Milo North.
Adventurer - Handyman - Beast
The Man
Species: Hyur (Highlander)Height: 6' 8"Gender: MaleAlignment: Chaotic NeutralAge: 25Weight: 260lbsProfession: Adventurer/MercenaryBirthplace: Limsa LominsaPatron: Oschon, The Wanderer
Milo is a brute in every sense, so tall and enormously built that he could be mistaken for some giant. His body balanced between the razor hone of meticulous workout and the crude brutality of pure physical labor. Every muscle is huge and blunt and solid, seeming soft and disguising much of his strength till he moves and pythons coil beneath his tanned hide in place of muscle—Pectorals like granite slabs, biceps like rumbling boulders, legs like iron-hard trunks of ancient trees, his abdomen an impenetrable mass of only slightly defined iron.Oddities mark this imposing creature. His canines long and devloped, interlacing in his closed jaw like that of a predatory creature. A tight, short mane of hair extending down his neck, over his spine and tapering at the small of his back. Perhaps he carries some Hrothgar blood? Or perhaps his body is host to something... Else.
Inventory
Prayer Beads:
While not specifically magical in any way Milo could quantify, these beads are a beloved gift from Berrod Armstrong, and do have a use as a focusing aid in meditative activities!Dog Tags:
Sailor tags gifted from an old, beloved friend of Milo, you'll rarely find them out of his sight, and he tends to rub them as a nervous tick.
Fang Necklace:
The large fang of some unknown monster, tipped with a stain of blood. There is some magic about this amulet, though what is hard to say. Milo is extremely reluctant to part with it under any circumstances, however...Book of Divisions:
An exceedingly old and magical tome that acts as a focus to the soul crystals of the Seekers of Dark. Essentially, this book acts as a knowledgeable teacher of Dark Magic.
The Details.
Trivia:
- Milo's Darkside takes the form of a huge bestial creature. What this says about his personality and nature beyond the obvious lycanthropy...
- Milo smokes a mixture of odd, floral herbs. He insists that they aid him in channeling the forces of the abyss, but the presence of at least a little tobacco means this is probably just as much a vice.
- Milo's dog is odd, highly intelligent, capable of understanding speech and, though unable to speak himself, at least able to make his thoughts known via pantomime
Hooks:
- Work
Milo is an accomplished adventurer. If he's in the Quicksand, chances are he's cashing in Leves. If you need work done, you just gotta offer the right amount of gil.
- Dark Magic
Milo practices magic manipulating Darkness, much like that of a Dark Knight. His aether has a strong signiture of such magic. Just be careful: Talk of such powers can endanger those with loose lips.
- Flirtatious
Milo is a... Crude man. He soaks up compliments. Sometimes he likes to return the favour.
- Punch him.
He'll punch back harder.
OOC:
- Yes, Milo is a werewolf.
- This character, somewhat obviously, involves mature themes, including drug use, violence and sexual themes. Don't expect them unless we've talked about it first, and don't expect nothing but them!
- This character also includes head-canons that, while not necessarily lore-breaking, can definitely reach into areas uncovered by lore or the bending of the lore. While I try to keep this as intergrated into the world as possible, if this is an issue for our RP, feel free to let me know!
- I am notoriously bad at keeping track of noisy RP spaces. If I failed to reply to you, PM me!
- If you have any questions, feel free to ask me in-game!
Gallery:
The Beast.
Combat Ability:
Darkside: Black Fang
Darksides are the reflections of something internal and fundemental of their master. What this thing represents is anyones guess. Milo has bound his Darkside with names and power, for this creature has a certain level of free will beyond that of a tame Darkside.Not helping matters is a case of lycanthropy, a metamorphic curse which the Darkside, inexplicably, has consumed and made part of itself.Milo manifests darkness in its purest form of motion and change-- namely the change of Division. Mid-range slashes of aetheric power and sudden surges of extreme speed and strength characterize the adventurer's fighting style.
Lycanthropy
Milo contracted this curse of dark-aspected magic deep in ruins of the Twelveswood. Influenced by the flows of dark aether during the full-moon, victims transform into beastial, lupine creatures of violence.Also known as the Roots of Lohghan, the instinctual entity formed by the curse innervates the body as coiling black roots that surface against the flesh when its power is exerted. Some connection to dark magic is likely, due to their synergistic effects.
Magic: Generalist
Milo is practiced in those aspects of thaumaturgy and arcanima that suit the dark arts he wields, primarily the construction of arcane geometries for rituals.
Magic: Dark Magic
Also called Abyssal magic. Dark magic manipulates the Dark that naturally exists within ones-self, a power referred to as the Abyss. Dark Magic is known to have a curious power over memory and the sense of self, and an extreme risk to those not fully aware of their own inner natures. The Dark Arts is sometimes rightly shunned, for it is a volatile art.-
Skill: Pugilism
Milo is a practiced member of the pugilists guild, and exceedingly skilled at the loose, mobile stances it teaches. Reinforcing his body with Aether and with the utilization of the Black Fang, Milo can be an utter terror in a fight, with attacks coming from unpredictable directions. Pugilistic attacks are Milo's bread and butter.
Dark Magic.
Dark magic, also known as Abyssal magic. is the use of the darkness that exists within the self, termed the Abyss. Users of this magic can summon vast destructive magic and even create solid simulacra out of their aether and darkness even more easily than specialized Arcanists.This power doesn't come without risk: Manipulating the abyss causes the internal schisms of the users mind to manifest as a Darkside. And failing to learn to live with yourself will quickly lead to your death... And possibly others.Dark magic is often maligned, either because of it's realistic dangers, superstitious panic or for authorities confusing it with the much more dangerous Black and Void magics. This discipline of magic at is most mighty manipulates the natural divisions of the dualistic world of magic one inhabits all the time.The most well known users of Dark Magic are the Ishgardian Dark Knights. However other traditions exist, hidden and obscure in the reaches of the world of Hydaelyn.
Disclaimer: This section contains suppositions and extrapolations from in game and external lore, along with a good dash of the writers headcanon! While you are free to use the stuff in here to further your story or character, be very aware a lot of it may be invalidated by future releases! (Or I'm a prophet who knows the true path. We'll see!)
Darkness
Darkness, along with Light, is the fundamental nature of the world. The balance of Light and Darkness creates the flow of Aether and life.Darkness is the force responsible for change, energy, passion and growth. It is also responsible for decay, violence, chaos and instability.Despite being normally associated with the Void and even the dreaded Paragons, Darkness is a natural and vital part of the world. A dearth of darkness leaves lands barren and sterile, still and empty. Too much darkness leads to unstable and dangerous lands, just as likely to be toxic hells as it is a teeming jungle.Darkness is by definition volatile. Magic directly manipulating Darkness as an element can be powerful but very dangerous.
The Seekers of Darkness
An ancient culture or tradition of Dark magic practitioners that has existed since at least the era of Allag.The Seekers were primarily a scholarly order, who studied the Darkness and its balance with the world. As such, they are the sworn enemies of the Voidsent, within whom Darkness has become a corrupt, rotting perversion.The Seekers, like many similar cultures, was often destroyed either from outside distrust or by the abuse of their volatile magics from within. The Book of Dark is a response to this, a way to preserve their techniques and ideas through the ages until new Seekers can again emerge. The original society of Seekers was destroyed by Allag when it responded violently to the vast summoning of Voidsent-controlled Ashkin.The name of the culture refers to their concept of Darkness as a force of want: To use and know darkness is to constantly be seeking. Balance is found in accepting that the act of striving is a holy state to be wondered at. Conversely, Light is viewed as a resting state, the seeking of peace, rest and perfection that is equally unattainable.
The Book of Dark
An ancient enchanted grimoire and product of a now mostly deceased tradition of practitioners that referred to themselves as the Seekers of Darkness.The book is a powerful artefact. When paired with a soul crystal and a user with a Darkside, the book will present then with elementry theory and the philosophy of the Seekers, spoken through the words of the Darkside itself. This allows the reader to unconsciously tailor their reading of the book-- which will in turn show them what they need to know while minimising danger to the student.
Alignment
A fundemental technique. Alignment is the term for partially erasing the unconscious aetheric barrier between ones darkside avatar and the whole of one's spirit. This alignment generates an enormous, ephemeral surge of aether that can be channeled into powerful battle magic. Unlike mages who consort with avatars of a voidsent nature, there is no risk of permenant possession, making this technique possible. It is always dangerous to meld with a darkside, however, degrading the barriers of the ego and self, risking significant mental harm with overuse.
Abyss
The Darkness within ones own soul. The abyss can be a great source of strength, but is volatile when accessed, creating the Darkside. The abyss is said to contain a 'flame', which groups variously attribute as the bulwark against the darkness or the paradoxical source of the Darkness.The Book of Divisions states that the darkness feeds the flame and the flame casts the darkness. The flame is the part of the wielder, their connections and the Light in their soul and life, whatever shape it takes. To survive either requires both are embraced. Indeed, Light is fundamentally required for stable, uncorrupted Dark Magic. Those utilizing Dark Magic tend to have a natrual, slight disbalance or 'aspect' towards Dark.
The Void
The Void is a realm utterly consumed by darkness, aspected so strongly to rot and decay that a self-devouring, infectious nothingness is all that remains.The Seekers consider the Void to be an ultimate evil, a sin perpetrated on a whole world where Darkness was not respected and balanced and thus was made corrupt. There exist groups who form pacts or relationships with Voidsent, gaining power over Dark magic in the process. The otherwise magic-devoid Garlean people developed the culture of Reapers for this precise purpose.
Darkside
The manifestation of the users internal conflict, given shape and form by their Darkness. A Darkside represents the needs, feelings and desires of the self that the user is uncomfortable with, ignores or rejects. If the user does not confront this conflict and resolve it, the Darkside is a belligerent foe who will try to claim mastery of the self.Milo's Darkside is fully matured and realised, swollen with power from a lycanthropic curse within it's host that it consumed. Now named Fenren, this entity is a reflection of it's hosts mind, content to let him do the talking so long as it gets to take part in the fighting.
Enshrouding
Enshrouding is the pinnacle that Alignment hints towards. Not a mere brushing together, to Enshroud requires that the mage allow the Darkside to surface into their corporeal form entirely. The risk of this technique is immense, and requires a completely solid sense of self and a respect between the mage and their shadow.The lycanthropy that Milo's Darkside has absorbed has affected his shrouding, causing him to transform into a huge, beastly force of shadow, fang and claws.
Thornfire
A personal derivitave of a form of Dark spell, aetherically aspected towards fire. Milo created this spell by happy accident. A globe of black fire condenses in the hand into a blast of twisting, tangled tendrils of energy, thorned like brambles. Thornfire eats away at unprotected surfaces, rendering it into smooth grey ash.
Unmake
An enshrouded mage cannot maintain their state forever, a voidsent damages the soul by presence, and a darkside actualized into physicality erodes the aetheric makeup of it and it's host. But the act of one becoming two is a powerful act of division, itself a source of power.Communio, also known as Unmaking, captures some of the energy of this redivision, channeling it into a quick and dirty cast of a high grade Dark spell, an explosion of chaotic energy that collapses into slicing, erosive blades.