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Sanctus -> RE: =Elemental Championships 2018= OOC & Tournament Signups (7/15/2018 16:25:04)
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Name: Sanctus- Pawn of Order
Race: Human
Age: Unknown
Element: Light
Bio:
The war reached far, unsatisfied with anything less than a grand scale, and a boy was handed a sword and told he’d be a hero by playing the pawn. The battlefield had little use for either, and what order could be kept threatened to kill. Many found refuge in the cults hidden amongst the legions, as soldiers prayed to lords and gods, in the hope that their particular vision of war would decide to spare them a part in the larger prayer. But before their gods could yet speak, the orders arrived. They accepted their role, and charged forth into the fray, doing what pawns did best, and building their gods a stairway from which they could descend.
The boy suffocated in his armor, as chain-mail pricked skin, the promise glinting at his side, itself promising to break. But still he rested his hand on its hilt, looking for safety in the metal as he searched the legion for a cult of his own and a lord to follow. But my gaze found him first.
An officer stood amongst his men, a delicate mask hiding his features, and called forth their ear. He spoke of an order to things, a power lost from this land, as its enemy corrupted by touch, by mind, its grasping tendrils and narrow eye looking for others to look back. He said he was the last priest of his order, and served the fourth most ancient element, the answer to the first, whose form was light’s response to the dark, revealing the broiling chaos hidden beneath. With that he looked past his men, the sightless mask staring at the child who sought to join them.
The boy suffocated again, air choked with dirt and smoke and the last breaths of the dead. His chest heaved, straining against the weight of his promises. This time he’d been promised an order to things, but all that could be seen wasn’t worth the memories. Still they remained, jagged images of flesh wrought asunder. He stumbled amidst the bodies until he found his lord, amongst his men once more.
A god looked out from the stairway which was really a chain not shaped as one. A wound stained his view, and the god shuddered, for he knew the truth behind inhuman shape. Hand clutched at his side, he wondered whether the cold he felt was familiarity or dread. Would not Death welcome him as a brother? Or had his eternal sojourn made him a stranger by now? Looking past the wound he pondered yet more at the blood. It was hardly the ichor of legend, but then again, only fools wished for divinity as they died. Crimson, gold, the life still fled. He’d chosen poorly by championing a man that wished all could be. He’d forgotten the only piece he could play to match a Queen, to recognize the game for what it was. Then his old friend laughed, clearing his vision and mocking his sight. The order once again proved to be otherwise, as I gazed back into the stairway.
Gloved hands alighted my shoulders, their quiet contemplation gripped by fervor, wrapping around my throat, tensing, strangling, and in my shock I could only stare and die. Yet suddenly, relief, and not only mine.The hands slacked, turning inward, pausing at his face, the mask pristine amidst it all, prim and proper, sinful light in a temple built on reddened flesh. They hovered there, still and steady even as the ragged breaths of the man beneath trembled all else. This was a final act, until too, his arms slumped by his side, and I was stilled.
To think then, that after all this pain, my first moments were delicate, full of light. Purpose was placed above the suffering. Had his last words echoed from his voice or mine? The when of it escaped me, dreamlike, but even in their feverish remembrance I knew it was true. I said there was an order to things. And it demanded a game to decide whose order it would be. The game was hers, the Queen, so already she commanded the board. She had laughed at the pieces I chose to play, putting my trust and my power in Pawns. Insisted her way was the natural order, that chaos birthed everything, and try as they might to hide it, only monsters would dwell in the world. I had faith though, just as faith always found what pieces were left of me. I was sightless, but my vision would be, will be, must be. I’d cross the board, find a way. There would be peace. There was an order to things. And it would be mine.
Appearance: Sanctus- Courtesy of Bido
Equipment: Sanctus carries only a minorly enchanted short sword, ceremonial in its design, but practical in its use. Instead of armor, the Pawn is garbed in an officer’s dress uniform, seemingly enchanted to give minor resistance to magical attacks. The uniform bears some resemblance to Paladins of yore, the symbol of the Blinding Light atop his cap.
Skills: An experienced swordsman, this officer has survived many a war in service to his Lord. Despite his decorative dress, Sanctus practices combat like any trench-bred soldier, with familiar precision and blunt efficiency.
Abilities:
Order- Sanctus’ reserves do not rely on magic, but order. Order is gained by meeting the purpose requirements of his actions and equipment, expending/increasing depending on the form utilized, those requirements are detailed in the respective forms (IE The Knight gains on dodge and loses on attack). Base form must use the following to regain Order: When absent of Order, a short prayer can be made to regain enough to transfer into either The Pawn or The King. Halting movement and vocalizing this prayer allows for activating the other forms.
The Pawn- Strongest of the forms, playing the pawn requires taking orders, either from himself or another, although the choice is his. All moves must then be “announced in advance” in the form of a light construct that is slightly ahead of all actions (for example a sword swing is anticipated by a blade of light just ahead of it), but in exchange Sanctus does not expend Order. His uniform acts as a medium plate armor, similar to that of Pactagonal knights, and his sword wields no special properties.
-Two Steps: When first encountering an opponent within 15 feet, Sanctus’ movement speed doubles, and can be used to close the distance and aid in combat, it expends after the first successful strike. This can only be done once in an encounter. Switching forms uses up the effect.
-Faceless: Attacks to the front of the Pawn blurs vision. This is localized to the immediate area around the pawn’s figure, about the size of a full portrait of him. It is only seen by the opponent engaged in active combat with him.
-A Fair Duel: After attacking the pawn, the battle cannot be postponed without consequence. Enemies that try to disengage are marked. Marked enemies announce their moves to other enemies, accompanied by the same type of construct that predicts the pawn. This extends only to Sanctus’ line of sight. It can only apply to one opponent at a time, and replaces the light construct on Sanctus.
-End of the Board: Defeating an opponent allows the pawn to trade forms with another piece, while keeping the lack of Order expenditure unique to the pawn.
The Rook- A defensive form, the rook loses Order when hit and gains it when striking. However, it reinforces the uniform into stronger heavy plate armor with deflection capabilities, and unlike the other forms, this armor carries the weight of such in spite of outward appearances. This also comes at the cost of the sword, which loses its balance and grows dull, becoming akin to a club.
-Stone and Mortar: The first 3 blows taken are deflected off the uniform, unenchanted blades may chip. All other blows to the rook take reduced damage. Blunt weapons are only deflected once.
-Bannered Ramparts: The rook can choose to make blows *appear* to deflect by utilizing the light construct to take on the appearance of the opponent’s attack on a slight delay, itself falsely deflecting. For example, a sword swing into the rook will be closely followed by a construct of the swordhand, which when in contact with the rook deflects. Wary foes may take notice of this however. This illusion is different from the light construct predictor, and lasts temporarily for the blow itself. It utilizes a small portion of Order to do so as well.
-The Four Towers: Using all Order, the rook releases a concussive blast in a radius of 5 feet, toppling opponents backwards another 5 feet, and dealing blunt damage to lightly armored foes. He then returns to base form.
The Knight- An offensive form, the Knight’s uniform has no special qualities beyond the moderately enchanted cloth which offers little benefit against physical weapons. The sword sharpens and compacts into a precise, deadly rapier. Order is gained by avoiding attacks, and lost when dealing it. Getting hit in this form immediately depletes Order and ends the form.
-Bane of the Red Bull: The rapier curls into a spring, and the unnatural bending of the metal exudes heat and steam. The resulting blow can penetrate any unenchanted armor, but immediately depletes all Order.
-Kelpie's Touch: Expending Order, the knight can choose to fuse the gap between an opponent’s defenses on their extremities, limiting their movement. This only works on a single gap, for example, fusing the joint at an opponent’s elbow. Once in effect it cannot be used again on the opponent. It dissipates in contact with any liquid, even saliva, or when the form ends.
-Steed of Perseus: The Knight walks on sunbeams. It can move, run, and dodge omni-directionally. It cannot achieve full flight however, only ranging upwards about 15 feet. This drains Order faster, and continuously until the Knight returns to the ground.
The Bishop- A utilitarian form, the bishop has normal armor like hard leather, but his sword remains sheathed. Instead he fights with a hard-light staff. Order is gained slow but passively in this form, but only around spellcasters or allies. Similar to the knight, the bishop immediately exits its form when struck by magical damage. Hard-light has the same durability as steel, although none of its weight.
-Weightless: The staff can revert to a normal light construct, passing harmlessly through objects, and can solidify at will, but not within in-organic/organic material.
-Tribute between Lords: At the cost of all Order, the Bishop can cast the staff at an opponent in a non-solid state. Relaying Sanctus’ mission as it passes through, the opponent is offered peace and a temporary truce if they so choose to ally themselves. Refusal marks the enemy with an anticipatory light construct similar to the pawn. Only one construct per opponent at a time.
-Offering between Champions: The bishop can choose to empower an ally or opponent’s equipment with light, coating blades in a burning aura, and armor in hard light. This negates the passive Order build-up, slowly depleting it during uptime, ending the form after around 30 seconds.
The King- The replenishing form, the King has no armor, and his weapon gains no unique qualities. He passively gains Order.
-Steadfast Nobility: Remaining still, the King is blurred from view from all directions similar to the pawn’s front facing ability. Direct focus on this illusion reveals him. He gains increased Order when hidden. Cannot be activated with Twin of Light.
-Twin to Light: Small cuts and bruises heal quickly, with larger wounds doing so much slower. Light must be present for this effect, and it cannot be used in combat. Like Steadfast Nobility, the king must be immobile for this skill.Cannot be used with Steadfast Nobility.
-Caesar’s Lesson: Blows to the small of the back are ineffective, instead replenishing Order.
The Queen- No such form exists. A dishonorable death taints the pawn’s body, and in the absence of a willing vessel, it fades to dust, leaving only the mask. The once elegant whorls upon it begin to shift angrily, like grasping tendrils. A voice whispers out, smug with satisfaction, promising a reward for her new champion. Her power is yours….if you accept a new Queen, and reject your Lord. Would that not be such sweet chaos?
The Stairway- The pawn lies broken, and death awaits. With what strength remains he beckons you forth, and asks if you would accept their chains, and become a new pawn. The vision of peace is no one dream after all. Will you accept the mask, risk the anger of your Lord...or perhaps their pleasure? Would that not be any Lord’s wish, for you to play the pawn?
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