development as a mage and giving him Inquisitorial power is not recommended. If it is to be insisted upon, he and his companion, Vergil Lapera, should not be separated as he is the source of what stability Hector does possess.

7th Sun's Zenith, Searing 118
Fully body reconstruction as made possible by successful initiation into the ranks of the Vitalitasi.

It would appear that this has hindered the patient's impulse control skills; might be resolved in time as his brain continues to develope.
He is also less capable of controlling his own emotions than before.

5 Sun's Zenith, Searing, 122
The destruction of Zaichaer will likely be etched into the young patient's memories for many years to come, possibly spanning the majority of life; this is only debatable due to the potential for vampyres to live very, very long lives.

Patient has developed PTSD over this incident.
Patient also appears to have lost his sense of self, his identity over this incident.
He is continuing to be monitored for evidence of a full ego death.
Many other existing issues were also made worse, including his problems with anxiety and tendency to become overstimulated.

As of around Glade 60th, Hector and Vergil both have completed simulacrums housed within Vergil's Imperial Laboratory.

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Bloodseed - Acquired at Master. A vampyre may only ever have a single Bloodseed at a given time. The creation of a Bloodseed is the reassurance that no matter the fate of one’s physical body, the vampyre will be reborn. It is a process that requires some forethought and preparation but once ready, it is a powerful tool in the vampyre’s formidable arsenal. The blood mage removes the heart of a still living person and in the process, destroys that person’s body reducing it to primordial sludge that is now a vat of raw organic material. The vampyre then takes the still in-tact heart and places it in a coffin, chamber or some manner of receptacle that is capable of housing a body safely, leaving it in there by itself. They must then fill the entire receptacle with their own vitale, a process that may take several days depending on how much blood the vampyre is willing and able to shed at a given time.

Following this, the vampyre must then consume the sludge that serves as the remains of their victim. It must remain in their body for at least one hour during which they must meditate and channel their blood magic powers throughout the whole of their being. They must then regurgitate the sludge into the receptacle holding the heart. This must be repeated until all of the sludge has been consumed and regurgitated.

The vampyre must then seal the container. Over the course of the next few weeks, the heart that has been infused with the vampyre’s essence, will grow a body using the raw material it is suspended in. This body will be identical to the vampyre’s body. It will be in a state of suspended animation, soulless, mindless and without function. Until the vampyre experiences the destruction of their body. Provided they are on the same plane of existence as their Bloodseed and that nothing inhibits their soul from doing so, the vampyre’s soul will immediately be drawn to the waiting body where they will awaken, whole and among the living once more. Additionally, even if their soul is somehow trapped whether through the tools of a powerful necromancer or other means, should the vampyre ever be freed of such imprisonment, they can go to their Bloodseed. So long as the container remains sealed, the body inside will remain in a state of suspended animation.