Whispers From Beyond

Whispers from Beyond, a.k.a. Arkanian, drawn by DeadXCross for FyreFly, 2009

Basic Information

Title: Whispers From Beyond
AKA: Arkanian
Player: Tony
Type: Abyssal Exalt
Caste: Day
Concept: Traveling Minstrel/Rogue Abyssal
Motivation: Extract His Revenge By Destroying The Mask of Winters Permanently.
Political Affiliation: None
Anima: The Chained Giant: Massive black chains erupt from the earth covered in rust and a sickening purple ooze, binding themselves to the ground and killing any plant life where the ooze touches. As his anima builds a colossal giant of exposed bone and rotting flesh pulls itself up by the chains that bind it as if crawling out of the underworld itself; once exposed from the earth the giant thrashes against the binding chains in a vain attempt to escape.
Mood Music: Into the Darkness
Whisper: Compendium of Souls
Familiar: Boko

Physical Description

Arkanian's visage has always changed frequently for a number of reasons, now more than ever he uses the ability to change his appearance to avoid those who hunt him. Arkanian tends towards a similar appearance with a number of reoccurring characteristics that compile into his true physical identity. Arkanian always dresses in formal funeral attire, dressing as if he just stepped out of his own coffin; the gothic attire sets the tone for his personality leading to an often accurate first impression of his demeanor from his appearance alone.

Personality

Arkanian projects himself with a cool and calm demeanor while keeping his very different nature hidden from all but the most observant. To most who meet him, he comes off as a cold hearted cynic who has a fascination with death. Those capable of seeing through his various masks, often quite literally, are more familiar with a beast driven by hatred, fear, and a touch of insanity.

While Arkanian is traveling in creation he generally dresses as a traveling bard, dark cloak draped over in an expensive suit with a lyre strapped across his back. He is familiar with the etiquette of the noble courts both in the scavenger lands and the often more complicated courts of the underworld. Despite being currently cut off from means of income he traditionally finds a way to continue a higher standard of living through various means, often taking the guise of well paid local musicians or presenting himself to higher courts to perform for wealthy nobles. Such a status allows him a high level of passage as he travels, but keeps a low profile in the spy networks of his enemies. A status that Arkanian very much wishes to keep.

Background

Arkaian's origins are lost to all but the Malfeans, The Mask of Winters, and himself. What little is known of Arkanian can be picked up easier by observation than by asking him any direct questions, ones that he would most certainly be reluctant to answer. He received a upper class education covering a broad range of subjects including math, science, literature, and noble etiquette. This accompanied what can only be described as world class instruction in the musical arts; instruction that focused foremost on his ability to play the lyre but included other instruments and song writing.

Chapters

• The Rescue of Kit Magnar
• The Trials of the Seven Gods of Fortune
• The Risen Shadow

Stories

• A Knot in the Loom
• Wayfare to an Uncertain Asylum

Goals & Objectives

Intimacies The servants of the Neverborn are abominations that deserve to be cast into the void. People should not cling to life, they should freely and willingly accept their fate to renter the cycle of lithe or be forever silenced in oblivion. Boko has been my companion for a long time, he understands what it is like to be captive to the Mask of Winter's will and shares the goal to forever escape it. Typhon may not be the most powerful servant of the underworld, but he is by far the most intriguing. He plays a large roll in the plans and future of The River Province and poses the greatest direct threat to my capture or demise; more information is needed before getting rid of him.

Arkanian's motivation to continue on with his difficult life is his fear and unending hatred, which has taken the form of several rather ambitious goals. Most clearly and what he would most often happily admit to his desire to see the deathlords and most especially The Mask of Winters suffer and be cast into oblivion. Having already failed a foolishly direct attempt on The Mask of Winters "life" he has decided to buy his time with his second chance at life so that he may find a way to defeat the deathlords and obtain the power necessary to do it. It is this overpowering motivation that drove Arkanian to accept his position as a servant of destruction as well as drove him away from his master and into creation.

Arkanian is actively seeking to collect resources and power that can aid him in his quest for revenge. He has taken particular interest in the Sidreals as they seem to be the gatekeepers to all the secrets and many powers that are currently unavailable to creation. Just as important to him are the plans and actions of the creatures of darkness around Creation, most notably those of The Mask of Winters and his servants.

Arkanian's hatred of the powers of the underworld are most obvious, but they are far from his only driving factors in his life. Most often he dislikes those he meets, seeing how easily corrupted all beings with human nature are. The greatest example of this in his mind are the glorious solar exalted with whom he hates almost without exception; greater than his hatred for the chosen is his hatred for the creator. For a reason he has never personally disclosed, though high ranking Gold Faction members have their suspicions, he hates the Unconquered Sun second only to The Mask of Winters himself. For this reason he is considered almost as helpful as he is dangerous to nearly every political faction across Creation, The Underworld, and Yu Shan which has spurred a number of temporary alliance attempts.

Defining Quote

"The greatest griefs are those we cause ourselves."