Character Information
Jan. 8th, 2016 04:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iridescentillusionName: "Cipher" - He forgot his original name with his mortal death ages ago
Human alias: Liam Randel
Age: God only knows. At least three millenia.
DoB: N/A - he'll say October 31
Race: Demon
Height: 6'3" - 5'11" in human form
Canon: Celveryia: Iridescent Illusion (original)
Like any demon in Malidus, Cipher was once human like every other inhabitant in Celveryia- that is, until he died. Souls of the dead were taken to the realm known as Malidus and taken under the care of Lucifel, the guardian of the dead. Some remained just as souls, others were capable of manifesting physical forms once more, thus becoming demons. These forms could be used outside of Malidus in the living realm of Celveryia, but only under special circumstances- if Lucifel allowed them to leave, if they were able to get past Lucifel and her hound Garmr, or if by some chance, demons were summoned in a ritual by a mortal; all of which were incredibly unlikely.
Where Malidus was overseen by Lucifel, the entire realm of Celveryia was overseen by four deities: The Four Cardinals- Suzaku the Vermilion Bird, Genbu the Black Tortoise, Byakko the White Tiger and Seiryuu the Azure Dragon. These deities were once benevolent, keeping a close eye on the mortal races and maintaining balance in the world, while condemning creatures that grew too great in power, by either slaying or sealing these creatures.
When the seal on the last dragon, Epyon, began to break, the Cardinals had no choice but to rely on mortal help to reseal him. This fact, along with many mortals having the means to summon creatures - demons or otherwise - made the Cardinals paranoid. If mortals could summon creatures beyond their means and be capable of sealing creatures greater than them, what was to say that they wouldn't eventually declare war on the Cardinals themselves?
Thus came the Cardinals' first plan: To eradicate magical creatures and then the realm of Malidus, so mortals could never rely on the power of a demon again. With none of these creatures living, and taking away the magical capabilities of the mortals, the Cardinals would have nothing to fear. This lead to the war started by the Cardinals against Malidus; in desparation, Lucifel broke the seal of Epyon, leading the dragon and Garmr against their attackers. The battle ended in the Cardinals' favor, but not without reprecussions; Lucifel managed to steal away some of the Cardinals' power and weakening them before she and her companions were slain, and the Malidus realm destroyed.
One demon escaped the fate of the rest, making it through the barrier before the realm was eliminated. He knew he would be hunted by the Cardinals as soon as they became aware of his existence, and would bide his time to disguise amongst the mortals in order to inact his eventual revenge on the deities. Using a fragment of his own power, he was able to bring Garmr back from the brink of death- gaining the hellhound of mist as his right hand, the hound capable of taking on a humanoid form now, becoming Cipher's companion Fulco.
Where the Cardinals lost their power over time thanks to Lucifel and Epyon, Cipher was able to gain power. By using the Crystal Underground mercenary organization to his own ends, Cipher was able to gain insight that would have taken him far longer to obtain had he and Fulco worked alone. Eventually, he was able to take on the Cardinals with his three generals Fulco, Mobius and Oculus.
He went to war with the gods- and won.
However, Cipher knew the Cardinals wouldn't stay dead so easily. Reincarnations would come to being eventually, and he would have to hunt them just as he did before- and this time, he planned to take their powers, and restore Malidus to its former glory.
In the meantime, Celveryia still needed an overseer. He would take it upon himself to do just that, but he would see to it that the creatures formerly destroyed by the Cardinals would see life again. Unfortunately for the realm, this would include an overrun of dangerous creatures.
He would see to it that the second coming of the Cardinals would not have it easy. Even if it meant turning their realm into a living Hell.
Abilities:
Physical: Being a demon, his physical abilities alone greatly surpass any typical mortal's. His speed and strength are uncanny, and he can take far more of a beating than any typical person. He can simply brush off many forms of attack, be it physical or magical, but his weakness lies in the crystal eyes embedded in the palms of his hands (or eyes) in his demon forms. He still bleeds like any other person, and singeing his wounds in holy fire will prevent the wounds from closing for a significant amount of time.
Magic: Demons are experts in dark magic, but they are also adept at the typical elements. Cipher, however, prefers to use dark magic to control and morph shadows into weapons, as well as teleporting when he sees fit. After absorbing the power of the Cardinals, his skill in the elements is extremely powerful.
Illusion- Where Celveryian mortals have difficulty learning the art of illusory magic, demons were masters of it. Cipher is no exception to this. He can create minor and major illusions, but more often than not, these illusions are typically relied on for tormenting those he seeks information out of. These illusions can affect any of the senses.
Shapeshifting- Cipher has three forms: Human form, humanoid demon, and true demon. The majority of his time are spent in the former two, primarily the human form to blend in with the rest, but this form takes the most energy to maintain. The second form is relatively the same as his human form, but with visible horns, multi colored eyes that glow gold, and the crystal eyes embedded in the palms of his hands; he keeps this form when he is alone, or with trusted companions aware of his true nature. His true form, vaguely reminiscent of a slender, quadripedal draconic shadow with long limbs, a head with a three sectioned maw, clawed feet, two pairs of black feathered wings and a serpentine tail as long as its body; it is generally shrouded in black feathers, but the yellow glow of its four eyes are often visible through the dark. Those who survive encounters with his true demon form often cite it as an encounter with a chimera.
Maintaining his humanoid forms for an extended period of time uses a significant amount of his energy, especially his full human form, and sometimes he must revert to his demon form to drain energy from unsuspecting bystanders, be it human, monster or otherwise. While he allows some victims to live through the attacks, he will still often drain his victims entirely, leaving a corpse completely void of their vital fluids.
Nadir & Zenith: Two crow summons. They're generally used for recon (or just to look cool with two crows on his shoulders). Cipher is capable of seeing what the crows can see, even from great distances, and can cast magic through them or appear where they are. Nadir has a tendency of yanking on creatures' tails with its beak-- including demon Cipher's.
Flight: With two sets of black feathered wings, flight is often his preferred way of travel in the night.
Summoning: After absorbing the powers of the Cardinal reincarnates, Cipher gained the ability to summon various creatures. The most powerful of which take on the creature forms of the Cardinals- tortoise, phoenix, dragon and tiger.
Personality:
Cool, cruel and calculating are the best ways to describe him. Calm in nearly any situation, he is a very patient man, often biding his time to formulate strategies instead of diving headlong into situations. He's careful with the allies he picks but will rarely get involved in matters that he's not personally a part of. Although, he does have a bizarre sense of loyalty, greatly trusting his three generals and originally waging his battle against the Cardinals for the sake of Lucifel and the Malidus realm. In order to get that trust is a task in of itself, but should they prove they deserve it, he'll give it.
He's not above doing anything to get what he wants, often resorting to torture of his victims- be it physically or mentally. He often left the physical torture to his generals, so not to get his hands dirty, while he took care of mental torment with the aid of his illusions. Despite this, he's not one to torture without rhyme or reason. In some cases he takes a sadistic pleasure, others he performs his actions out of necessity. His intentions aren't clear at times, but he will become ruthless on a dime if it's necessary.
Strangely, he does appear to value the lives of lesser beings, as he proved by restoring the lives of creatures killed by the Cardinals in Celveryia. What this has caused for the other creatures is of no concern to him, and disregards all lives lost due to creatures he revived, seeing it solely as a natural balance. However, he's not above killing anyone should they stand in his way.
If he grows attached to someone, in any regard, he'll become possessive. He sees himself as the "master" of Fulco, despite Fulco being her own sentient being, due to sacrificing a fragment of his own power to bring Garmr back to life. He can get rather touchy - literally and metaphorically - towards those he grows attached to, whether they care for it or not, as he'll completely disregard their feelings in the matter.
Permissions:
[OOC]
Backtagging: Yup!
Threadjacking: Sure.
Threadhopping: Yeah.
Fourthwalling: No.
[IC]
Flirting/Romance/Physical Contact (kissing, hugging, etc):
Fighting/Injury: Sure. He's not a very good villain if he doesn't get his hands dirty once in a while. Be prepared for difficulty in battle and injuring him though.
Telepathy/Mind reading: Sure, but your character better be prepared for potentially fucked up imagery.
Death: Ask me.
