Post by mrcreazil on May 18, 2017 18:25:43 GMT -4
Name:
Kabekhnet
Alias/Nicknames: Currently uses the alias Kabuto to hide his foreign origins, is often given immortality-related nicknames.
Gender:
Male
Race:
Undead Human
Age:
Roughly 3,000.
Personality:
Kabekhnet is a professional, at least on the outside. He's polite, efficient, and pragmatic. His undead nature hasn't left him able to experience much in the way of creature comforts, so he focuses solely on his work. If someone helps him in this work, no matter who they are or what they want him to do, he's quite helpful and can even be friendly. The old man is loyal and honest with those who help him. With others, he has less of a code. He's willing to lie, cheat, and steal if that means he can find the scrolls he's looking for more easily. Try to betray him or go back on a deal with him, and he can be petty and vindictive. He's willing to invest his time in hurting and undermining people who used him. After all, all he has is time. He also tends to be a bit paranoid. After such a long life, he's gotten used to living. Kabekhnet tells no one the secret of his immortality, and will deflect or lie about it, trying to throw people off the trail.
In a conversation, Kabekhnet can be a bit cagey. He tries to hide his undead nature, unless it's more suitable to show it, and that can make it difficult for him to find things to talk about. It also doesn't help that after three thousand years, he's having trouble keeping things straight. All those memories are hard to sort through, and can make him a bit forgetful at times. If he does get confused, he tends to fall back on bits of canned wisdom or pseudo-wisdom, or just thoughtful silence. His image is very important to him, and he wants to seem wise. Better that than showing the confused, paranoid old man underlying it all.
Appearance:
Without his disguise, Kabekhnet is quite a sight. His body was well-preserved, both by embalming and by magic, but he's by no means pretty. His skin is dry and brittle-looking, turned gray-brown by the embalming process. He stands about six feet tall, his lean body covered in tattered bandages. His shrunken white eyes glow faintly, and his lips are usually pulled back in a leering grin.
Clothing/Armor:
Over his bandages, Kabekhnet disguises himself as a Komuso Monk. He dresses in simple black robes, with a white sash around his waist. His head is hidden by a wicker basket-like headdress with narrow slits to see through in the front, and he wears a simple pair of sandals. Every other piece of exposed skin is regularly covered in fresh bandages, which he claims are to hide painful burn scars from his youth. He also carries a pack with him, holding a supply of incense and two papyrus scrolls.
History:
Kabekhnet was born in Thebes, nearly three thousand years ago. His family was well-off, and they got him the best possible education, hoping he would become a Priest. However, he wasn't cut out for the priesthood, and found himself in the next best position; a scribe for Karnak temple. It was a respected career, almost as prestigious as the priesthood itself, but Kabekhnet never got over the fact that he'd been given second place. He resented the priests for being above him, dwelling on the ones who lorded their position over him and not thinking too much about the kinder ones. For years he tried to find some way to get one over on them, and then he heard that a cult of Set, the god of storms, chaos, and violence. The cult had been stopped, but its high priests were nearly invulnerable, shrugging off arrows and putting themselves back together after being cut to pieces. Better yet, the scrolls that taught these powers were in the restricted archives in Karnak! The priests had tried to destroy them, but Set's power protected the scrolls. Unable to burn them, the priests hid them away.
Kabekhnet spent decades sneaking down to the restricted archives whenever he could, studying the scrolls. Eventually, he found the ritual to become immortal. The only problem was that he would have to die first. The scribe arranged the ritual carefully, laboring all night in his quarters. By morning, he was ready. He had a small golden amulet, an ankh, which he had bound to his soul. Now there was only one thing left to do. He cleared away all evidence of the ritual and let go, letting his soul retreat to the amulet. A fellow scribe found him dead, apparently of a heart attack, and he was embalmed and buried with all the honors of a temple scribe. A year after his death, when he was sure he was safely in his tomb and away from prying eyes, Kabekhnet returned to his body and awakened it for the first time, permanently ensuring that whenever his body regenerated anew, it would be in that dry, desiccated form.
There was just one flaw in his plan; he'd underestimated how securely he'd be buried. He found himself in a stone sarcophagus, sealed shut, within a sealed tomb. His undead body could let out short bursts of strength, but with no room to move it took nearly a hundred years to break out of his coffin. The tomb took another few decades. He had to work slowly and methodically, so no one would overhear his thumping around and come investigate. Once he was finally free, he stole some clothing, wrapped himself head to toe in concealing robes, and went to Karnak as a pilgrim. Using his knowledge of the temple, he slipped away when no one was looking and snuck down to the forbidden archive, but the scrolls he'd spent years studying were gone. Someone had stolen them in his absence. Kabekhnet was furious. He'd spent a year in an amulet and over a hundred more in a tomb so he could have those scrolls, nobody was going to take them from him. Slowly, he began to track them down. The first one he found, The Book of Unlife, was held by a scholar in Memphis. The others he had to go further afield, finding the Book of Hidden Ways in an Athenian library.
In the thousands of years since, he has tracked the scrolls across the world. Now he has learned that the remaining scrolls, the books of Storms, War, Desert, and Chaos, were brought to Japan. With such a small set of islands to hunt on, he is sure he can complete his collection soon. He stole the outfit of a poor traveling monk and used the trust it bought him to hide his amulet on a body before burial, keeping it safe in a nice, deep grave. Then he set out across Japan, looking for any signs of the ancient scrolls.
Likes:
Aside from his obsession with magic, he loves music and theater. They're some of the few joys he can still appreciate.
Dislikes:
Fire, being told how great such-and-such food is.
Allies:
Varies as needed.
Enemies:
None yet. He tries to avoid these, they're more trouble than they're worth.
Occupation:
Wandering sorcerer-for-hire
Weapons:
A simple dagger.
Abilities:
Undeath: Kabekhnet's body is kept running by magic, making him incredibly hard to get rid of. Any cuts or stabs close as soon as the severed parts are put up against each other, along with broken bones. He can also show great bursts of strength for a few seconds. This strength is technically possible for humans, but not really useful since it exerts the body enough to tear muscle and break bone. With his regeneration, Kabekhnet only needs to rest for a minute after these bursts to be fully functional again. Magic, holy power, or fire can all destroy parts of his body, but he can use his magic to regenerate those. If his body is destroyed, or if he decides to abandon it and let it crumble to dust, then over several days a new identical body will form wherever his amulet is. The amulet is his greatest weakness. If the amulet is ever broken or destroyed, it will force his soul back into a body that can't survive on its own, instantly and permanently killing him.
Book of Unlife Spells: Magic built around manipulating or defying death. Contains the ritual that turned him undead, as well as other spells. He can drain the life force from others, transferring it to others to heal them or using it to regenerate damaged body parts. The power of this spell varies depending on the target. Strong-willed victims like demons or priests can survive several minutes of constant draining, while a common soldier or farmer might be killed instantly. He can also raise the dead as mindless, shambling thralls, following his every command. A few can be raised with the wave of a hand, though more will require a ritual with some chanting and incense. Lastly, he can create a cloud that saps the life from anything caught in it, slowly withering and weakening living things and rotting inanimate objects. Not too bad if you get out quickly, lethal if you're trapped.
Book of Hidden Ways Spells: Utility magic. Can use a still pool of water to see and hear things great distances away, so long as he either knows the place he's looking for or has some object related to the person or place he's looking for. Can also create images of himself in reflective surfaces to talk back and forth to people (and has been known to use this on people's bald spots if they get on his nerves.) Lastly, he can create portals between two similarly sized doors, gateways, arches, or any similar opening that will instantly transport anything between the two. This is a more complex ritual, requiring some incense and time.
Pictures:
The Disguise
What's under it
Kabekhnet
Alias/Nicknames: Currently uses the alias Kabuto to hide his foreign origins, is often given immortality-related nicknames.
Gender:
Male
Race:
Undead Human
Age:
Roughly 3,000.
Personality:
Kabekhnet is a professional, at least on the outside. He's polite, efficient, and pragmatic. His undead nature hasn't left him able to experience much in the way of creature comforts, so he focuses solely on his work. If someone helps him in this work, no matter who they are or what they want him to do, he's quite helpful and can even be friendly. The old man is loyal and honest with those who help him. With others, he has less of a code. He's willing to lie, cheat, and steal if that means he can find the scrolls he's looking for more easily. Try to betray him or go back on a deal with him, and he can be petty and vindictive. He's willing to invest his time in hurting and undermining people who used him. After all, all he has is time. He also tends to be a bit paranoid. After such a long life, he's gotten used to living. Kabekhnet tells no one the secret of his immortality, and will deflect or lie about it, trying to throw people off the trail.
In a conversation, Kabekhnet can be a bit cagey. He tries to hide his undead nature, unless it's more suitable to show it, and that can make it difficult for him to find things to talk about. It also doesn't help that after three thousand years, he's having trouble keeping things straight. All those memories are hard to sort through, and can make him a bit forgetful at times. If he does get confused, he tends to fall back on bits of canned wisdom or pseudo-wisdom, or just thoughtful silence. His image is very important to him, and he wants to seem wise. Better that than showing the confused, paranoid old man underlying it all.
Appearance:
Without his disguise, Kabekhnet is quite a sight. His body was well-preserved, both by embalming and by magic, but he's by no means pretty. His skin is dry and brittle-looking, turned gray-brown by the embalming process. He stands about six feet tall, his lean body covered in tattered bandages. His shrunken white eyes glow faintly, and his lips are usually pulled back in a leering grin.
Clothing/Armor:
Over his bandages, Kabekhnet disguises himself as a Komuso Monk. He dresses in simple black robes, with a white sash around his waist. His head is hidden by a wicker basket-like headdress with narrow slits to see through in the front, and he wears a simple pair of sandals. Every other piece of exposed skin is regularly covered in fresh bandages, which he claims are to hide painful burn scars from his youth. He also carries a pack with him, holding a supply of incense and two papyrus scrolls.
History:
Kabekhnet was born in Thebes, nearly three thousand years ago. His family was well-off, and they got him the best possible education, hoping he would become a Priest. However, he wasn't cut out for the priesthood, and found himself in the next best position; a scribe for Karnak temple. It was a respected career, almost as prestigious as the priesthood itself, but Kabekhnet never got over the fact that he'd been given second place. He resented the priests for being above him, dwelling on the ones who lorded their position over him and not thinking too much about the kinder ones. For years he tried to find some way to get one over on them, and then he heard that a cult of Set, the god of storms, chaos, and violence. The cult had been stopped, but its high priests were nearly invulnerable, shrugging off arrows and putting themselves back together after being cut to pieces. Better yet, the scrolls that taught these powers were in the restricted archives in Karnak! The priests had tried to destroy them, but Set's power protected the scrolls. Unable to burn them, the priests hid them away.
Kabekhnet spent decades sneaking down to the restricted archives whenever he could, studying the scrolls. Eventually, he found the ritual to become immortal. The only problem was that he would have to die first. The scribe arranged the ritual carefully, laboring all night in his quarters. By morning, he was ready. He had a small golden amulet, an ankh, which he had bound to his soul. Now there was only one thing left to do. He cleared away all evidence of the ritual and let go, letting his soul retreat to the amulet. A fellow scribe found him dead, apparently of a heart attack, and he was embalmed and buried with all the honors of a temple scribe. A year after his death, when he was sure he was safely in his tomb and away from prying eyes, Kabekhnet returned to his body and awakened it for the first time, permanently ensuring that whenever his body regenerated anew, it would be in that dry, desiccated form.
There was just one flaw in his plan; he'd underestimated how securely he'd be buried. He found himself in a stone sarcophagus, sealed shut, within a sealed tomb. His undead body could let out short bursts of strength, but with no room to move it took nearly a hundred years to break out of his coffin. The tomb took another few decades. He had to work slowly and methodically, so no one would overhear his thumping around and come investigate. Once he was finally free, he stole some clothing, wrapped himself head to toe in concealing robes, and went to Karnak as a pilgrim. Using his knowledge of the temple, he slipped away when no one was looking and snuck down to the forbidden archive, but the scrolls he'd spent years studying were gone. Someone had stolen them in his absence. Kabekhnet was furious. He'd spent a year in an amulet and over a hundred more in a tomb so he could have those scrolls, nobody was going to take them from him. Slowly, he began to track them down. The first one he found, The Book of Unlife, was held by a scholar in Memphis. The others he had to go further afield, finding the Book of Hidden Ways in an Athenian library.
In the thousands of years since, he has tracked the scrolls across the world. Now he has learned that the remaining scrolls, the books of Storms, War, Desert, and Chaos, were brought to Japan. With such a small set of islands to hunt on, he is sure he can complete his collection soon. He stole the outfit of a poor traveling monk and used the trust it bought him to hide his amulet on a body before burial, keeping it safe in a nice, deep grave. Then he set out across Japan, looking for any signs of the ancient scrolls.
Likes:
Aside from his obsession with magic, he loves music and theater. They're some of the few joys he can still appreciate.
Dislikes:
Fire, being told how great such-and-such food is.
Allies:
Varies as needed.
Enemies:
None yet. He tries to avoid these, they're more trouble than they're worth.
Occupation:
Wandering sorcerer-for-hire
Weapons:
A simple dagger.
Abilities:
Undeath: Kabekhnet's body is kept running by magic, making him incredibly hard to get rid of. Any cuts or stabs close as soon as the severed parts are put up against each other, along with broken bones. He can also show great bursts of strength for a few seconds. This strength is technically possible for humans, but not really useful since it exerts the body enough to tear muscle and break bone. With his regeneration, Kabekhnet only needs to rest for a minute after these bursts to be fully functional again. Magic, holy power, or fire can all destroy parts of his body, but he can use his magic to regenerate those. If his body is destroyed, or if he decides to abandon it and let it crumble to dust, then over several days a new identical body will form wherever his amulet is. The amulet is his greatest weakness. If the amulet is ever broken or destroyed, it will force his soul back into a body that can't survive on its own, instantly and permanently killing him.
Book of Unlife Spells: Magic built around manipulating or defying death. Contains the ritual that turned him undead, as well as other spells. He can drain the life force from others, transferring it to others to heal them or using it to regenerate damaged body parts. The power of this spell varies depending on the target. Strong-willed victims like demons or priests can survive several minutes of constant draining, while a common soldier or farmer might be killed instantly. He can also raise the dead as mindless, shambling thralls, following his every command. A few can be raised with the wave of a hand, though more will require a ritual with some chanting and incense. Lastly, he can create a cloud that saps the life from anything caught in it, slowly withering and weakening living things and rotting inanimate objects. Not too bad if you get out quickly, lethal if you're trapped.
Book of Hidden Ways Spells: Utility magic. Can use a still pool of water to see and hear things great distances away, so long as he either knows the place he's looking for or has some object related to the person or place he's looking for. Can also create images of himself in reflective surfaces to talk back and forth to people (and has been known to use this on people's bald spots if they get on his nerves.) Lastly, he can create portals between two similarly sized doors, gateways, arches, or any similar opening that will instantly transport anything between the two. This is a more complex ritual, requiring some incense and time.
Pictures:
The Disguise
What's under it