Embrace the Darkness

Name: Victor
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Race: Human

Tier: High
Type: Critical

Physical Description:

Victor stands at six foot, zero inches. His hair is dark brown and kept cut short, normally a little spiky from a habit of combing his fingers through it periodically. He was told that he has his mother’s eyes, the eyes of one touched by Grace. They seem to burn at times, a green that can flash from dull to brilliant within the space of a heartbeat. His skin is pale, as he never tans, only burns.

On the back of each hand are tattoos that have been with him since before the Dark Time*. The twin pentacles are almost identical, save slight differentials in the placing of their lines, and one hand has an extra line drawn down the center of its star. No one has ever told him their true meaning, only that they are his family legacy.

For clothing he normally wears a pair of semi-loose fitting carpenter jeans, a black t-shirt, and a half length black coat. Most times he also wears a pair of calf skin gloves to hide the tell-tale tattoos on his hands.

Victor is not cocky, but neither is he humble. He simply knows that he is the best at what he does, and assumes everyone else knows it as well. For years he has been one of the most sought after hitmen in the world, contracted to take out targets that were before thought untouchable. He believes that no one is too far away to reach out and touch. So far, no one has been.


Personality:

Victor, as stated before, is very sure of himself. He has always been a chameleon, able to blend in with any social surrounding whether it be a bordello or country club. No matter the situation he has a personality that will fit.

In the darkness though, he is nothing more than cold. It is in the night that the phantoms come to beat against the wall of his mind and try to force him to see within his own soul. He knows that there are pieces missing in his life, enormous gaps of memory that were torn away for reasons unknown. This is what drives him, to find out who he was before, and what he has become. Why does he wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of a woman’s sobs and a young child’s screams?


Skills:

Passive//
Marksmanship (8): He is a killer, and his choice of weapons had always been his pistols, and when needed a rifle. In this training he has become able to hit impossible targets at impossible lengths. Since the age of eighteen, he has not missed a shot.
Agility (8)
Speed (8)
Hand to Hand (8)
Edge Weapons (8)

Aggressive//

Hacking (8) : Once he scorned technology, solely relying upon his abilities as a killing artist, but in the middle of his career he learned that it is sometimes a valuable talent to be able to break into tightly secured files and delete people from existence, even records of himself gathered over the years. In this respect he has sought out the best to teach him, and in so doing has risen above them all on his earth. After leaving his planet he has begun to seek out new information, and hopes to soon master it all.

Disguising (8) : One important factor for someone in his line of work is being able to blend in with any crowd. This is one reason he has always kept his hair short, it makes wearing wigs easier. His skin pigmentation compliments this as well, as it takes almost any color he can put to it. Being a skilled killer, he has honed the ability to walk into a crowd as a man in his middle 40’s with gray hair, and emerge from it a young hipster ready for a night on the town. After the opening of his first Gateway, this has become even easier. He can now not only disguises himself from prying eyes, but he is able to mask even the signature of his life signs, making him all but impossible to detect.

Destruction (8) : This is more or less what he does to his victims. He attributes most of his gaping exit wounds to the sheer stopping power of his twin P-14’s, but it is in fact his unknown ability to put an enormous amount of force, or velocity, behind his shot. A single bullet, if ‘pushed’, can have the stopping power of a .50 cal, 400 grain round at close range.


Powers:

Note: Victor’s powers come from his Gate Keeping. As his mother was, he is a Keeper. The tattoos on his hands are seals, as he progresses and grows, the seals weaken and the gates can be accessed. The powers listed below are the lowest level, thus already open and accessible.

Dark Grace (8): This is something that ‘leaks’ from the Nevryn caged within Victor’s body, into his blood stream and beyond. The energy created from this substance can be molded by its Crafter to perform almost any task, be it a form of black lightning to black ice. The energy will almost always have an attribute when released and used in the breadth of reality. Contrary to what many will think, this Dark Grace is not evil in nature, as in the view of the gods and the fallen, none are truly evil or good, simply different. It does not denote demonic forces or works of black magic, so to speak, it simply is what it is.


Blink (8): Victor has the ability to cause an object to travel at such a high velocity that it will ‘blink’ through the fabric of here and there. Meaning, an object will be here, then pushed so hard that it will be there with many times the force it once possessed.

Premonition (8): He thinks of this as ‘knowing’, but is in fact an inherent ability to read a pattern subconsciously and make a decision based on how it will play out in probability.

Resistance (7) : This is more of a passive power, but he will rarely feel fatigued or hungry, pain is distant as is most other emotions. He oft times has to remind himself to eat before his body simply gives out.

Shadow fold (8): Victor’s body is blessed in Dark Grace, and as such the darkness is his friend. At times it will seem that the shadows simply reach out and embrace him, but he can also use them to his own advantages. They can become dispensable weapons, tools, and escape routes. The power, like everything else, increases as his seals open. At later seals he will be able to become shadow himself, for a time.


Gateway Powers:

(The pentacle on the back of each hand is one of the oldest symbols of with Wi’Tch. In modern times the symbol has become the flag of their kind, and its true purpose remains much the same: protection. The full pentacle, complete with a circle around the star, represents the seven seals that bar the Nevryn entry onto the mortal plane. When a seal is released a line will vanish from each hand, making the star incomplete. As the sixth seal is taken away, all that will remain is the single line on his left hand. Once the seventh seal is released the Nevryn only has to destroy the actual ‘gate’ in order to leave the Wi’Tches body.

The first Seal(8):

This particular gateway, or seal, is always open so long as Victor is awake. This gives him the extra power to retain his stamina, use amazing feats of agility, and of course his ability to ‘blink’. In this state only a small amount of Dark Grace leaks into his system, barely noticed and only visible by the flecks of black dust that float across his eyes every so often.


Blink//Stage 1(8) In this power Victor causes something to move at such high speeds that it seems to vanish. He normally does this with a bullet. Each time the same bullet blinks it gains more power. At the end of its path all of the power it gathered from blinking catches up to it, causing many, many times more destructive force than would a simple round.

Globes//Stage 1(8): These are orbs of darkness that can range from several feet in diameter to several hundred yards depending upon the situation. The globes are areas that become flooded with a form of Dark Grace particles. They act in the same way a well of anti-matter would, drawing in all light. They are in no way balls of anti-matter though, simply exhibit some of the properties. In stage 1 he can only use globes ranging from one to five feet in diameter.

Second Seal(8):

At the breaking of this seal his natural abilities, such as strength, agility, speed, are greatly increased as more of the Dark Grace leaks into his body. It can now be seen more frequently in his eyes as parts of his irises take on a black tinge. This seal is the first he actually accesses manually, as the first is always open due to him being alive.

Blink//Stage 2(8): At this point his Blink ability allows him to move his entire body at the above mentioned speeds.

Aftermath//Stage 1(8): When an object moves within time and space, it creates and releases energy. Some call this kinetic force, but to Victor it is simply a form of power. At this stage he is able to feel the force an object produces, including his own body, and use it to his advantage.

Globes//Stage 2 (8): With more Grace flowing through his body, he can now create globes anywhere from five to twenty yards. They still perform the same job, trapping and dispersing all forms of light, though now they also cancel out sound.

Third Seal(8):

As the third seal is broken a larger amount of Grace fuels his blood, causing most of it to cease being actual blood. His eyes are darker now, the whites now black, only a sea of green remaining. The power being fed through him can at times leak or bubble from his skin.

Blink//Stage 3(8): Victor can now move large objects, if he is touching them. The larger the object the more force it creates, and the more that is at his disposal.

Aftermath//Stage 2(8): Victor can now take in the force from any object in motion within his area of effect, which amounts to around one hundred yards. What this means, is that he is able to take any energy created from an object, be it organic or inorganic, and use it to his own will.

Globes//Stage 3(8): In this stage he can create globes ranging from one hundred fifty to two hundred yards in diameter, blocking out light, sound, and heat. Within this globe almost anything can be nullified. His senses are almost at their maximum within the area, being flooded with his own Grace. The slightest breath is felt, and the smallest of motion captured. Objects within this area are now themselves being flooded with Grace, allowing Victor more knowledge and control of his surroundings and actions.

Manipulation//Stage 1 (8): At this point a new type of ability is birthed. In Manipulation, Victor can change objects to suit his need, though at times the mutation it spawns is of a darker, unknown origin. For example, if he is holding one of his pistols at the time he activates this power, inky veins will pour from his skin and feed into the gun. From that point on it seems to be almost random, though the nature of the gun, a weapon, is retained. What is birthed from the mutation can be anything from an eighteen shot revolver, larger than the original gun, to a single shot cannon which takes up most of his arm. The same holds true for any object he is touching at the time.

Overflow//Stage 1 (8): The Dark Grace is no longer simply leaking into his body, but is also pouring throughout his flesh. He is able to guide that flow to any body part, usually his hands, and from there use the energy in any attack he so desires, after he gives the Grace an attribute, be it elemental or mental.

Fourth Seal (8):

As the fourth seal is torn away, the Dark Grace now holds sway over ninety percent of his blood. In this stage he may undergo some changes in personality as the darkness seeps more into his psyche. It is also at this point where the Nevryn can, if it chooses, make itself known. In the past this is where men seemed to go mad with power, and soon after would release the creature in hopes of obtaining more. This Seal has only been opened once, and not for very long.

Blink//Stage 4(8): In this state he can blink objects of almost any size, and does not need to touch them or be relatively close to their position. His area of effect will come into play here as well, one to two hundred yards, give or take.

Aftermath//Stage 3 (8): A blowing wind can now create energy for Victor could use. The rays of sun light brushing a plant lets out power that he can now drink in, a beating heart or running engine is at his disposal.

Globe//Stage 4 (8): At this stage the globes are almost at their strongest. Not only do they capture light, sound, and suck away heat from objects, but they can also now slow down actual movement, turning the blackness into a thick almost liquid substance. The longer a person or object is within this globe the more Dark Grace particles they soak in, and the more control over their bodies Victor can exhort.

Manipulation//Stage 2 (8): At this stage Victor can manipulate objects other than just those he holds. In this state he is able to feed his ‘veins’ along the ground, through shadows, or if ‘fired’ through the air. He can also change the nature of the object, unlike in its first stage.

Overflow//Stage 2 (8): As more Grace flows through his veins, the overflow becomes almost constant. While in this state he may channel the overflow into extensions of his body, mainly in the form of weapons, just to keep the Grace from being wasted.

Manifestation//Stage 1 (8): The Nevryn is more awake at this point, and can make his presence known by casting a type of shadow over Victor, allowing glimpses of his nature to be caught. The result is the increase of Dark Grace that is expunged from his body and into the air, though he can now use that residue as well.



Fifth Seal (8):

He has never gone so far as to access this seal. It can only be surmised that all of his previous attributes will be enhanced, and with the later seals new powers revealed.

Sixth Seal (8):

As stated with his Fifth, this has never been accessed. This is the final seal though before the Gateway of the Nevryn is released, the gate being the Seventh Seal. Little is known about this, though the six largest natural disasters on his home world are attributed to this release of power, just before the beast is loosed.

Seventh Seal (8):

Release.



Equipment/Weapons:



His main weapons are twin P-14’s, handguns with modified bores and chambers. They fire .45 300 grain FMJ rounds, center point hollows with mercury cores. They are not meant to leave you alive, even a flesh wound will kill. Each clip is specially made and holds sixteen rounds. The guns themselves are able to switch between semi and fully automatic. (8)




After joining the UEC, Victor realized that his current weaponry was far inferior to that of the denizens which roamed the Multi-Verse. He learned that almost any creature he would ever encounter had any number of ways to protect themselves from ordinary ammunition rounds. So thinking, he sought after a company GunSmith, and requisitioned new armaments. The result would forever change the way he looked at guns.

XN-91-G-KRIOS// XN-91-Y-KALI (8)


The design of the XN series comes from earth, in the days when pistols were still used and fired normal ammunition. Instead of the auto or semi-auto format though, these were built around the frame of a large eight-shot revolver. Unlike most weapons, these guns are not made from any form of metal to be found under normal circumstances. The material is simply called Star Crust, and is aptly named. Harvested from neutron stars, the substance is ten billion times stronger than steel, making them almost impossible to break or damage.

Both guns weigh 85ounces, lighter than their modeled counterpart due to the fact that neither possess a firing mechanism or trigger. The barrel is 8 inches long with a larger than normal bore, and no sight marring its nose. No runes could be itched into the obsidian surface due to the nature of its material, but in the molding the makers mixed in several liters of Victor’s blood while he was accessing his third Seal. In so doing, much of the blood that was poured into the creations contained his blessing of Dark Grace, giving the normally pale star crust its black color. The chamber, as stated, holds eight rounds, and rotates freely based upon need and necessity. The grips are coated in a substance of origin unknown to the maker; he stumbled upon it with another gun, and did his best to copy its composition and components, never fully understanding its design. All he knows is that the material gives an amazing grip to weapons and can withstand any element it is present in.

The mechanics of the weapons are unique in that neither gun actually fires. Instead of the traditional need for release, Victor’s pistols rely solely upon his power to control, create, and manipulate velocity. As such the rounds can be fired at any speed he desires or needs. Along with his blink power, they can also achieve any distance he can perceive. In the mingling of his blood and Grace, the Krios and Kali have become extensions of his own mind and will. Both handguns operate on a new system and level of metaphysics, powered by Victor’s soul as well as the UEC’s group ability to alter reality in small ways. Through the manipulation of reality they can be called at will to his hands, no matter their distance or situation. When reloading is required they operate as any other weapon would, having to be done manually, though of course this process has become second nature to Victor and requires little time. Each pistol holds eight rounds, as stated before, which means one of each type of ammunition.

One last fact to point out, is Victor’s immunity. Due to the nature of the creations, Krios and Kali, and the infusing of his blood and grace in their making, he is able to stand within the epicenter of a blast created by his ammunition and have the effects stated bypass him. This works in conjecture with his group ability to manipulate reality, as well as the grace flowing through both his weapon and his body.



Ammunition:

XN-00-FATAL series (8)//

This series of ammunition is a new type crafted entirely for the purpose and uses of Victor. As they need no room for powder or other accelerant, the 1.8 inch long shell casings hold nothing but compressed rounds. If you were to look inside each shell, you would see what could only be described as a small nebula. Though they all possess different internal colors, each essence looks like a liquid star on the verge of going nova. Of course there are some rounds that will differ from this description, as shall be catalogued below, but the majority will follow this rule and structure. Upon release from either of the XN pistols, the shells will act like any other. Upon impact with their target they explode, implode, detonate, or destroy. Some, however, will have the possibility of being detonated by Victor’s thought, through the design and implementation of the XN system, that of altering reality. Unlike other bullets, these do not rely on pinpoint precision or accuracy. Knowing that much of his prey will possess a form of abnormal speed and or agility, the rounds were designed for AoE, which is Area of Effect. This means that each round has its own designated aoe, so that if a target is actually able to dodge bullets fired at upwards of 3000 fps or more, even a near miss may turn into a hit. This also implies that multiple targets may be hit or affected by a single shot.

01: XN-DX: The DX, Destruction, round is almost as simple as its name implies. Housed within this round is a concentrated form of energy, something akin to Anti-Matter on a smaller scale. Upon release from its housing, the energy expands instantaneously, creating a blast from its center that could rival a small-scale photonic bomb. Heat within its radius will go from normal temperatures to fifty-four thousand degrees, that of a single bolt of lightning. The particles within the DX blast radius will latch on to any matter it comes into contact with, thus pouring its destructive energy into it, and essentially destroying it. The major impact radius for this round is fifteen yards, minor impact, temperatures halved and no latching on by photon particles, is thirty yards. As the atoms within this field are destructive by nature, the blast lasts only seconds before it consumes itself, leaving no time for a concussion blast or residual heat.

02: XN-AE: This Anti-Energy round is comprised almost completely of concentrated Pisnion, a previously unknown particle. It was long surmised that there must be an anti to Energy, and the makers of this ammunition proved it. They studied the concept for many days before stumbling upon a particle floating just outside the range of normal matter perception. Once isolated and submitted to tests, it was seen to bond with several forms of energy, and push them away with such force as to disrupt their structure and purpose .

When released from its casing, an explosion of Pisnion expands from the created center instantly. Any energy within this field is flooded with Pisnionic particles and overwhelmed. The effects may be different for different types of energy, but the sudden influx of Pisnion negates energy, causing it to expend any the target exudes, forcing it to break apart in all directions until nothing but the center of the Pisnion Nucleus remains. The field itself only lasts for ten seconds, and its AoE is ten yards.

03: XN-AM: Anti-Magic rounds. Unlike conventional AM devices that simply flood an area with reality-stabilizing particles, these rounds produce an effect that seeks out matter that doesn’t belong in the natural order of things and destroys it, normally with an adverse effect on the caster, if he/she remains in the AoE. Area of Effect is fifteen yards.

04: XN-EP: The EMP round is as it suggests. The substance within the casing is equivalent to a nuclear bomb, just on a much smaller level. Once released it acts much the same as a bomb would, only without the mushroom cloud and visible explosion. A concussion would occur, ranging from twenty to thirty yards, but the actual AoE is a radius of twenty-five yards.

05:XN-NN: The Nanite round is also as its name implies. Within the casing is millions of the small machines, their only purpose being destruction. Through design and innovation they have become a force able to eat through almost any surface, and to replicate or expand as much as necessary. They have no intelligence or awareness, do not contact with Victor in any way. Ninety percent of their bodies are comprised of rotating jaws which emit low frequency radioactive particles, the particles infect an area and begin breaking down its composition, making it easier for the nanites to devour. AoE is ten yards, or dependent upon how the shell is released. If it is allowed to impact its target then the AoE begins smaller than an inch, but can easily spread to unknowable areas.

06: XN-HT: Heat round. This shell contains what would almost amount to a small star exploding, an event that causes enough energy to destroy a small solar system. This shell is not so grand as that, but the heat it unleashes would be the same as setting caging hundreds of bolts of lightning, each with a temperature of fifty-four thousand degrees, placing them in a copper box, and letting nature have its way. The AoE is ten yards for maximum effect, then twenty for half of the effect, and so on until the wave is expended. This round could possibly be a final effort, as it is designed to leave nothing behind.

07:XN-CD: The cold round. The AoE for this is twenty yards, with results diminishing as it expands to a maximum radius of fifty yards. Within the first twenty yards, as the round goes off and the freezing temperatures expand, anything within the field is ice. Temperatures upwards to minus two hundred degrees are easily reached. Air, liquid, molecules, all are captured. In this area, even steel will be destroyed.

08: XN-PS: This round, Psychosis, is mainly in the event that Victor does not wish to kill a person, or people. The round releases a psionic wave that floods the targets’ mind with waves of psychotic energy. The result is an acid trip gone awry. Victims could relive old memories, past lives, or simply stare blankly into space. The main point of this round is incapacitation, and as such it is perfection. Any that fall victim to the wave of energy it produces loses control of motor functions and lives, for the moment, completely within their own minds. Some could even live an entire life in the span of time it takes for the effects to wear off. AoE is twenty yards, with varying results up to thirty yards.


With the material left over from the making of his guns, the creators graced him with six balls, all created from star-crust. The purpose and use of these are at his own discretion, but with his power over velocity they thought he could make use of them. (8)



A legacy from his mother, that he came across in later years, is an obsidian hilt fitted into a large, beaten leather scabbard. At first glance it seems to be part of a large sword that was either never finished, or that was broken. In actuality the blade is formed from shadows and grace. When made manifest the steel of the sword is cold and hard, though can also appear transparent. Being fed by his own body, the blade can never break as long as he lives. Like most things, the more energy he expounds the more power it possesses. It is said that this blade was once called GodSword, and is the blade used to sunder the Nevryn from their places in heaven. The attributes of the sword are mainly to Negate aspects of the target, or to cleave from them powers that they possess, much as it did to the Under-Gods. In this respect, if the blade is allowed to cut into a magic-user, said user can become less powerful until his magic is restored. If used against a machine, the machine can lose some of its functionality. If the blade is plunged into any object long enough, it can pull from it whatever keeps the object in reality, and begin to phase it out completely. In the same vein, the blade can also be used to drink in energy, be it created or natural, and then stored and used, though the use has to be almost instant, as the blade can become unstable after prolonged use.

On his back he carries a metallic case that houses a spring loaded reloader. By pressing a button it will release a rack of clips for easy reloading while in combat.

History as known to Victor:

His mother was a legend. In the underground world she was called Lotus, and it was said she could kill a man in a church, while he gave a sermon, and would never be seen. Each kill was marked by a blossom, never a trace or track. She was a goddess among men, some said she had lived for two hundred years or more without ever aging. But then, she had vanished. As with her kills she left no trace behind, only a son. At the age of six he was taken into the society his mother had belonged to. They gave him a photo of her, but even then he could never bring her face to mind in a true memory. It was as if she had never been.

By age eight he had seen ten men killed, by the age of ten had killed twenty. His weapon of choice in those early years had been poison. No one ever suspected a little boy would bring them death on black wings of innocence.

As he grew he learned more of his mother, of her techniques. She had never used a firearm, only edge weapons. At first he poured his own life into those weapons until he could spear the wings of a mosquito with the point of a dart. But then came his sixteenth birthday, spent alone in his sparse room deep in the monastery. Alone. Without mother or father. These thoughts caused weakness to bubble into his hard chest, and from that day forward the only weapon to pass through his hands was packed with gunpowder.

For his remaining youth he turned to rifles, pistols, anything to destroy. He became a god in short order, able to do things with a bullet that gave his comrades wet dreams.

Years passed by and faded into memories, he fell into his life as he took it from others. Always silent, always true, he became that piece of the darkness that everyone fears. It seemed the shadows had found one of their own and welcome him home.

Then came his twenty-eighth birthday, and so began the dreams.



‘Just close your eyes honey, it’s ok. Use your imagination. Pretend we’re back home, riding the horsies. It’s ok babies, just close your eyes. Mommy is ok, it’ll be ok.’


The sound of a chainsaw ripped through his squinting eyes. Like so many nights now, Victor awoke in a cold sweat as his body was jerked up by long forgotten memories. He sat there, chest heaving and hand convulsing around the butt of his P14. In the darkness its weight was the only thing keeping him solid. Slowly he sank back onto a moist pillow. In a few moments his heart rate would slow and the dampness against his skin would evaporate. He knew this as truth, and as he knew it so it happened.

The red lights of his motel room clock told him it was exactly 5:15, the time he knew he would awaken it. Sadly he had also known that he would most likely wake up to the dream that was already fading. Quickly he reached to the bedside table and picked up pencil and paper.

’Chainsaw’.

One more piece to the puzzle that was Victor.

He was out of the hotel room and on the back of his Honda before the red led could turn into a sixteen, the waking town fading into another background. As soon as the dreams began he had been unable to kill for some reason, and that made his brother wary. The first attempt on his life had left a lifelong friend straining to keep the blood from pouring through the hole in his throat. It seemed to him then that there was something in his past he wasn’t supposed to learn, which meant he must learn it at all costs.


History unknown to Victor:


On every planet there is a beginning. On Victor’s world the beginning was the dawn of mankind, created not from gods or dreams, but from the earth and evolution. As the human race progressed they began to search the skies for more, never being satisfied to simply exist. Through this searching, men began to see things, to find things in the clouds and dust of earth. From this searching came their gods.

The gods of earth came into being not at the dawn of time, but at the dawn of man’s awareness of something greater than themselves. Instead of everyone coming together and creating a single entity in which to worship, each village or town began creating their own. When enough people came to the same idea of something, it took place, and their god was born. In the beginning everything seemed to work out: the people got their gods, the gods got their worship.

After several centuries though, as the population continued to expand rapidly, so did the true nature of man begin to emerge. Wars began to break out, over land, money, and most importantly the worship of other gods. Entire civilizations were wiped away, millions perished, and the lands began to fall into ruin.

As it was on earth, so was it in heaven. As the humans waged war, so did the gods, for power and for the love of those living below. The darkness of man began to meld with that of their gods, and as the war raged on aspects of the gods began to flourish. An evil appeared in their hearts. No longer were they satisfied with ruling heaven, they now sought to rule the world of mortals and immortals.

And so began the Godslayer War. Slaughter reigned supreme in those dark days, when man killed man and god killed god. The heavens rained tears of blood and the earth through up rivers of molten passion in protest. Over time though, as their numbers dwindled, a single god rose from the remnants. Here was the most potent, the most powerful. Not because of who or what he was, but because his people on earth had lasted the longest and worshipped with the most fervor. This One god gained in power until he was able to cast down all but himself, though those last remaining gods could not simply be killed.

They had fallen to far from where they once stood in men’s hearts to become anything more than Nevryn, creatures that once were, but were no more. The One feared these creatures more than anything, feared what they could possibly become once again. It was then that he visited earth in the form man had created him in, their own image. He instructed his most loyal followers in the ways of Majik, a dark power that they would only be able to use for one purpose; to enslave and entrap the Nevryn. Through dark rites and many sacrifices the Mijikians managed to summon the remaining six creatures. Into the bodies of heathens they were cast, and sealed away for what would hopefully be eternity.

As the years passed the six were watched and kept secret from the rest of humanity. In time as wars came and went, civilizations rose and fell, they and what they guarded against were all but forgotten. From generation to generation though the Nevryn were passed on, always to a female child as they were the first to receive what began to be known as ‘the blessing’. These people became extraordinary in different ways, some took to healing, others to cursing. In time their deeds became legend, and they came to be known as Wi’Tches. Others followed in their footsteps, but never with the same true power. The One god, frightened that these break-away Wi’Tches would manage to empower the Nevryn, sent his followers to hunt and destroy them.

More time passed, and in that time something began to happen. First, it was seen as a fluke. For thousands of generations a female child had been firstborn to the Six. In one case, however, after forty years of trying, only male children came forth. Upon her death bed one of the six women bequeathed the guardianship of the Nevryn to her youngest son, making him promise to pass on the creature as soon as he had a daughter of age. It was never to be though.

Within ten years the man came to be seduced by the Under-God, who spoke promises of power into his ear. One night, in his village of Pompeii, the man let the best talk him into releasing all seven seals that kept him from their world. As soon as this happened the Nevryn destroyed the final gateway and left the man’s body. At first it seemed that the man would control the beast, but within seconds it turned on him and devoured all that he was, down to the very fabric of his soul. Seeking to regain power quickly, it in turn feasted upon the entirety of the city, destroying it utterly and completely.

Soon the other six began showing signs of the same phenomenon. Somehow the creatures had influenced the women’s bodies, purging them of the ability to produce a female child. They soon had no choice but to pass on the creature to a male and in so doing gave the old gods passage into the world by way of corruption.

Five Nevryn had been released at the birth of Victor. Unlike the others, the Church managed to find his mother one night, and sought to end the possibility of the Nevryn escaping by any means necessary. They thought that by killing the woman they would destroy the beast; they would never know how close they came to destroying their precious world. His mother managed to pass on the creature before she was taken, but even then they broke her body apart. Seeing nothing escape, they assumed they had succeeded and went about their lives.

For Victor though, his mind was all but broken during those times. The burden was meant to pass to one above the age of twelve, where one knows good from evil, but it had been pressed upon his shoulders at the age of four. He remained in a coma until his sixth birthday.