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Most Current RPC
So who am I? Empress, Philosopher, Lover, Wanderer.
Perhaps you came here curious about the insanely charismatic, or possibly just insane, woman you just met in Towns, or an associated forum. Who is she behind the image, on the other side of your screen? Who knows. Maybe you should ask her instead of stalking her profile, just a thought. Thanks for adding to the Flag Counter, though. she appreciates it
Queen Soryykah Aurora, of the ancient House Alloran, heir Gratia-Illustrisquidam to the Altarian Trigalactic Empire, and leader of the Altarian people, Lord of Admirals of the Seventh Advance Fleet of Penitent Rapacity, Mind Sculptress, Architect of Thought, Chosen of the Quarantined God and Top Tier Shenn'doku|kaan, Elder of the First council, Supreme Metalspinner.
I'm sure we could go on, but it's already starting to sound pretentious isn't it? Needless to say I am the progenitor of a written empire that I have been building for the better part of a decade. It's been quite a journey, and I am looking for those who are interested in continuing its new chapter with me. There's a big galaxy out there to explore. Why don't you come join the Empire?
Aside from that, I enjoy roleplaying in Towns, with my friends and with others.
Perhaps you came here curious about the insanely charismatic, or possibly just insane, woman you just met in Towns, or an associated forum. Who is she behind the image, on the other side of your screen? Who knows. Maybe you should ask her instead of stalking her profile, just a thought. Thanks for adding to the Flag Counter, though. she appreciates it
Queen Soryykah Aurora, of the ancient House Alloran, heir Gratia-Illustrisquidam to the Altarian Trigalactic Empire, and leader of the Altarian people, Lord of Admirals of the Seventh Advance Fleet of Penitent Rapacity, Mind Sculptress, Architect of Thought, Chosen of the Quarantined God and Top Tier Shenn'doku|kaan, Elder of the First council, Supreme Metalspinner.
I'm sure we could go on, but it's already starting to sound pretentious isn't it? Needless to say I am the progenitor of a written empire that I have been building for the better part of a decade. It's been quite a journey, and I am looking for those who are interested in continuing its new chapter with me. There's a big galaxy out there to explore. Why don't you come join the Empire?
Aside from that, I enjoy roleplaying in Towns, with my friends and with others.
Endrazin Karagereth Varkas, M.D., Ph.D., Xb.D., DDS
Name - Endrazin Karagereth Varkas
Preferred Name - Varkas
Sex - Male
Race - Altarian (Endrazin'av Clan), Pureblood
Age - 437
Appearance
General
Height 8'7", Weight 380 lbs, Eyes gold with black cornea, Skin gray, Hair white
General Altarian Physiology
The Altarian race is highly affected by eugenics and genetic manipulation pre-birth and throughout their lives. Weight-for-weight, Altarians are six times as physically strong as a comparable human counterpart. A high-technological, space faring species, they are generally further augmented by nanotechnology, but though the nano machines are still present within Varkas' bloodstream they have been found to be in a dormant state after passing through the rift to Terra. Should they ever have the capacity to be reactivated, Varkas would be capable of dead lifting around ten thousand pounds and regenerating instantly from near-fatal wounds. At his base form he can dead lift just over two tons, and though not nearly as severe as the nano tech provides his healing ability is about three times as fast as a human's.
On an Altarian's general physical attributes, their skin is about as tough as a rhino's, though more the texture of normal human skin. Their bones are highly resistant to damage, being composed of an osseus material more akin to carbon fiber rather than calcium, and the result of their makeup is a dark grey to black color. Altarians possess retractable claws which work by a set of tendons just in front of the distal interphalangeal joint, resulting in a process of extension which appears as though the claw is "growing" out from beneath the cuticle. In addition, they are also fanged with three sets of canines and pointed incisors, and though many keep them trimmed to facilitate comfortability within footwear they do grow natural talons on their toes which can retract just as the phalangeal claws do.
Altarians have an amazing visual acuity, able to see into the spectrum of ultraviolet and infrared light in addition to the normal human range of colors, and Varkas' visual acuity has been measured at ten times more powerful than the human eye. Reaction time has also been measured at superhuman levels, ranging from 80 milliseconds at rest to 20 milliseconds during high-stress, high-focus situations. Altarians have a body temperature average of 85.3 F.
Altarians have a mercury-based hemoglobin, which makes their blood a silver color. Being a biological form of the element, this does not lend Altarian blood to beading up like its liquid metal counterpart, but the rapacity with which mercury binds itself to oxygen molecules and its various reactivities makes the Altarian circulatory and immune systems some of the most aggressive among biological life. They are immune to poisons such as cyanide which would rip oxygen away from, for example, the human iron-based hemoglobin, and their immune system is particularly rambunctious. Several diseases which affect a cross-species group in other life forms have little to no effect on Altarians. The flip side is that Altarians have to be careful while working in the Interspecies Medical Exchange, for Altarian diseases are some of the most virulent in the galaxy, and have a tendency to become apocalyptic plagues if not handled with care.
Varkas' Equipment and Appearance
As an Altarian going undercover, Varkas is some strange mix of the old world and new. It was found during initial attempts to cross through the rift into Terra that high technology was incapable of making the transition through to the other world, resulting in the loss of several scouting probes and two unfortunately fatal transitions from initial scouting parties. It was determined that technology needed be limited to the pre-industrial age, and barring that Varkas was still outfitted with the best that the Altarian military could offer.
Beneath a durable carbon-fiber hybrid coat which can stop a wide range of blunt projectiles Varkas is fitted with a set of armor up to spec with the top Altarian metallurgical capabilities. To say that the pieces are architecturally perfect is an understatement. Each piece of the armor is fitted so perfectly with the frame of Varkas' body that he can move as though he were wearing a second skin, suffering almost zero loss in range of motions due to the careful manufacturing of the interlocking plates.
The metal is composed of an aetherically reactive Altarian metal known as Xicodium, which is indestructible by the standards of pre-industrial technology. The metal is harder than diamond, but suffers from none of the brittleness or its crystalline counterpart. In fact, it proves to be quite flexible under force, because the structure of the metal was forged at the atomic level resulting in the entire piece being one uniform grit with no imperfections in the metal's composition. Enhanced by Varkas' own magical ability, the armor can deflect most projectiles, even cannons, and is resistant to both physical and magical intrusion and even multi-spectral attacks such as hellfire. It can be manipulated when Varkas runs an aetheric current through it, allowing him to shape it to his needs, and afterward it will return to its dormant state of original manufacture
At the center of this armor is a red gem which acts as a sort of aether battery for Varkas to draw on to enhance his magical abilities should there prove to be little to no aether on the other side of the rift. It naturally recharges itself over time when exposed to the aether, and has enough energy at full strength to allow Varkas to use the full extent of his abilities for about twenty minutes. The armor is a full plate set, covering Varkas' entire body, and it is bonded to him, sealed together into solid pieces which cannot normally be removed. Xicodium being aetherically reactive, Varkas can manipulate the metal himself to be able to remove the pieces, but it is unlikely that the pieces could be removed by outside force. Beneath the armor is a thin padded gambeson which is designed for maximum shock absorption and made up of space-age materials which work better than any natural counterpart.
Varkas is an imposing man, standing taller than almost any human in history, with a wide, sturdy frame. He hails from the line of the Endrazin'av (In-drah-zen-yov) Clan, giving him European-like features and a stoutness unmatched even by Altarian standards. The Endrazin'av were the berserkers of Altarian lore, much akin to the viking tribes of human Scandinavia, and Varkas certainly lives up to the legends. By most standards Varkas is quite handsome, with powerful features set into his gray face, and he has a deep, commandeering voice and a stature which commands respect in those who meet him.
Weapons
The Parasite Blade
Varkas' sword is a family heirloom known as the Parasite Blade which was forged two thousand years ago by a metalspinner from the Altarian Sovereign's own court and passed down through the Karagereth line ever since. The blade is made of the same Xicodium alloy as Varkas' armor, but has had the magic of the Karagereth line running through it for two thousand years, infusing it with the will and spirit of the family line and making it a powerful artifact. The blade is a siphon of aetheric and electrical energy, draining the life and magic out of those it cuts with brutal efficiency. While running his magic through the Parasite Blade, Varkas can bring down an African elephant with a single stroke, reducing the animal to dust as the blade pulls the life and mana right out from the animal. It was found during initial exploration that the effect holds true for the magical energies of Terra's inhabitants as well, the "Orphalus" which powers the magic of those on the other side of the rift. The blade itself can store the energy it absorbs, which can then be manipulated and released in any number of forms from fire to lightning to even healing. The manipulation of energy from the blade is limited only to Varkas' imagination and the natural laws of the world he finds himself in.
The Parasite Blade is shaped like a European long sword, but it is nearly six feet long. Varkas can wield it with either one or two hands, and has trained extensively in swordsmanship.
Aethersight Device
The Aethersight Device is perhaps the pinnacle of Altarian magical technology. As the artifact relies solely on the user's own magical proficiency, and not on any sort of high technology it was found that the device could be taken across the rift, which drastically enhances Varkas' capabilities to analyze Terra and gain new information on how things work on the other side of the rift. The Aethersight Device is a small headset which rests over the upper half of the user's face. It is formed from a durable xicodium alloy which is mixed with a secret recipe of aetherically-reactive materials to create a sensory artifact of great power. Essentially the device allows the user to flood their magic through the artifact, and in doing so it creates a visual field around the user, from which information is inserted directly into the user's mind. Using the Aethersight Device requires extensive training as it extends the user's visual senses beyond the normal limits of their ocular organs to a complete 360 field. Adept users can focus on the entire field at once, and so several decades of training are required for one to be able to use it in any capacity while in action. The Device allows its user to see into many different spectrums, and even into higher dimensions. The user may focus on the entire field at once, or even focus in on certain locations even down to the molecular level, making the device perfect for Varkas' primary mission of scientific analysis. It can detect the aether moving around and through an object, and Varkas can even identify magical attacks and effects as they are being formed by the will of the user, before they manifest themselves visually in a normal capacity. While unimaginably useful, the Device does have its downsides. The Aethersight Device performs a strain upon the user's visual organs, and though there will be no detectable immediate effect during the use of the device, prolonged exposure to the aetherical effect of the artifact can cause Varkas to go temporarily blind, and were he to keep the device functioning for several days at a time it would begin to affect other portions of his body, up to and including the temporary loss of use of one or more limbs. This is because the artifact taps into the body's own personal ley lines to transmit information, and the extrasensory nature of its transmission is out of sync with the body's usual functioning, causing the associated ley lines to be overloaded over prolonged use. The ley lines do heal themselves over time, which is why the negative effects of the device are most often temporary, but long-term effects over the life span of a chronic user have shown that after several centuries with the device the effects begin to become more permanent.
Caplock Stopping Pistol, Altarian Design
Although the list of technologies which were barred entry through the rift is extensive and seems all-encompassing, it was determined after much experimentation that pre-industrial firearms do seem to make the journey just fine. A specimen was specially constructed for the purposes of the mission, and Varkas was granted a semi-repeating caplock pistol and eighty shots of specialized ammunition with associated percussion caps. It was an Altarian redesign of the simple mechanism of the old world, and works thanks to the rigorous tolerances and near perfection of the Altarian metallurgical capabilities. Each shot is contained within a cartridge which rests in a meticulously designed magazine. A slot on the back of the cartridge slides open at the push of a mechanism inside of the weapon which is connected to the cap striker, which primes the shot when the striker is pulled back. This exposes the gunpowder portion of the cartridge to a tube connected to the percussion cap rest. Inside each percussion cap is a chemical accelerant which explodes when the striking lever hits the back of the cap when the trigger is pulled, sending the explosion down a tube which is perfectly fitted to the slot which opens on the cartridge. This allows the weapon to be fired in somewhat rapid succession with the percussion cap being the only part which needs to be changed with each subsequent firing. It shaves minutes off each shot, and though it's not much, it is far superior to human designs of the relevant time period. The barrel is rifled for accuracy, and each cartridge contains enough firepower to push the four-bore tungsten slug at 2000 feet per second. (For reference, the bore or gauge is determined by how many pieces of the ammunition can be made out of one pound of lead. A four-bore lead slug would be a quarter pound lead bullet) It is meant to be used in circumstances when the target must not come into close-quarters range if at all possible, and Varkas needs to take it down in one shot. Each shot can deliver almost 40,000 foot-pounds of force behind it, enough to tear through any steel armor a human might be capable of wearing and leave a gaping hole in its wake. Even if the bullet does not penetrate, the kinetic trauma alone is oftentimes enough to cause organ failure. The bullets can be further enchanted with magical energies through a carving of a rune on the back of a cartridge to infuse the shot with a certain magical energy or element, or even an explosive force.
Xicodium Cube
Varkas carries with him a cube of a special xicodium mixture whose metallurgy makes the structure particularly susceptible to aetheric manipulation. This cube contains a volume of six cubic inches of concentrated metal, and can be expanded to a volume of two cubic feet through the use of magical manipulation. Through metalspinning magic, Varkas can form the cube into whichever shape he deems necessary, and the uses of the metal are limited only to his imagination and the natural laws of the world of Terra.
Magical Abilities
Endrazin Affinity: Fire
The line of the Endrazin'av Clan are proficient users in the element of fire. Varkas, as any Endrazin adept would have, has mastered the use of fire magic in all of its various forms. His flexibility is staggering when it comes to heat and flames, and he can perform any number of actions from lighting a simple candle to instigating the eruption of a volcano, or even drawing the heat from a source of ignition to quell its flames. His understanding of thermodynamics is superb, and as a master fire mage he is considered an expert in his field.
Medical Magic: Healing and Hurting
Among his various studies during his time in the Interspecies Medical Exchange, Varkas found that he was adept at manipulating the ley lines of living biological beings, even from a distance. In minor capacities this makes him an excellent healer, able to treat himself and others through the use of magic to treat injuries which would be otherwise considered life-threatening. He can reattach limbs and start hearts to beating, and even excise tumors from a system through a careful combination of medical aetheric reactions, use of the aethersight device and transdimensional gates. As mentioned, the Aethersight device greatly increases his ability to manipulate a patient's body through both physical and magical means, as it gives him an unprecedented view of the subject's internals. Imagine being able to see every vein and artery all at once to aid in venipuncture, or to be able to look and see each individual cell of a cancer and how it differentiates from the surrounding healthy tissue, and being able to separate them out at a cellular level. Imagine also, if you will, that the device allows you to see the internal ley lines of a subject's magical ability and how they connect with and to surrounding tissues.
In both cases of physical and magical sight with the Aethersight device, Varkas becomes perhaps both one of the most beneficial and most dangerous medical minds in the galaxy. With such information at his disposal, he can perfectly manipulate both a patient's body and the qualities of their magical ability to his whims, even to the point of being able to jam up a person's internal ley lines, preventing them from using magic for a short period.
Though perhaps his most devastating ability when it comes to manipulation of biological material is his affinity to speak ruin to flesh. His Rot Talk is a secret language of spoken words of power which combine to form a sonic melody which decays the ley lines within a subject's body, causing them to literally rot from the inside out within seconds. The ability can be focused, by the chosen words of power, on a single person, or even a specific part of their body, or can be more generally cast out in all directions to affect up to an area of ten cubic meters, with the effectiveness of the ability diminishing as one radiates away from Varkas' position. At arm's length, there is little to no time for a defense as the effect is so immediate at this distance that the brain decays within the skull before the adequate thoughts can be formed.
Background and Biography
Altarian Military Service and Later Career
Like all Altarians within the Empire, Varkas was conscripted into military service at age 25 following seven years spent in exploratory study at a local academy to determine his chosen field of expertise. Ever a curious mind, Varkas quickly learned that the intricacies of the universe greatly interested him, and during his initial years at Boot Camp he often studied in his spare hours, delving deep into the fields of experimental theory of both natural science and aetherical sciences, quickly becoming an expert on the various levels of functioning of the aether and its effects in various environments. During basic training, Varkas was scouted out by a head hunter from an Altarian Recon Division who noticed his proficiency as an aether user and his natural curiosity for the world around him, and after exiting his five years of combat training he was inducted into the Entrada 154th Recon Division.
For the next thirty years he conducted scouting missions as part of a three-man team on the edge of the Empire, but never during that time delved into anything far too dangerous. It was here he made a name for himself for his quick thinking and stealthy tactics. From Entrada he was scouted by a Dark Operations division leader who goes by the moniker "Genghis", and was taken under personal observation and training by Genghis where Varkas refined his stealth operations while delving into the darker parts of the Empire over the next eighty years. During his time with the DO division, Varkas widely expanded his knowledge of Aetherical Theory, being awarded three doctorates under AONI (Altarian Office of Naval Intelligence) educational programs for Theoretical Aetherical Sciences, Transdimensional Aetherical Physics and Transdimensional Applied Sciences. Varkas left his military service at the age of 142 with a wide list of commendations and began study in a new field which had always fascinated him as much as the theoretical sciences.
With military commendations beneath his belt and special access from his years of service, Varkas went back to the AONI academy and gained a new set of qualifications as a medical professional. His Doctorates in Altarian Medical Sciences, Xenobiology, Exobiology and Applied chemistry saw him invited to join the Altarian Empire's Interspecies Medical Exchange. Varkas spent nearly the next two centuries performing as a doctor with the IME, and performed a wide range of duties and missions in the field. His most notable are the formation of a cure to a necrotic plague in the Aridanus system, the healing of the sovereign of the Tla-Khani people from a disease of gradual petrification and even his being called to attend to a routine physical of the Altarian God Empress herself. Always the overachiever, Varkas' list of medical commendations are even longer than those from his time in the military, and he possesses in his mind the knowledge of the biology of thousands of different species, and over time he has come to an understanding of the essence of life itself (chemically speaking) and how it interacts with the various elements of the universe. This general knowledge makes him qualified to work on almost any life form he encounters, and makes him the perfect medic for any team at any time.
Gnarkill Arc (Complete)
Varkas could not stay out of the military forever, though. He was deemed far too valuable an asset to simply leave him to his own devices. The Altarian Office of Naval Intelligence eventually hired him out of the Interspecies Medical Exchange and into Off-the-record Black Operations. He was employed on several secret projects as a consultant for both his medical knowledge and expertise on transdimensional theory. It was this latter knowledge which landed him on the team which was investigating the rift into Terra, and the former knowledge which made him the prime candidate to be sent in to investigate once a reliable connection was studied and established.
His mission is simple, but open-ended. He is employed to investigate whatever he finds on the other side of the rift, and to ingratiate himself into whatever passes for a society on the other side, if at all possible.
For a long time after coming out of the rift he simply made camp and studied the various plants and animals he found around his entry site. From here he learned of he magical system of the Orphalus from the energy he managed to glean from several predatory beasts who had gained the energy after killing several of Terra's inhabitants. The energy was a foreign entity at first, but as Varkas continued to study it he found that he could adapt his abilities to work within the Orphalus system, a process which was greatly assisted through the use of the Aethersight Device.
Slowly, Varkas began to scout out the place he found himself in, and eventually came upon a town which was being besieged by the beasts of the woods. With his superior knowledge of future technologies and his ability to manipulate metal, Varkas was able to construct a rudimentary set of crossbows for the town's guards and instruct them in their use, since he was uncertain that he would be able to find reliable sources to create black powder. With the guard now able to engage the beasts from a newly fortified wall, they were much better capable to fend off attacks from the forest. From these villagers, Varkas acquired some small amount of the currency of the land he was in, and learned much about the society he found himself in. Pre-industrial, it seemed that firearms were a thing here, but that they were far too expensive for a poor town in the woods which couldn't even afford to outfit their guards properly. (On account of there being no experienced blacksmith who knew how to work with weapons beyond the same swords he'd been repairing all his life.)
Next, Varkas used the pittance to hire a guide to take him into a more civilized section of the planet. It seemed that several cultures were colliding here and there. Varkas continued to study, and as he learned more it became apparent that whatever Terra was, it extended into other times and spaces, and perhaps even into other universes. This is why the normal aether did not work properly here, and why there seemed to be so much of a hodge podge of people and cultures as he moved in toward the capital, referred to by the locals as "Barton".
In Barton, Varkas was approached by a representative of the "Gnarkill" clan, and has ingratiated himself into their service as an expert consultant, part-time medic and sellsword. It is his hope that as he ventures forth with the Gnarkill Clan he can learn more about this strange world and its people, and perhaps begin to formulate a method of making his journey back through the rift, unless his Altarian counterparts on the other side manage to find a way to bring something more than swords and caplock pistols through to find him.
[UPDATE] Varkas was unsuccessful in his attempts to help steer the fate of the strange planet of Terra. Following an extended reconnaissance both within the confines of the city-state of Barton and in the outer regions of the Terran biosphere, Varkas collected data both on the strange lifeforms which were born of the planet and on the quasi-aetherical orbs which seemed connected with the strange powers of its inhabitants.
Current Events
Following a long quantification of the data he collected, Varkas managed to integrate the quasi-aetherical orbs into a magical-based interdimensional gravity device, with which he managed to create a stable Aether Gate and communicate his findings to AONI forces stationed outside of the planet's barrier. With a collaborative effort from mages and a science team on the other side of the Gate, Varkas was successful in exfiltrating himself from the planet of Terra. After several months of study and analysis of the data he was able to collect on the planet, he gave a presentation to the AONI Council of the Sciences and received a commendation for his efforts in the field.
After a brief sabbatical Varkas returned to active duty and was assigned to the IME Ohaiyo-class Medical Carrier Auranea's Grace as part of Expeditionary Force Volkuun as the ship's Chief Medical Officer. He has returned to the use of Standard Issue ACAF technology, but he still uses the Parasite Blade in place of the standard Claymore or Longsword issued by the Altarian Combined Armed Forces. He has kept the Caplock Stopping Pistol he was issued for his duty on Terra, as it has developed a sentimental value to him, although he still uses the standard "Rakdasho" rifle as his primary armament. He is currently stationed as Chief Medical Advisor to Sebastipol Arroyo in EF Volkuun's exploration of a previously uncharted portion of the galaxy, and hopes to make contact with the Norian races who were discovered there, and incorporate Norian anatomy and physiology into the data files of the Interspecies Medical Exchange.
Preferred Name - Varkas
Sex - Male
Race - Altarian (Endrazin'av Clan), Pureblood
Age - 437
Appearance
General
Height 8'7", Weight 380 lbs, Eyes gold with black cornea, Skin gray, Hair white
General Altarian Physiology
The Altarian race is highly affected by eugenics and genetic manipulation pre-birth and throughout their lives. Weight-for-weight, Altarians are six times as physically strong as a comparable human counterpart. A high-technological, space faring species, they are generally further augmented by nanotechnology, but though the nano machines are still present within Varkas' bloodstream they have been found to be in a dormant state after passing through the rift to Terra. Should they ever have the capacity to be reactivated, Varkas would be capable of dead lifting around ten thousand pounds and regenerating instantly from near-fatal wounds. At his base form he can dead lift just over two tons, and though not nearly as severe as the nano tech provides his healing ability is about three times as fast as a human's.
On an Altarian's general physical attributes, their skin is about as tough as a rhino's, though more the texture of normal human skin. Their bones are highly resistant to damage, being composed of an osseus material more akin to carbon fiber rather than calcium, and the result of their makeup is a dark grey to black color. Altarians possess retractable claws which work by a set of tendons just in front of the distal interphalangeal joint, resulting in a process of extension which appears as though the claw is "growing" out from beneath the cuticle. In addition, they are also fanged with three sets of canines and pointed incisors, and though many keep them trimmed to facilitate comfortability within footwear they do grow natural talons on their toes which can retract just as the phalangeal claws do.
Altarians have an amazing visual acuity, able to see into the spectrum of ultraviolet and infrared light in addition to the normal human range of colors, and Varkas' visual acuity has been measured at ten times more powerful than the human eye. Reaction time has also been measured at superhuman levels, ranging from 80 milliseconds at rest to 20 milliseconds during high-stress, high-focus situations. Altarians have a body temperature average of 85.3 F.
Altarians have a mercury-based hemoglobin, which makes their blood a silver color. Being a biological form of the element, this does not lend Altarian blood to beading up like its liquid metal counterpart, but the rapacity with which mercury binds itself to oxygen molecules and its various reactivities makes the Altarian circulatory and immune systems some of the most aggressive among biological life. They are immune to poisons such as cyanide which would rip oxygen away from, for example, the human iron-based hemoglobin, and their immune system is particularly rambunctious. Several diseases which affect a cross-species group in other life forms have little to no effect on Altarians. The flip side is that Altarians have to be careful while working in the Interspecies Medical Exchange, for Altarian diseases are some of the most virulent in the galaxy, and have a tendency to become apocalyptic plagues if not handled with care.
Varkas' Equipment and Appearance
As an Altarian going undercover, Varkas is some strange mix of the old world and new. It was found during initial attempts to cross through the rift into Terra that high technology was incapable of making the transition through to the other world, resulting in the loss of several scouting probes and two unfortunately fatal transitions from initial scouting parties. It was determined that technology needed be limited to the pre-industrial age, and barring that Varkas was still outfitted with the best that the Altarian military could offer.
Beneath a durable carbon-fiber hybrid coat which can stop a wide range of blunt projectiles Varkas is fitted with a set of armor up to spec with the top Altarian metallurgical capabilities. To say that the pieces are architecturally perfect is an understatement. Each piece of the armor is fitted so perfectly with the frame of Varkas' body that he can move as though he were wearing a second skin, suffering almost zero loss in range of motions due to the careful manufacturing of the interlocking plates.
The metal is composed of an aetherically reactive Altarian metal known as Xicodium, which is indestructible by the standards of pre-industrial technology. The metal is harder than diamond, but suffers from none of the brittleness or its crystalline counterpart. In fact, it proves to be quite flexible under force, because the structure of the metal was forged at the atomic level resulting in the entire piece being one uniform grit with no imperfections in the metal's composition. Enhanced by Varkas' own magical ability, the armor can deflect most projectiles, even cannons, and is resistant to both physical and magical intrusion and even multi-spectral attacks such as hellfire. It can be manipulated when Varkas runs an aetheric current through it, allowing him to shape it to his needs, and afterward it will return to its dormant state of original manufacture
At the center of this armor is a red gem which acts as a sort of aether battery for Varkas to draw on to enhance his magical abilities should there prove to be little to no aether on the other side of the rift. It naturally recharges itself over time when exposed to the aether, and has enough energy at full strength to allow Varkas to use the full extent of his abilities for about twenty minutes. The armor is a full plate set, covering Varkas' entire body, and it is bonded to him, sealed together into solid pieces which cannot normally be removed. Xicodium being aetherically reactive, Varkas can manipulate the metal himself to be able to remove the pieces, but it is unlikely that the pieces could be removed by outside force. Beneath the armor is a thin padded gambeson which is designed for maximum shock absorption and made up of space-age materials which work better than any natural counterpart.
Varkas is an imposing man, standing taller than almost any human in history, with a wide, sturdy frame. He hails from the line of the Endrazin'av (In-drah-zen-yov) Clan, giving him European-like features and a stoutness unmatched even by Altarian standards. The Endrazin'av were the berserkers of Altarian lore, much akin to the viking tribes of human Scandinavia, and Varkas certainly lives up to the legends. By most standards Varkas is quite handsome, with powerful features set into his gray face, and he has a deep, commandeering voice and a stature which commands respect in those who meet him.
Weapons
The Parasite Blade
Varkas' sword is a family heirloom known as the Parasite Blade which was forged two thousand years ago by a metalspinner from the Altarian Sovereign's own court and passed down through the Karagereth line ever since. The blade is made of the same Xicodium alloy as Varkas' armor, but has had the magic of the Karagereth line running through it for two thousand years, infusing it with the will and spirit of the family line and making it a powerful artifact. The blade is a siphon of aetheric and electrical energy, draining the life and magic out of those it cuts with brutal efficiency. While running his magic through the Parasite Blade, Varkas can bring down an African elephant with a single stroke, reducing the animal to dust as the blade pulls the life and mana right out from the animal. It was found during initial exploration that the effect holds true for the magical energies of Terra's inhabitants as well, the "Orphalus" which powers the magic of those on the other side of the rift. The blade itself can store the energy it absorbs, which can then be manipulated and released in any number of forms from fire to lightning to even healing. The manipulation of energy from the blade is limited only to Varkas' imagination and the natural laws of the world he finds himself in.
The Parasite Blade is shaped like a European long sword, but it is nearly six feet long. Varkas can wield it with either one or two hands, and has trained extensively in swordsmanship.
Aethersight Device
The Aethersight Device is perhaps the pinnacle of Altarian magical technology. As the artifact relies solely on the user's own magical proficiency, and not on any sort of high technology it was found that the device could be taken across the rift, which drastically enhances Varkas' capabilities to analyze Terra and gain new information on how things work on the other side of the rift. The Aethersight Device is a small headset which rests over the upper half of the user's face. It is formed from a durable xicodium alloy which is mixed with a secret recipe of aetherically-reactive materials to create a sensory artifact of great power. Essentially the device allows the user to flood their magic through the artifact, and in doing so it creates a visual field around the user, from which information is inserted directly into the user's mind. Using the Aethersight Device requires extensive training as it extends the user's visual senses beyond the normal limits of their ocular organs to a complete 360 field. Adept users can focus on the entire field at once, and so several decades of training are required for one to be able to use it in any capacity while in action. The Device allows its user to see into many different spectrums, and even into higher dimensions. The user may focus on the entire field at once, or even focus in on certain locations even down to the molecular level, making the device perfect for Varkas' primary mission of scientific analysis. It can detect the aether moving around and through an object, and Varkas can even identify magical attacks and effects as they are being formed by the will of the user, before they manifest themselves visually in a normal capacity. While unimaginably useful, the Device does have its downsides. The Aethersight Device performs a strain upon the user's visual organs, and though there will be no detectable immediate effect during the use of the device, prolonged exposure to the aetherical effect of the artifact can cause Varkas to go temporarily blind, and were he to keep the device functioning for several days at a time it would begin to affect other portions of his body, up to and including the temporary loss of use of one or more limbs. This is because the artifact taps into the body's own personal ley lines to transmit information, and the extrasensory nature of its transmission is out of sync with the body's usual functioning, causing the associated ley lines to be overloaded over prolonged use. The ley lines do heal themselves over time, which is why the negative effects of the device are most often temporary, but long-term effects over the life span of a chronic user have shown that after several centuries with the device the effects begin to become more permanent.
Caplock Stopping Pistol, Altarian Design
Although the list of technologies which were barred entry through the rift is extensive and seems all-encompassing, it was determined after much experimentation that pre-industrial firearms do seem to make the journey just fine. A specimen was specially constructed for the purposes of the mission, and Varkas was granted a semi-repeating caplock pistol and eighty shots of specialized ammunition with associated percussion caps. It was an Altarian redesign of the simple mechanism of the old world, and works thanks to the rigorous tolerances and near perfection of the Altarian metallurgical capabilities. Each shot is contained within a cartridge which rests in a meticulously designed magazine. A slot on the back of the cartridge slides open at the push of a mechanism inside of the weapon which is connected to the cap striker, which primes the shot when the striker is pulled back. This exposes the gunpowder portion of the cartridge to a tube connected to the percussion cap rest. Inside each percussion cap is a chemical accelerant which explodes when the striking lever hits the back of the cap when the trigger is pulled, sending the explosion down a tube which is perfectly fitted to the slot which opens on the cartridge. This allows the weapon to be fired in somewhat rapid succession with the percussion cap being the only part which needs to be changed with each subsequent firing. It shaves minutes off each shot, and though it's not much, it is far superior to human designs of the relevant time period. The barrel is rifled for accuracy, and each cartridge contains enough firepower to push the four-bore tungsten slug at 2000 feet per second. (For reference, the bore or gauge is determined by how many pieces of the ammunition can be made out of one pound of lead. A four-bore lead slug would be a quarter pound lead bullet) It is meant to be used in circumstances when the target must not come into close-quarters range if at all possible, and Varkas needs to take it down in one shot. Each shot can deliver almost 40,000 foot-pounds of force behind it, enough to tear through any steel armor a human might be capable of wearing and leave a gaping hole in its wake. Even if the bullet does not penetrate, the kinetic trauma alone is oftentimes enough to cause organ failure. The bullets can be further enchanted with magical energies through a carving of a rune on the back of a cartridge to infuse the shot with a certain magical energy or element, or even an explosive force.
Xicodium Cube
Varkas carries with him a cube of a special xicodium mixture whose metallurgy makes the structure particularly susceptible to aetheric manipulation. This cube contains a volume of six cubic inches of concentrated metal, and can be expanded to a volume of two cubic feet through the use of magical manipulation. Through metalspinning magic, Varkas can form the cube into whichever shape he deems necessary, and the uses of the metal are limited only to his imagination and the natural laws of the world of Terra.
Magical Abilities
Endrazin Affinity: Fire
The line of the Endrazin'av Clan are proficient users in the element of fire. Varkas, as any Endrazin adept would have, has mastered the use of fire magic in all of its various forms. His flexibility is staggering when it comes to heat and flames, and he can perform any number of actions from lighting a simple candle to instigating the eruption of a volcano, or even drawing the heat from a source of ignition to quell its flames. His understanding of thermodynamics is superb, and as a master fire mage he is considered an expert in his field.
Medical Magic: Healing and Hurting
Among his various studies during his time in the Interspecies Medical Exchange, Varkas found that he was adept at manipulating the ley lines of living biological beings, even from a distance. In minor capacities this makes him an excellent healer, able to treat himself and others through the use of magic to treat injuries which would be otherwise considered life-threatening. He can reattach limbs and start hearts to beating, and even excise tumors from a system through a careful combination of medical aetheric reactions, use of the aethersight device and transdimensional gates. As mentioned, the Aethersight device greatly increases his ability to manipulate a patient's body through both physical and magical means, as it gives him an unprecedented view of the subject's internals. Imagine being able to see every vein and artery all at once to aid in venipuncture, or to be able to look and see each individual cell of a cancer and how it differentiates from the surrounding healthy tissue, and being able to separate them out at a cellular level. Imagine also, if you will, that the device allows you to see the internal ley lines of a subject's magical ability and how they connect with and to surrounding tissues.
In both cases of physical and magical sight with the Aethersight device, Varkas becomes perhaps both one of the most beneficial and most dangerous medical minds in the galaxy. With such information at his disposal, he can perfectly manipulate both a patient's body and the qualities of their magical ability to his whims, even to the point of being able to jam up a person's internal ley lines, preventing them from using magic for a short period.
Though perhaps his most devastating ability when it comes to manipulation of biological material is his affinity to speak ruin to flesh. His Rot Talk is a secret language of spoken words of power which combine to form a sonic melody which decays the ley lines within a subject's body, causing them to literally rot from the inside out within seconds. The ability can be focused, by the chosen words of power, on a single person, or even a specific part of their body, or can be more generally cast out in all directions to affect up to an area of ten cubic meters, with the effectiveness of the ability diminishing as one radiates away from Varkas' position. At arm's length, there is little to no time for a defense as the effect is so immediate at this distance that the brain decays within the skull before the adequate thoughts can be formed.
Background and Biography
Altarian Military Service and Later Career
Like all Altarians within the Empire, Varkas was conscripted into military service at age 25 following seven years spent in exploratory study at a local academy to determine his chosen field of expertise. Ever a curious mind, Varkas quickly learned that the intricacies of the universe greatly interested him, and during his initial years at Boot Camp he often studied in his spare hours, delving deep into the fields of experimental theory of both natural science and aetherical sciences, quickly becoming an expert on the various levels of functioning of the aether and its effects in various environments. During basic training, Varkas was scouted out by a head hunter from an Altarian Recon Division who noticed his proficiency as an aether user and his natural curiosity for the world around him, and after exiting his five years of combat training he was inducted into the Entrada 154th Recon Division.
For the next thirty years he conducted scouting missions as part of a three-man team on the edge of the Empire, but never during that time delved into anything far too dangerous. It was here he made a name for himself for his quick thinking and stealthy tactics. From Entrada he was scouted by a Dark Operations division leader who goes by the moniker "Genghis", and was taken under personal observation and training by Genghis where Varkas refined his stealth operations while delving into the darker parts of the Empire over the next eighty years. During his time with the DO division, Varkas widely expanded his knowledge of Aetherical Theory, being awarded three doctorates under AONI (Altarian Office of Naval Intelligence) educational programs for Theoretical Aetherical Sciences, Transdimensional Aetherical Physics and Transdimensional Applied Sciences. Varkas left his military service at the age of 142 with a wide list of commendations and began study in a new field which had always fascinated him as much as the theoretical sciences.
With military commendations beneath his belt and special access from his years of service, Varkas went back to the AONI academy and gained a new set of qualifications as a medical professional. His Doctorates in Altarian Medical Sciences, Xenobiology, Exobiology and Applied chemistry saw him invited to join the Altarian Empire's Interspecies Medical Exchange. Varkas spent nearly the next two centuries performing as a doctor with the IME, and performed a wide range of duties and missions in the field. His most notable are the formation of a cure to a necrotic plague in the Aridanus system, the healing of the sovereign of the Tla-Khani people from a disease of gradual petrification and even his being called to attend to a routine physical of the Altarian God Empress herself. Always the overachiever, Varkas' list of medical commendations are even longer than those from his time in the military, and he possesses in his mind the knowledge of the biology of thousands of different species, and over time he has come to an understanding of the essence of life itself (chemically speaking) and how it interacts with the various elements of the universe. This general knowledge makes him qualified to work on almost any life form he encounters, and makes him the perfect medic for any team at any time.
Gnarkill Arc (Complete)
Varkas could not stay out of the military forever, though. He was deemed far too valuable an asset to simply leave him to his own devices. The Altarian Office of Naval Intelligence eventually hired him out of the Interspecies Medical Exchange and into Off-the-record Black Operations. He was employed on several secret projects as a consultant for both his medical knowledge and expertise on transdimensional theory. It was this latter knowledge which landed him on the team which was investigating the rift into Terra, and the former knowledge which made him the prime candidate to be sent in to investigate once a reliable connection was studied and established.
His mission is simple, but open-ended. He is employed to investigate whatever he finds on the other side of the rift, and to ingratiate himself into whatever passes for a society on the other side, if at all possible.
For a long time after coming out of the rift he simply made camp and studied the various plants and animals he found around his entry site. From here he learned of he magical system of the Orphalus from the energy he managed to glean from several predatory beasts who had gained the energy after killing several of Terra's inhabitants. The energy was a foreign entity at first, but as Varkas continued to study it he found that he could adapt his abilities to work within the Orphalus system, a process which was greatly assisted through the use of the Aethersight Device.
Slowly, Varkas began to scout out the place he found himself in, and eventually came upon a town which was being besieged by the beasts of the woods. With his superior knowledge of future technologies and his ability to manipulate metal, Varkas was able to construct a rudimentary set of crossbows for the town's guards and instruct them in their use, since he was uncertain that he would be able to find reliable sources to create black powder. With the guard now able to engage the beasts from a newly fortified wall, they were much better capable to fend off attacks from the forest. From these villagers, Varkas acquired some small amount of the currency of the land he was in, and learned much about the society he found himself in. Pre-industrial, it seemed that firearms were a thing here, but that they were far too expensive for a poor town in the woods which couldn't even afford to outfit their guards properly. (On account of there being no experienced blacksmith who knew how to work with weapons beyond the same swords he'd been repairing all his life.)
Next, Varkas used the pittance to hire a guide to take him into a more civilized section of the planet. It seemed that several cultures were colliding here and there. Varkas continued to study, and as he learned more it became apparent that whatever Terra was, it extended into other times and spaces, and perhaps even into other universes. This is why the normal aether did not work properly here, and why there seemed to be so much of a hodge podge of people and cultures as he moved in toward the capital, referred to by the locals as "Barton".
In Barton, Varkas was approached by a representative of the "Gnarkill" clan, and has ingratiated himself into their service as an expert consultant, part-time medic and sellsword. It is his hope that as he ventures forth with the Gnarkill Clan he can learn more about this strange world and its people, and perhaps begin to formulate a method of making his journey back through the rift, unless his Altarian counterparts on the other side manage to find a way to bring something more than swords and caplock pistols through to find him.
[UPDATE] Varkas was unsuccessful in his attempts to help steer the fate of the strange planet of Terra. Following an extended reconnaissance both within the confines of the city-state of Barton and in the outer regions of the Terran biosphere, Varkas collected data both on the strange lifeforms which were born of the planet and on the quasi-aetherical orbs which seemed connected with the strange powers of its inhabitants.
Current Events
Following a long quantification of the data he collected, Varkas managed to integrate the quasi-aetherical orbs into a magical-based interdimensional gravity device, with which he managed to create a stable Aether Gate and communicate his findings to AONI forces stationed outside of the planet's barrier. With a collaborative effort from mages and a science team on the other side of the Gate, Varkas was successful in exfiltrating himself from the planet of Terra. After several months of study and analysis of the data he was able to collect on the planet, he gave a presentation to the AONI Council of the Sciences and received a commendation for his efforts in the field.
After a brief sabbatical Varkas returned to active duty and was assigned to the IME Ohaiyo-class Medical Carrier Auranea's Grace as part of Expeditionary Force Volkuun as the ship's Chief Medical Officer. He has returned to the use of Standard Issue ACAF technology, but he still uses the Parasite Blade in place of the standard Claymore or Longsword issued by the Altarian Combined Armed Forces. He has kept the Caplock Stopping Pistol he was issued for his duty on Terra, as it has developed a sentimental value to him, although he still uses the standard "Rakdasho" rifle as his primary armament. He is currently stationed as Chief Medical Advisor to Sebastipol Arroyo in EF Volkuun's exploration of a previously uncharted portion of the galaxy, and hopes to make contact with the Norian races who were discovered there, and incorporate Norian anatomy and physiology into the data files of the Interspecies Medical Exchange.
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how and where did u get one?
i only know 1 who has it but not selling it
and thanks ^^