Arioch
General Information
Date of Character Creation: {May 28}
RPG: The Black Veil
Character Name: Arioch
Race: Deluvian Immortal-Allows others to assume that he is a Vampire.
Gender: Male
Age: Years Lived: {enigma} Age By Appearance: {34} Maximum Age: {ageless}
Occupation: Duke of the Sprawl, Spokesman for the Republic (a large organization of vampires)
Demeanor: Calm, Patient, Stern, Steady Nerves, Menacing and ferally intimidating when necessary, otherwise amiable and understanding. Excellent judge of character. Observant and very astute though odd in his way. Unbiased.
Nature: Dedicated to his duties. Kind and generous unless crossed. Stern and commanding as well as a strict disciplinarian as situations demand it. Upholds his duties strictly.
Alignment: {lawful good with chaotic episodes}
Appearance: Height: {6'5} Weight: {210} Eye Color: {rose} Hair: {white} Build: {slender hard muscle} Skin Color: {very fair} Outstanding Features: {imposing stature, runic tattoos, peirced ears, pink fingernails, Albino, Retractable Wings and Claws}
Resources/Property: Owner of the Black Gates Cathedral. Has his hands in several businesses that he invested in that are vampire owned.
Haven: Black Gates Cathedral Location: Hell's Metropolis (The Sprawl), borders the ghetto and gangland districts. Wards and Security: Level-40, LoD 440. Gate Interception Seal-A large seal in the cathedral's floor intercepts any gateways and wormholes, and redirects them to the main hall of the Cathedral. Immuring Force-The walls, floors and ceiling are infused with an arcane force which prevents anyone leaving the Cathedral by physical or magic means, until Arioch or one of his people selects them to leave. Repelling Force-A power that also infuses the Cathedral which prevents anyone from entering the grounds or cathedral by repelling them in a subtle manner. Would be visitors simply lose the desire to enter unless selected to access the Cathedral and its grounds. Command Wards-Allows Arioch to disarm select individuals of power, or to gate them out of the Cathedral to called destinations.
Cathedral Description: Enormous Gothic Cathedral made of black stone marbled with moss green. There are immense black gates and a tall wraught iron fence surrounding the Cathedral grounds. Large pillars carved with bat-gargoyles support a steep roof around the perimeters of the building. Both the front entry's large, arched doorway, and the rear entry's smaller arched doorway are between these pillars. The bell tower is five stories high, with a spiral staircase, and has four, brass bells. The ceilings are 20 feet high on the first, second, and third stories, and each story has a large hall and chambers off of vaulted corridors which form a pentagram. The actual compound and barracks for the Clan and Employees are beneath the cathedral, which is accessed by a hidden gate. The compound has seven underground levels with ten foot high ceilings. The first level is where new wards (usually poweful or unusual sorts retained for observation), are taken and sheltered until Arioch can decide where to place them or what to do with them. There is a secret tunnel which leads from the 6th level of the compound to Black Lake, where the tunnel exits via a hidden door through a hillside above the lake in an old grave yard. The seventh floor is where prisoners are held, and is split between cells and the aisles which cut between them. This floor is heavily warded.
Resident Employees and Servants:
Name: {Barlo Igusta} Level: {Arcane-16, Inborn-14, Combat-16} Age: {unknown} Race: {Shadow Demon} Position: {Bell Ringer and Wine Steward, Ward of the Cathedral and he is content staying there. Loyalty-30.}
Name: {Nisivion (Nichi) } Level: {Arcane-26, Inborn-28, Martial-21, Forgery-38} Age: {482} Race: {Deluvian-Son of Arioch} Position: {Apprentice and Personal Assistant. Loyalty-30}
Name: {Alatus Nostriva} Level: {Telekinesis-32, Wings, Celerity-30, Telepathy-28, Mental Powers-30, Bestial Combat-25} Age: {920} Race: {Vampire-Wings, claws, fangs, and ears} Position: {Messenger. Loyalty 30.}
Name: {Falx} Level: {Combat-40, Arcane-34, Inborn Powers-37} Age: {840} Race: {Son of Arioch} Position-{First Knight of the Cathedral. Clan Visor. Serves directly under the Duke and carries out his commands as well as relaying orders. Loyalty-30}
Name: {Morbran Kosel} Level: {16-SA, 27-Combat-Sword and Firearms} Age: {58} Race: {Bestial Abomination} Position: {Chef and Guard}
Background: Arioch is the Leader of his clan, and the Duke of the Sprawl. He is an ancient creature of unknown power who has resided in the Cathedral at the heart of Hell's Metropolis, for centuries beyond the reckoning of the people who live there. He is reclusive and rarely speaks with the people, even those who visit him for his services, with exception of those who require special attention from him. Many of those who have actually seen and spoken with him, assume that he is a vampire by his looks and demeanor. He is very discreet about his power, and few, but those who work closely with him, have seen him perform the otherworldly feats that he has accomplished. His presence in the Metropolis and his occupation there has been allowed to go uninvestigated simply because he is so old, useful, and respected. Arioch passes himself off as a Vampire and drinks blood as needed to maintain his facade. As Deluvians have a taste for blood, this does not bother him. He has vital contacts which include humans, vampires, demons, devils, and sindicate bosses in many of the Sprawl's districts. He uses his support network to report to him of the conduct of the sindicates and newcomers, to keep an eye on the disposition of the businesses and bosses, and to help him safeguard certain individuals from time to time.
Arioch came to the Sprawl long before the bosses started taking over the city, when the hell damned vampires alone ruled the city, but he never made himself visible while studying the habits of the forsaken there. He simply acted like a vampire himself, and kept aloof doing so, until he had learned enough of their language to actually mingle with them a little. He came and went as a planes walker, but when he returned ages later to discover the demons had taken over, he was ordered to stick around to observe. The demons crushed any vampires who defied them, and took over their businesses and havens. Fear and distrust overcame the vampires, and those were unable to hide, had to either relent, serve the demons as slaves, or perish. Arioch's heart filled with rage and woe, but he did not interfere, tempted as he was to do so. He did save a few vampires now and again discreetly, but never involved himself further than that. It was not until many ages later, long after the demons had utterly conquered the city, that the vampires finally began to rise up against them, and that was when Arioch began to take action as a new flux of sinners arrived in the Sprawl. He had thought ahead and stationed a gate marker to redirect anyone plunged to the Sprawl to a specific location...A great, gothic Cathedral the vampires had been forced to abandon during the gang-wars in the district that would become Gangland. Arioch met the first newcomers he had received by his power in the magnificent but half ruined Cathedral, and there informed them of the dangers which they could expect, and instructed them on how they could best survive. He explained to them that he was the highest authority in the Sprawl, but that unless those he advised listened to him, he could do nothing to protect them from the sindicate bosses, their thugs, the highway men, or anyone else for that matter. He warned them against killing anyone who was respected in the Sprawl, and that anyone who did kill someone important, did so at their own risk. Lastly he informed them that the sindicate, gang, and highway guild bosses were the only law in the Sprawl, and those laws changed from turf to turf, and with the rise and fall of new bosses. "Kill a boss without power beneath you, and it is your death," he promised them, and it was clear that he meant it. To those who were human, he advised them to get the protection of a demon or vampire as quickly as possible. Out of that first group who arrived to be met by him, he met the woman who would become his second wife, Annastae. She did not even know what she was, anymore than she knew why she had been sent to the Sprawl.
How does one define what a Deluvian is? A creature born so pure in power and intelligence, that even as the womb of the universe gave birth to the first, to Arioch, he took his first breath as a God among his cherubim brothers. There is nothing human about Arioch, and yet the child created out of the quantum matter of Chaos and the eternal Cycle, did look human in every way, until he fused his body with the spirit of a chosen form. The second race of Deluvians was born out of such a mosaic of immortal races, that they quite literally became quantum embodiments of chaos, born as avatars. These are like creatures, born by unique paths.
Annastae was like he was...but she was born a goddess out of immortal abominations. She too was a Deluvian, but she was not as ancient as Arioch...was not born as he was. She was a child in a woman's body that he had fallen in love with; A young beauty, who, not six months later, Arioch won as his wife. Falx was their first child, and in the years ahead his son became his visor, and he wished no other rank beneath his father, in the order he had founded on his own two feet. His father had built his order brick by brick until they had their own clan and supporters to safeguard those less fortunates who came to the Sprawl out of no fault of their own. Falx was content with his rank for it meant he worked closely with his father. Arioch was glad for it, for he knew a day would come when wanderlust would claim Falx with freedom, and then nothing would tie him to the domain of his birth. His own destiny would tear and nag at him in time. Falx would argue that it would never happen, for he had no desire to leave his father. He had been by his side through the worst...He was there when Anna had been killed while still pregnant with his brother, by an angry human turned demon who resented Arioch's indifference to the trouble he had landed himself in. Falx had been there when Arioch had cut his brother Nisivion from Anna's womb as she lie dead on the ground. He had cared for his new born brother when Arioch had gone hunting for the demon who had killed his wife, and had been there when his father arrived from slaying the demon to collapse in his arms, his body devistated by a necromantic spell which had nearly claimed his life and his right leg. Falx nursed him back to health. He barely recovered his leg at all, where the necromantic sword has cut him to the bone, and still to this day he walks with a limp, to remind him with every step of the terrible death his wife suffered, and of her cruel murderer. Falx had been but one-hundred and twenty then, still an acorn compared to the mighty oak his father was. It was not long after Arioch recovered all his health, that he realized he needed help...To build a powerful network of support beneath and around himself for the sake of his family, his future, and for those he tried to help. He grieved Anna's death, but he had a newborn son to care for, and his duties to maintain. He acquired goats for milk, hired a nursmaid he could trust, and balanced his duties as a father with his duties as a leader. He never neglected his sons, despite his other responsibilities. Responsibilities laid on him by his own creator, when he had been banished to the Sprawl for attacking his own brethren. He took those responsibilities very seriously regardless, hoping a day would come when he would be set free of his enormous prison. Despite all, he made time to bestow his children his blood and his power with it. To play with them and teach them. To be a father. Falx had been with him when he had been granted leave to travel across the planes of time and space to visit his sons and daughters from his last marriage, only to discover that the youngest of the three brothers had broken a clan law which carried the penalty of death...Falx had been there when Arioch executed his own son for conceiving Bestial offspring out of wild animals, and doing so prolifically. He had traveled back ages in time to kill his son. Falx did not despise his father for this act, for he knew the laws of his father, and respected them. He saw that they were good laws. What he felt was pity, for he had seen how anguished and grieved his father was even as he took his son's life. Falx had seen his father in the best and worst of times, and was proud to be his son. He was a strong man, and Falx could find no faults in him. Nisivion believed in his father, loved him, admired him as deeply as Falx.
Nisivion, whose father and brother lovingly dubbed Nichi, was far more gentle than his brother Falx. Falx had a warrior's heart, while Nisivion had a poet and artist's heart. Nisivion loved to read, to write, and to paint, and he had become very adept at making and forging documents, permits, passports, certificates, and had even dabbled in counterfeiting just to see if he could do it. The money he had made was still stored in a box, in a storage room in the compound. He had perfected his art to the point that his work could get past the highest security inspections. In time he had his own team working beneath him, who he taught his arts to. They were called simply...Nichi's Team. Nichi and his team were heavily relied upon when someone needed a work permit to start a job, or if a child was born in the Sprawl and needed a certificate to prove they were a native. Anyone who entered a district of the city without a permit to work there, or a passport to visit or reside there, could be neutralized on sight on a mere whim if someone disliked them. The Sprawl was a dangerous place, and yet the single-most surprise awaiting its denizens, was the improbability of finite death. Things decayed, things degenerated, things mutated, evoled, fell apart, and sometimes, things even seemed to perish only to lie in dormant states between life and death for months, years, or ages, but only Lucifer could free those souls sent to the Spawl, or allow their final deaths. Newcomers arrived in the Cathedral by direction of the powerful Gate Seal Arioch had improved on over the ages. They had to provide permits and passports for each of these people, as quickly and accurately as possible. Any occupational skills which the newcomers claimed, Arioch and his team proved before allowing the profiles for each newcomer to be dispatched to Nichi's team for processing. If a large number of newcomers arrived at once, they had to wait their turn and content themselves with residing at the Cathedral until they were turned loose. Each newcomer had to learn enough about the new world they were in to get by. That was the hardest part about assimilating the outlanders into life in the Sprawl. Arioch's support network helped him with this. Arioch could by no means do it all himself. In fact, it was the truly powerful newcomers which arrived in Hell's Metropolis which he handled himself.
Arioch was not seen often, but when he was, he was usually greeted with respect, though in some cases, he was met by resentment, distrust, and even scorn. Some envied his power, others hated his good nature, while those who were wise to his calling, pitied him for his duties. He was an odd man to see...very tall, lean, and he walked with a heavy limp. His hair was snow white, very long and spoke of age while his face was youthful and strong. He could be seen talking to himself in the Cathedral yard, and once a child said she saw him weeping in the ancient cemetary beneath the large oak tree's blackened and twisted branches. His eyes held ages of wisdom, woes, and joys, but always there was a whistful softness to his pale rose eyes. He seemed a creature that could not be touched by true corruption, and yet he seemed untouched by unanimous sympathy and compassion as well. He was apathetic to those who ignored his advice only to throw caution to the wind. The man's mystery was part of what made him so intriguing. The less people saw of him, the more fascinated they were by him. Reporters could not get anywhere close to him. The public had no idea that he had two sons, or that he had ever been married. Whatever Arioch was up to, it seemed to benefit everyone, and so no one invaded his privacy but the reporters who his men and women ran off. No one investigated who he truly was...and just what his agenda was. The bosses, and long time residents of the Sprawl, knew he was a philanthropist of mortal and immortal kinds alike, that he was favored by Lucifer, that he was valuable, that he respected the sindicate laws (as far as they knew), that he was trustworthy, and above all, that he minded his own business (or so it seemed), so there was no need in stirring trouble with Arioch. Those who had put a hit on the Elusive Devil, had failed, while Arioch seldom faultered in his own resolutions.
Weapons and Armor:
Weapons: Martial Staff+20-damage. Arcane Broad Sword+35-damage, power can be channeled through sword.
Skills and Knowledge
Combat Skills: Unique Style Martial-38, Grand Master Sword-40.
Occupation Skills: Leadership, Diplomacy, Psychological Profiling, Combat Strategy, Tactical Procedures, Covert Operations, Intimidation, Interrogation, Intelligence-(gathering and processing intelligence), Personal Management, Filing and Records, Advisor, Mentor, Instruction. Arcane adeptness.
Survival Skills: Street and Wilderness Survival.
Common Skills: Cooking, Sewing, Leather Craft, Swimming, Horsemanship, Seamanship and Sailing, Driving-(automatic and stick shift, and motorcycles} Pilot-(small planes and helicopters).
Knowledge: Master of Linquistics-(Esurian, Malaaen, Shahmaa, Firasci, Nathraen, Waurut (languages of Hell and Morashtar), Speak, Read, Scribe, and Write in these languages, as well as French, Japenese, German, Russian, English, Latin, Italian, Welsh, and Estonian). Master of the Occult-(many races and cultures). Master of Arcane Knowledge. Path of Chaos-Grand Priest. His knowledge is as fantastic as his age.
Advantages
Physical: Improved; strength, stamina, health. Regeneration. Quick Reflexes. Haste. Immortal. Keen Vision. Shapeshifter. Special Abilities, Inborn Powers, and Arcane Paths.
Mental: Highly Intelligent. Wise. Composed. Good judge of character. Hard to fool. Strong mental constitution. Logical. Patient. Observant. Alert. Keen Intution and Instincts. Sixth Sense. Highly Respected. Calm Heart. Unlimited Arcane Paths-{There is no limit to how many paths of power Arioch can learn if he lives long enough.} Disciplined.
Ethical: Arioch is very just and considers circumstances before passing judgment. Honorable. Dependable. Loyal to those he commits himself to. Ethical conduct. Respected, even liked for the most part by the bosses. Trustworthy. Truthful.
Disadvantages
Physical: Has a noticable limp in his right leg. Leg gets stiff and aches often. Martial Excercises relieves this, but it also compromises his dexterity and speed-4. Difficult to Resurrect. Albinism-Skin and Eyes sensitive to sunlight.
Mental: Eccentric-He tends to talk aloud to himself, and has a tendency to speak in riddles when predisposed to be vague. He also paces quite often and uses body language to speak for him. Twirls his hair or drums his fingers while speaking.
Ethical: Arioch is lawful and once he makes a judgment he stands by it. While his authority is strict and even handed, he will destroy those who pose a threat to his clan and the Republic. Indifferent to the suffering of others unless he is certain he can involve himself.
Other: Hated and distrusted by some for his good nature. Resented by those who envy his power and popularity. Banished to the Sprawl for an indefinate duration, his freedom dependant on his success and developement. Has been in the Sprawl since the age of the Vampire.