Draedan Request

[Taelian Edevane]

Hello! Taelian will be eligible to be a Draedan in this coming November (so, a few days from now), so I figured I'd get the ball rolling. I'm interested in his father being Jaxkael, or God-King Jack. I have his abilities all written up and his domains in mind, as well as the story (or explanation, I suppose) of his conception. I think I also have a plot in mind.

So -- with that being said, I'd like to get your initial go-ahead! Once I get a tentative approval, I'll post my abilities, story and plot idea as three separate posts in here. Thanks!

[Ruin]

Hello, Taelian.

I have no qualms with your PC becoming a Draedan in November. Please post the explanation of the history, the plot in which Taelian discovers his divine heritage, and the list of your chosen abilities/domains in this thread respectively. Once they're up, I'll review them here.

Keep in mind that though this request might receive a green light now, you may not begin playing as a Draedan until your PC has been active for a full year (in a few days).

Build to last,
Ruin.

[Taelian Edevane]

The Son of Tyranny

The Son of Tyranny
The child of God-King Jack, conquest, decimation and control are instilled into the Draedan's veins. Taelian's powers take after his father's almost directly, as do his eventual domains: Invasion, Hate and Vengeance, formed by his lineage and by his eternal need for revolt.

Divine Abilities
- First Tier
Ig'rashai: Sworn Revenge
Sworn Revenge is a divine ability that can only manifest upon one individual at a time. The Mark of Vengeance (pictured above) appears at the center of their forehead, red, with an outline that presents itself as gruesome, peeled flesh as if it were carved into their skin. So long as Ig'rashai is active on the foe, Taelian will be able to find and pursue them even through planes, making escape from him nearly impossible. All damage dealt by him is magnified in pain and brutality, more easily ripping through and breaking apart limbs and bones. The more the target tires, the more he can magnify their pain, doing so remotely with his own mind. He can also cast what is called a 'Hateglare' on the marked foe, a destructive red beam that can either fire at roughly the size of a fist from his knuckles, or stalk foes in the form of thin beams, capable of arcing and bending in pursuit. These Glares, modeled after his most prolific mage-ability, are highly destructive and capable of incinerating through virtually any physical material. They can extend as far as the eye can see, and arrive at their destination near-instantly, acting like a rail. All-in-all, Sworn Revenge acts as an exemplary tool for dueling, designed to push a foe to physical and mental extremes. Taelian can apply it to any individual in his presence at first, though upon acquiring Hellish Breach, he can apply it to anyone he is aware of.

Akanu: Tyrannical Blood
Tyrannical Blood offers Taelian a Divine augmentation to his strength, resistance, and speed. As Jaxkael is a warrior above all, this heritage passes onto his son, who exceeds most other Draedan in physical ability. Tyrannical Blood makes Taelian massively more strong, capable of lifting and throwing boulders, breaking through stone with simple thrusts of his knuckles, crushing foes with overbearing strikes... further, with his muscles augmented in their power and effectiveness, he is capable of running and moving at considerably higher speeds. It is also wildly difficult to tire him out, and his body is deeply resistant to damage and pain. Enduring extremes is inherent to Taelian's blood, and he can seemingly fight almost at full capacity disregarding his chest being torn open, a blade being lodged into his spine, or even if his skull has been caved in. Not only does his body act as a densely armored shell, but even once punctured he can seemingly endure all but fatal wounds. As all Draedan progressively gain traits like these through their development, Taelian gains them even moreso, growing exponentially as he nears and reaches Exaltation.

Norak: Conquerors Ward
Conquerors Ward is a multi-purpose shield, one that utilizes Divinity to conjure and control. It is an almost transparent, but red-tinted barrier the Draedan may form, with complex infernal glyphs inscribed at the core of every ward. Using Conquerors Ward, Taelian may form independent wards with his mind, or may layer wards over parts of his body, armor, shields or weaponry. The power of a shield is dependent upon the amount of Divinity imbued into it; most are built to resist physical weaponry, but more costly ones may endure enchanted weapons, gunfire or even magic. Like with all such shields, the integrity of the shield can be damaged through duress, and it requires Divinity to reinforce. One barrier or ward can be endlessly reinforced until Taelian's reserves of Divinity have run empty, in fact, meaning it can often serve as his primary tool in attrition-battles with powerful magi, pushing them to the extremes of overstepping to try and overcome his ward.

- Second Tier
Dren: Gatebreaker
Gatebreaker is a unique ability in that it seems to mirror a particular technology: cannons, and mortars. Taelian forms a Divinity-enriched, or ethereal, version of these weapons but only for a quick single-shot, firing a thunderous and rapid, glowing red-shell across large stretches of distance, only to make devastating impact. Gatebreaker is surprisingly versatile; he can form several ground-cannons at once and fire them, destroying entire walls in moments, or he can conjure arced mortar shots from the ground, or -- interestingly -- he can wield cannons and mortars over his shoulders or even his back, acting as secondary weapons of his. Due to the divine nature of these weapons, they appear to be easily shifted and reformed to his will, and can even meld with or phase through his body without issue. The cannons tend to appear as ethereal red constructs, rather than real physical weapons, though Taelian may craft them with the illusion of physicality if he so wishes. Each shot from the cannons can vary based on the amount of Divinity dedicated to the shot, but they can range from punching vast holes in walls to blasting the foundations of entire castles away, particularly as Taelian reaches Exaltation. Gatebreaker can be formed anywhere within fifty feet of Taelian, but not directly on the body of an enemy.

Nadok: Blood Effigy
Acting as one of his primary methods of transportation, Taelian is capable of dedicating the flesh, blood and bones of his fallen enemies to effigy-like altars that pool blood around them, pouring infinite amounts around their base like a fountain. The effigies are completely preserved through time, never rotting and resisting being eaten away by insects and other predators. These altars can exist in any plane, and Taelian can transport himself or his allies to any effigy from any effigy so long as they are physically in the presence of one of them, even being able to move from Bel to Atharen, or from the Outlands to another plane. Multiple can exist in one plane, as well. Taelian is limited to up to twelve effigies, and begins with a limit of five, gaining one more as he masters each of his subsequent abilities prior to his Domains. Upon reaching full Godhood, he can create up to fifteen, and possibly even twenty as his Divine Spark grows in power.

Krikus: Dreg-King
His second passive bolster, Krikus - or Dreg-King - finally aligns Taelian with the physiology of his father's retinue. Taelian gains some of the physical traits of these infernal beasts, gaining addendums that he may choose to manifest at-will. He may gain red-colored demon-like wings, similar to bat-wings in appearance. These wings are lined with an armored, silver-like trim along their span, with their fingers carrying this same gilded armor-like texture. Due to their divine nature, they can suspend flight even when tattered and wounded, and with them Taelian can fly at extreme speeds of around 360 km/h. Further, Taelian's arms and legs grow black spine-like shards along them, few and scattered, but still notable. Appearing almost like onyx stones growing on parts of his body, they further remind onlookers of his relation to Dregs. They are most prominent on his shoulders, where around six of them run along the surface of those shoulders. He may also manifest thick, black, ram-like horns above his ears, running diagonally along the length of his skull until they rise as a sort of infernal crown. Like the spines and wings, these horns may be hidden at-will.

- Third Tier
Xadik: Ruination
Xadik is Taelian's divine weapon, a silver, flanged mace with onyx undertones, imbued with ruby gemstones across its shape. Xadik's blunt strength is phenomenal, only further enhanced by Taelian's physical might. Each strike is capable of producing violent kinetic force, breaking through weapons, bones and armor. Against weaker foes, a single swing of Xadik is capable of killing several soldiers, due to the sheer bludgeoning force produced by each swing, following after its motion in the form of an ethereal red. At its most basic, Xadik is perfected bludgeoning force: merely its swing bares down power that can crush through almost all physical barricades before it. When enhanced with Divinity, Xadik meets its zenith. The weapon becomes enlarged, taking on the same shape but with a hellish red ethereal hue encompassing it. It doubles in size but vastly increases in weight, becoming so heavy that each strike takes longer to wind. As a benefit, however, each strike it makes produces an immense destructive force on impact, similar to that of Gatebreaker. These impacts will release massive, red bursts of divine energy, blowing men into scattered red gore and even dense metals into dented ribbons across the field. Xadik is also capable of batting at and crushing magical abilities and shields, though only if given sufficient divine energy to overpower them.

Kaghan: Atrophy
Kaghan is an ability meant to foster further advantage, a tool that Taelian may use to seek out his vengeance with a skewed outcome. It is why, as the would-be Lesser God of Vengeance, he is such a devastating duelist. Kaghan allows him to bleed corruption through his Mark of Vengeance, which has multiple damaging effects. First, it causes for the target of his Sworn Revenge to take on more dramatic repercussions from Mageblight, and may trigger it on an enemy who has yet to succumb to it. Secondly, it will result in any present wound producing an atrophy effect, weakening the enemy and opening up the potential for the corruption of their wounds, a potentially lethal infection. Atrophy can be dangerously effective on mages and warriors alike, and requires only a minor amount of Divinity to inflict. The most devastating part of Atrophy is that, with further Divinity, it can be increasingly escalated in severity until worse stages of Mageblight or corruption become a certainty, making Taelian a capable mage-slayer, though Ascended magi - with their moderate Mageblight resistance - still stand a chance.

Fergun: Revenge
This ability only works in Bel. It allows Taelian to craft a Dreg of Vengeance with his Divinity, creating a spiritual emissary to fight for his cause in the Endless War. The Dreg can vary in appearance, but almost all Dregs of Vengeance tend to appear as demonic, red entities similar to a man in size and shape, wearing plate armor with crimson wings distending outward, holding some manner of blunt weapon or spear. By expending great amounts of Divinity, Taelian may craft more powerful Dregs, though he must do so with gaps of days in-between. Considering this ability is intended to be used for the story and these Dregs are largely confined to Bel, the quantity of Dregs under Taelian's control and their overall might should be determined by the moderators involved with Taelian's plot.

- Fourth Tier
Ekon: Mass Enrage
Ekon allows Taelian to massively produce hatred and rage, the Divinity-enriched emotion flowing out of his form in one of two different ways: one, it can be directly channeled into specific individuals, or, it can simply be unleashed to any and all entities around him. While this ability may appear to have limited application, there are a few things that can make it truly overbearing, beyond what any Mentalist can inflict. To begin with: the emotions produced by Ekon are so overwhelming that no one can resist them, even people who have no emotions at all (such as Famished). Even the most passive person, or someone with the greatest willpower, cannot resist Ekon's compulsion for long. One reason for this is that Divinity may be channeled into it endlessly until it works, and it will not take much before all intended victims eventually succumb to its influence. The second reason for Ekon's potency is that the hatred and rage inflicted is a violent one. All affected individuals will likely begin to rampage, assaulting anyone in sight. While normally this sort of effect may lead someone to ignore their own loved ones, due to their internal positive feelings about them, Ekon brings one's most negative, hateful and mistrustful feelings to the surface, causing even life-long lovers to process the things they hate most about one another at the very forefront, with these feelings vastly amplified to the point of violence. Because of the way Ekon works, it can easily be used within a crowd of people -- or even within the ranks of an army -- to produce a ceaseless bloodbath, people prioritizing their hateful need for what they perceive as vengeance even above their own survival. While under this effect, the eye of the victim will glow a piercing red.

Perikor: Nemesis
Perikor is Taelian's second divine artifact, a gauntlet that forms a multi-lashed whip. The gauntlet is a silver glove-like bracer that extends into armored claws. Along its length are ruby gems, and it carries a sleek sheen that becomes most prominent in the light. The gauntlet can form the whip at will, which appears as multiple lash-like cords of divine energy. The power of Perikor is its diversity. The lashes of the whip can condense together to cast a powerful Hateglare at will, without need of a Sworn Foe, one whose edges can be changed to reshape it into a malleable weapon, or even shield, capable of parrying and deflecting attacks from afar. He can also split the lashes of the whip into up to six, silver daggers with a red glow, which he can control with complete precision within either sight, or a hundred feet around him if he cannot see them. By expending a small amount of Divinity, he can also switch places with one of these daggers. The whip can, of course, also strike normally -- in which case, its long lashes will sear through even dense plating as if it were parchment, searing through physical matter touched. While wielding Perikor, Taelian can choose to expand the gauntlet into a full suit of plate armor. The armor is of a similar appearance to the gauntlet, a medium plate designed to resist magic while allowing for mobility. The entirety of the armor is silver and ornate, with red gemstones decorating the shoulders, gauntlets and chest.

Ikhan: Hateful Presence
Hateful Presence is a simple ability. It acts somewhat similarly to Mass Enrage, but instead focuses the extreme ire of a specific, selected few individuals towards Taelian. While under the effect of Hateful Presence, they will not seek to harm anyone but him, focusing all of their destructive anger to the Draedan himself. This acts as a way for him to compel his duels further, forcing most of them to become inescapable fights-to-the-death. It also serves to protect his allies, particularly considering his defensive capabilities. Hateful Presence does expend Divinity to channel, but not a considerable amount.

- Domain Abilities
Invasion: Trespasser
As one of Taelian's ultimate abilities as a Draedan, he is capable of stapling planes of reality together momentarily, at a specific point. The realities are mirrored, yet they blend into one another seamlessly, with a person able to freely walk in-between Bel and Muid (for example) if they are both tied together. This produces a strange, yet stunning effect, one that can extend outward for up a mile. What is truly dangerous about Trespasser is that it allows the conditions of the planes to bleed into one another, as well; the corruption of Bel could spew into the living world, the noxious elements of the Outlands could do the same, or even the absence of gravity. Trespasser allows Taelian to invade planes, capable of sending forth his Dregs through the rift and into their opposed plane, where they can traverse without restriction. Of course, this does not allow Corrupted Gods through Bel (as they remain locked within), but opens up the possibility for sending out true horrors into the living world, or perhaps even the well-intentioned into other realms. Trespasser, as one of Taelian's Domains, expends less Divinity than one might expect, but can still overwhelm him if abused. He determines the proportions of these dimensional staples, and therefore can either expend minor amounts of Divinity, or vast quantities if he opens them too wide.

Hate: Rebuke
Rebuke is an unfair ability, but it is also one that comes near the peak of Taelian's true ascension to that of a Lesser God. It is incredibly simple: Taelian may automatically perform it on the target of his Sworn Revenge, banishing them to the plane of Bel, within the Mantle of Arun. After doing so, he may simply select a new target for his Sworn Revenge, and can do the same to them. Rebuke, due to the way it forces another to Bel even despite their soul's resistance, is a costly ability that consumes a significant amount of Divinity. However, considering it can be used to force a foe into a near inescapable position and within the Draedan's own turf, the resulting dread can easily be considered worth it. Taelian can choose at the moment of Rebuking a foe to follow them to exactly where they are in Bel, isolating them against his wroth. Rebuke can only be performed on someone in Taelian's presence.

Vengeance: Hellish Breach
With this ability, Taelian finally ascends to that of Lesser Godhood, and becomes capable of smiting those who slight him, even from afar. This is akin to a first glimpse at omnipotence, the greatest aspect of Divinity that the Creator-Gods themselves wield over their domains. Hellish Breach acts as a passive and activated ability: Taelian becomes able to feel vengeance, hatred, a desire for conquest and comeuppance. He can hear when others call on his name, whether in prayer or malice, and he can vengefully feel when others attempt to spite or harm him even with mere words. This ability is called Hellish Breach because he is capable of hearing and observing these things even through a breach between planes, and can penetrate the veil of realities in order to do harm. Depending on the severity of the slight, Taelian can seek his revenge with sudden, crushing pain, immobility and atrophy (as seen before), or even physical retribution, though non-lethally. For example, if someone were to destroy one of his Blood Effigies, he could force them to the ground and assault their senses with a taste of pure immiserating agony. Worst still, this ability can be channeled even when in his presence: striking Taelian can result in being struck back, with his Divinity channeling anguish and vulnerability into the aggressor. In many ways, Taelian's divine powers serve as tools of deterrence and retribution, encouraging others not to draw his ire. No ability does so more than Hellish Breach, simply for its ability to invoke agonizing suffering without escape or recourse. Upon mastering Hellish Breach, Taelian can apply Sworn Revenge to up to six foes at once. When targeting his Marked foes, the Draedan can channel Hateglare from his shoulders down the length of his arms, encircling his muscles like snakes before firing outward in coordinated, arcing beams, bending and twisting at-will.

[Taelian Edevane]

The Son of Tyranny

The Conception
Damien Ela'Rannoch first met "Jack" in the form of his projection, a strangely alluring red-haze that lingered within the enclosed space. In the early days of his relationship with his would-be wife, back then Liara Sil'Morian, Damien and the woman would often attend the gatherings of a small cult that communed in secret, within the grimy streets of the Pyred Bedlam. These days were of a time before the Black Remedy rose to prominence, before there were any stirs of rebellion. The stirs, instead, dwelt within the minds of Sil-Elaine's inhabitants, who dreamt of other ways to live free and outside of the Dranoch's bounds. Liberation was a fantasy of theirs, but one never indulged by reality. No matter how often they prayed to the Gods -- and no matter how many died for being found to be worshipers of the Living Pantheon - no hand extended out to them from the heavens.

The people most desperate, then, would often look below. They wondered if the occult, if the Corrupted, could offer them what the Lords of Muid could not. Valteran had created the crisis they lived in; it was clear that even those locked in Bel had the power to influence the uncorrupted world. Curiosity, and youth, led the two curious lovers to fall into Jaxkael's cult where they prayed to him, and made their offerings. Liara of wealth, Damien of blood. When the God finally appeared, he would speak to them and entertain their thoughts. It was a rarity for any Divine Adac to present themselves to a lowly crowd of worshipers, yet the subjugation of the Elainians had interested the man, and the swell of worship in him, doubly so.

Jack made promises of power and freedom to the cultists, if only they bound their souls to him. He spoke of Bel as a sort of paradise for the soul: a place for it to live out an afterlife of meaning and authority. He vaguely referred to the Endless War, and how fighting in opposition to Valteran could help them free their people from their shackles, diminishing the influence of the Dranoch. Jaxkael told them many things, and often he omitted truths, or spoke deceptively. Still, eventually most of the members of his 'congregation' swore their souls to him in death, providing the God with what he wanted.

At this point, he began to play games with the ones that stayed, the ones that kept coming for their worship. Premier among those who had caught his interest were the two young lovers, Liara and Damien, who swore the bond of the Arlaed with one another upon devoting their souls to the fallen God. They believed that doing so would keep them together even in Bel, and that they would live a longer and more prosperous life on Atharen. Perhaps most importantly, they wanted to try to have a child, and it was well-known among Sil'norai that the 'bond' could help to resist the sterilizing effects of corruption. The two began to pray to Jaxkael as well, that they could have a child; a healthy one, a powerful one, capable of piercing through the oppressive heart of the Court of Dusk, living as a free man, unlike them and their own parents.

And the God granted their wish. He asked that Damien sleep in the cave that kept his altar, alone, so that he could provide him with the 'potency' necessary to ensure their success. When the time came and the Sil'norai man slept among the cold stones, Jaxkael projected himself through his altar and converged upon him, assaulting him with his depraved will. That night, the Corrupted had his way with the man, and imprinted him with the resource necessary for him to have a child: his own seed. Disturbed - even traumatized - Damien returned to his home and, following Jaxkael's command, he slept with Liara that night in an attempt to give her a child.

But Liara did not have a child. Like many Sil'norai women, she was entirely sterile long before the two had even met, and the two would never bear a child with one another even despite the bond. Jaxkael's gift was simply another game: the child instead rested within Damien, who he wished to mock and humiliate, forcing him to bear through the disgust and shame of carrying a child. The impossibility was made possible by divine will, but with immense shame and stigma attached. Most Gods who bore children with mortals - regardless of their sex - chose to conceive them through divine means, but Jaxkael chose to make Damien suffer. And he did. The trauma of carrying a corrupted spawn was perhaps most pertinently, the corruption of one's self. As Jaxkael's imprint on Damien's form grew, he became more and more corrupted. When the time finally came for the child to be born, he had nowhere to let it go. It was ripped from his chest by his fellow cultists and praised as a gift from their God; almost like a messianic savior from the Dranoch, who they believed now had numbered days.

As time went on, Damien and Liara separated from that old life. The corruption of Damien worsened, and Liara experienced the same, their bonded souls sharing in the rot of the God-King. They both became ill, falling deeper into poverty, and isolating themselves from others. As Taelian grew, his 'mother' - who shared no blood with him - became increasingly distant from him, believing him to be devil-spawn, a cruel reminder of the deception and abuse the two had experienced at the hands of Jaxkael; a permanent, visible scar on them. Worst of all, a premonition that before long, they would die -- and their souls would be pulled to Bel, for the deal they had made without any perceived benefit. Just a shorter life, a life of worsened suffering. Damien, at least, was glad to have a child. Though Taelian's conception had caused him no shortage of agony and shame, the two quickly bonded and became inseparable through their years. He saw not the child of a Corrupted God, but his child, filled with life and love.

Unfortunately, Jaxkael did fulfill his end of the deal before long. He had offered the two freedom, and power. As the two succumbed to the corruption that had come as a result of their child, they gained their freedom from Sil-Elaine. As they emerged within their new home, they became akin to Dregs, marauders of his in the Endless War, with no choice but to comply. Taelian's parents were bound to Bel, and he was alone. And so began his life.

Taelian would never learn a great number of things that all of this meant for him. That Jaxkael wanted his parents dead or gone to 'harden' him, to make him strong. That Taelian was never made a Famished - not even partially - because he couldn't be one, and all of the mystery and frustration around breaking his soul was all meaningless blustering by his Jailor-Lord. That he, believing he was one, continued to live life thinking he held no proper emotion: a placebo, obscuring the real truth; that his difficult life, the death of his parents and his abandonment of hope and meaning, had led him to the grimness of a Famished worldview on its own. He was not made demented by Aldrin's touch, but by that of the world that had treated him so poorly, even among those unfortunate enough to be born in the Bedlam of the gutter of the world.

Yet, despite all of that, Taelian did manage to step towards a normal life -- he managed to find love, to find joy, to find meaning and soul. To find a purpose, and even to become strong as Jaxkael had wanted. In many ways, the misbegotten child proved that he could overcome any and all obstacles thrown, but -- that may not be the case for long.

As his child continues to prosper and grow, a father's gaze returns to him. A Draedan is a seed planted, one whom a parent hopes will grow, if only so that they will take their place as an asset in time. As the Son of Tyranny begins to fully bloom, Jaxkael's eyes fall back upon him, perhaps not to again look away.

[Ruin]

Hello Taelian,

Thank you for making the necessary clarifications and edits. I'm approving your abilities and lore for the conception. As per our conversation, I'm approving the plot you have in mind too. Please submit all relevant threads here so that I can sign off on your acquisition of divinity when you're eligible.

Build to last,
Ruin.

[Taelian Edevane]

Draedan Threads
1. https://atharen.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=1092
2. https://atharen.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=1093
3. https://atharen.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=1094
4. https://atharen.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=1095

There you go! I did a four-part series on his becoming a Draedan-ness. I know it's not incredibly 'long', but I think the threads are cool and meaningful to his plot, and this is simply the butt end of a very long Dranoch hunting plot that was finally settled in these threads. If you can give me your final approval here, I'll start officially doing his skill stuff and whatnot.

Thanks for your time!

[Ruin]

Hello again, Taelian.

I see you made some adjustments to your abilities, but the changes are acceptable. Congratulations on becoming Atharen's first PC Draedan! I'm signing off on your acquisition of divinity from the 81st of Ash 120 onward.

Build to last,
Ruin.