Background
Game Information
Minions
Thakralos
Zerakas
Karalos
Alstrapath
Yrianox
Malechai
Mordechai
Map of Dräcvalt
| Background: | Top |
Ten thousand years ago in the realm of Dräcvalt, a dark sorcerer named Mordechai came to power, using an army of undead minions to do his bidding. He Quickly conquered most of Dräcvalt, until a paladin named Ishmæl stood his ground against the oncoming hoarde of zombies, skeletons and the like. The paladin's faith in his god was so powerful that the skies were said to have opened up and swallowed the army whole.
Years later, Ishmæl became the Lord Regent of Dräcvalt, and administered the realm for the Wizard King who left to seek power elsewhere. Unbeknownst to either of them, Mordechai had discovered an ancient tome of knowledge known only as the "Book of Numbers," a text which sought to describe the whole of creation in the most minute detail, but in the form of mathematical and alchemical algorithms, geometries and static, unchanging laws, much like the laws of nature.
Mordechai's foray into the mathematics of the Book of Numbers increased his power exponentially, but also drove him insane, and in his madness, the sorcerer shattered himself into thirteen pieces, or shards. Each shard had a sentience of its own, and was driven to seek out the unjoined shards to reunite all the disjointed Fragments of the evil necromancer.
Each of the thirteen Fragments of Mordechai sought power in its own way, some rising to political heights, others scheming for power within the underworld, others still falling into step with barbarians and thieves. Apart, they were no more or less powerful than any other, but when two pieces were brought together, their power doubled. Thus when the first two pieces of Mordechai's broken psyche joined, they quickly rose to incredible heights of power, dominating Dräcvalt and declaring war on even the now mighty order of Ishmæl's paladins.
As if this were not enough, a third shard of Mordechai joined the other two, and the Unholy Trinity brought a darkness over the land with which even the paladins had difficulty dealing. Undead armies, plagues and natural disasters broke the tenuous peace of Dräcvalt, and the Wizard King was forced to return from his travels to deal with the slowly reassembling psyche of the dark sorcerer.
While the Wizard King easily defeated the Unholy Trinity, the battle caught the attention of two more Fragments of Mordechai's shattered psyche, and soon, an assembled five shards of the necromancer brought battle to the doorstep of the Wizard King.
This time, even the most powerful living wizard was unable to stem the flow of undead, the plagues and disasters which shook his kingdom. After a battle seven days long, the Wizard King fell to forces of evil. Ishmæl mourned the loss of the kingdom's greatest leader and then, calling upon the powers of the gods, stood to wage a final battle against the forces of evil, knowing full well that he would fall before the sun rose the next day.
Ishmæl's forces met the undead army as the sun sank in the sky on a moonless night. The battle was lost as soon as it was joined, for each paladin who fell to the hideous wave of dead flesh rose again an ally of evil. Soon, the outnumbered paladins were so besieged that Ishmæl called his forces back into a nearby keep where he prayed one final time before facing the enemy. It was this night that a powerful illusionist known as Yrianox the Deceiver, a gestalt of two more shards of Mordechai, joined the alliance of Alstrapath and the Unholy Trinity. The seven shards joined now, not only in ambition, but in soul and body, becoming the embodiment of the incredibly powerful Mordechai.
As Ishmæl prayed, the seven shards of Mordechai plotted the downfall of mankind and the rise of an army of evil which would cover the earth. Both Mordechai's broken mind and Ishmæl's broken heart were visited that night by an ætherial creature. The creature told both Mordechai and Ishmæl that they would both die, but that through her, both would father children. These children, neither good nor evil, but both, would fight the final battle which would decide the fate of the realm of Dräcvalt.
The day of the battle came, and Ishmæl faced the oncoming hoarde. He and his paladins slew more creatures of evil that day than whole armies before them had killed in months. The army split before them, and Ishmæl came to stand before the seven Fragments of Mordechai. The assembled shards, which had taken the form and powers of Mordechai, battled against Ishmæl for hours, until both fell beneath the strain of combat. Ishmæl stood with his last ounce of strength and drove his blade into Mordechai's chest, destroying the assembly of the seven shards. He then fell, dead to the ground. Yrianox however, sensing that the end was near, broke himself out of the gestalt, leaving Alstrapath and the Unholy Trinity to their fates. Nevertheless, his power broken, Yrianox fell to the earth and buried himself again to sleep for another millennium.
Nine months later, Shædor and Shæmal were born. One, a gaunt and pasty, unhealthy child, grew quickly to embrace the arts of magic while the other, a strong and powerful youth went to become a paladin.
On their thirteenth name-day, both were told who and what they were. And that their destinies were forever linked. Shædor wasted no time in seeking out pieces of his father's psyche, and Shæmal, inheriting his father's sword, sought to stop his brother from his newfound evil ambitions.
They met in battle time and time again, though each time they met, the battle ended in a draw.
| Game Information | Top |
Shædor is based on a character I created years ago (though I've used a different name here). A necromancer and incanter of powerful magicks, Shædor is a powerful wizard who seeks to reunite the fragmented shards of his father's psyche, not out of love for his father, but out of desire for power. Each shard he acquires allows him to summon an undead minion of varying power. Each single shard allows him to summon up an undead zombie, while a union of two shards will allow him a minion of even greater power -- a Grave Knight -- which can cast dark magics itself.
By combining four or more shards, Shædor can summon up a lich of immense power, a lesser entity which, like his father, has power over the grave. Once he has twelve shards -- three zombies, two grave knights and a lich -- Shædor can begin his search for the thirteenth and final shard of Mordechai, Margrave of Dräcvalt.
On the day he finds the final shard, the sun will set forever on the forces of good...
As far as powers go, Shædor has the following sets and powers:
Necromancy:
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Leadership:
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Temp. Powers & Devices:
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| Shædor's Minions | Top |
Thakralos
His lowest-level henchmen are his zombies, Thakralos, Zerakas and Karalos. These zombies are based upon the three shards who together spread chaos across Dräcvalt, necessitating the return of the Wizard King.
Thakralos was a warrior, a powerful combatant who was as dangerous in unarmed combat as he was with a blade. He was feared even more by those who knew him, as rumors of his bloodlust were often believed exaggeration. He was known for horrifying mistreatment of captured prisoners, often resulting in their death by sheer terror. Once defeated, Thakralos vowed to rise again to fight against those who humiliated him.
Zerakas
Karalos
Only one shard remains unfound by Shædor, and Longbow searches for it fervently, attempting to discover its whereabouts before the necromancer can divine its location. However, the final shard is elusive, and may not wish to be found. If Mordechai's soul seeks the power it once had, it is unlikely to submit to subservience to Shædor.
Once the necromancer finds the final shard, he will have not only the whole of Mordechai's power, but will also have the full text of the Book of Numbers which resides within the mind of his father.
Shædor discovered two shards in the Rogue Isles while looking for a mystical book for Mr. Bocor, the enigmatic voodoo priest. While Mr. Bocor's only interest was the book, Shædor had little interest in such mundane magicks and took only the Fragment of Mordechai, returning the book to Mr. Bocor. He combined these two shards to allow him to summon Alstrapath.
Most terrifying of all, Alstrapath was not the only necromancer of his power level in the time of the Wizard King. There was another necromancer who was just as powerful, but who slept beneath the earth. His name was Yrianox, the Deceiver, and was feared as a bringer of chaos.
Before the Unholy Trinity sacked Dräcvalt, Yrianox was known as the Wizard of the Foregate, an extremely powerful wielder of arcane secrets who seldom involved himself in the affairs of mortals. Yrianox foresaw the rise of the Unholy Trinity and, knowing that they would be unsuccessful with or without his assistance, buried himself in the earth until much later.
By joining not only in force, but in mind, Alstrapath, Yrianox and the Unholy Trinity actually became the embodiment of Mordechai, though lacking the last six shards of Mordechai's mind, were not as powerful as they might have become. In the battle against Ishmæl however, Yrianox separated himself from the gestalt when the final blow was dealt. Retreating to his lair, he remained quiet for many generations. Now, as Shædor rises to power, Yrianox has come out of hiding to serve the son of his former self.
The two fragments of Mordechai's soul which allowed Shædor to summon up Yrianox were found in disparate places. One was held by the vigilante organization Wyvern, though they had no idea what it was they had in their possession.
The second fragment was found in a Legacy Chain lair, hidden away among a series of tomes of knowledge. While the Legacy Chain had some idea of the object they possessed, they had little comprehension of its power. Shædor took the fragment for himself and used it to bring Yrianox, the undead sorcerer, to life.
Shædor now searches for the final fragment, for when he finds it, it will reveal all the secrets of the Book of Numbers, the text which reduces all of Creation to mathematical formulæ and which will allow Shædor to dominate not only this world, but all worlds.
Originally, Malechai was the adopted brother of Mordechai, Shædor's father. Malechai, the younger brother, was not as intelligent as Mordechai, but he was more ruthless and was completely devoid of even the tiniest hint of mercy.
Malechai was Mordechai's primary servant, and as such was privy to a great deal of the warlock's knowledge. When the necromancer deciphered the Book of Numbers and discovered the power hidden in the mathematics of the foundation of the Universe, Malechai tasted both the power and the madness that Mordechai's learning had uncovered.
His soul now, extracted from the fallen Shards of Mordechai, knows no fear or joy, only hatred of all living things.
Mordechai, fragmented by madness is now made nearly whole by the collected Shards of his fragmented psyche. Only Ishmael, the Lord and Master of the Paladins was able to stand against him, and now that Ishmael is dead and gone, nothing stands before the union of Mordechai and Shaelig;dor and their complete domination of the Rogue Isles and utimately, the world.
Armed with powers even Shædor does not completely understand, Mordechai is beyond mortal ken, and is thus unpredictable in the extreme. A faction of Arachnos now watches Shædor, attempting to learn his long-term plans and determine if he is a threat to the Arachnos organization or even to Lord Recluse in particular.
Shædor's minions are comprised of one or more of Mordechai's Fragments. These Fragments allow Shædor to summon up undead creatures of varying power depending on the number of shards he uses to summon his henchmen.
Zerakas was a monk who specialized in a similar form of combat, learning quickly how to best utilize his body. During his training, he discovered numerous ways to kill with a touch, a practice forbidden by his order. When his knowledge was revealed to his masters, he was sentenced to death for breaking the monastery's laws, but escaped into the countryside. He later joined with Thakralos to form two thirds of the Unholy Trinity.
Karalos was the most virtuous of the Paladin Order which fought against Mordechai, and as such fell long and hard. As his body became corrupted with the filth of necromantic energies, Karalos felt freed from the overwhelming urge to do justice. Now, his soul awash with the rage of having once been entrapped in service to the paladin order, seeks vengeance for his indenture by destruction of all things good in the world.
The three shards which once terrorized Dräcvalt are again be assembled, now upon 21st century Earth where Shædor hopes to conquer all and return to Dräcvalt with even greater power than his father ever attained.
Alstrapath
After the Unholy Trinity's battle with the Wizard King, a necromancer named Alstrapath took notice of Thakralos, Zerakas and Karalos. This necromancer was extraordinarily powerful, but had been very quiet during the strife that brought the Wizard King back from his ventures into other realms. After the battle however, Alstrapath decided to lend his weight to the war against the forces of good, and using his awesome powers, brought the Unholy Trinity back from the Realms of the Dead to which the Wizard King had banished them.
Yrianox
In the final battle against the forces of good, when Alstrapath the Necromancer and the Unholy Trinity finally slew the Wizard King, it was Yrianox who dealt the killing blow, though he did it using Thakralos as a puppet. The Wizard King now dead, there was little to stop Alstrapath, Yrianox and the Unholy Trinity from decimating the world.
Malechai
Not long ago, Shædor, while searching for artifacts among the Circle of Thorns wizards, found a talisman which allowed him to summon up a servant from a fallen minion by extracting what little of its soul was left, and creating a pathway for Malechai to enter the world of the living. Unfortunately, Malechai was only able to sustain himself for a short period of time, after which he discorporates.
Mordechai
The heavens now quake with fear, for Shædor has discovered the penultimate Shard and has combined it with four others to bring his father, the dread Lich Mordechai, back to the world of the living.