Scipio
(#85414209)
I can feel a holy war within | they/them
Familiar
Hydra Scorpion
Click or tap to view this dragon in Predict Morphology.
Energy: 50/50
This dragon’s natural inborn element is Arcane.
Male Skydancer
This dragon is hibernating.
This dragon is under the permanent effect of a Silhouette Scroll. A toggle on the dragon's profile allows swapping between the artwork poses available for the breed.
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Personal Style
Apparel
Skin
Scene
Measurements
Length
3.74 m
Wingspan
6.63 m
Weight
568.82 kg
Genetics
Coal
Iridescent
Iridescent
Cherry
Facet
Facet
Crimson
Glimmer
Glimmer
Hatchday
Breed
Eye Type
Level 25 Skydancer
Max Level
STR
119
AGI
12
DEF
4
QCK
45
INT
11
VIT
4
MND
9
Biography
 |
S C I P I O
shade hunter
WARSEER (GENERATION I | AESIR) | ORDER OF THE VEILED PHOENIX Fear not the dark Or the monsters, my friends And brace for the fight This isn’t how it ends Rarely are they seen in Sornieth, a mercy we must be thankful for, but their legends have always existed. 'Visitors' are entities that never lived in Sornieth but, for some reason or another, seek to enter it. Their relationship with the Shade is unclear, but their behaviour and effects on the world differ sufficiently to be categorised distinctly. Scholars of Arcane and Water have touched upon the truth of the matter, but too much remains unknown. What can be said is that visitors are a threat rivalled only by Emperor-level entities and the severity of the threat they pose cannot be overstated. Cathartes are the title granted to those brave individuals who vow to guard Sornieth against these entities. Given the nature of the threat Cathartes deal with, they are one of the more publicly visible roles, and have been known to cooperate with non-members in tackling the dangers of visitors. |
Unstoppable?” Scipio shouted, “we’ll see about that!” They snarled as they let loose a bolt from their crossbow. It zinged through the air, contacting an undulating mass of darkness with an audible thump. Coils of rotting scales rippled and flinched, a ghastly roar coming from the beast that now towered over the Skydancer. Scipio frowned as the creature turned its numerous heads, undead eyes locking onto them as the Emperor lunged forwards. “It’s over, beast”. Another bolt flew from the crossbow with a snap, the beast stilling moments later before the ground shook with its fall.
“It appears my work here is done” Scipio murmured to themself, wiping a mixture of tainted blood and dirt from their brow. They produced a small glass vial from amidst their satchel, it’s neck wrapped tightly with coils of crimson thread. They uncorked it briefly, watching as a pitch black essence drained from the Emperors form, siphoned into the tiny bottle before they replaced the stopper. “You can rest in peace now”.
Since completing their training as a War Seer, Scipio’s abilities to perceive the Shade had grown stronger. What had started out as smudges of darkness flickering at the periphery of their vision was now akin to an aura that hovered around those things it infected. The talisman of oracles granted to them had enhanced their innate abilities. The darkness had also become tangible to Scipio’s touch and while that meant their own risk for injury was much higher, it also meant that the Shade was as venerable to their sword and bow as any other beast made of blood and flesh.
“Another successful mission, I presume?” Scipio turned their head, nodding towards the Coatl who greeted them upon their return. “And the vials I made? They were sufficient?”
“Worked like a charm” Scipio replied gruffly as they placed the small glass vial next to several more of its kind on a shelf. The darkness within swirled, pressing against the glass in a futile attempt to escape. “They will be transferred to the Order for safekeeping.” Scipio sighed. “Perhaps one day we will be able to deactivate them entirely.” Their eyes shifted back to Mihlos, already holding another rolled parchment.
“Are you ready to hear about the next mission?”
Scipio grinned as they sat down at an old oaken table, a glass of scotch already in hand. “I’m all ears”.
It had been this way ever since Scipio had joined the Order of the Veiled Phoenix, a group dedicated to warding off evil and calming restless spirits. The requests came in the form of unusual accounts and stories overheard by those who listened for the Order. Anything out of the ordinary or reeking of the supernatural was cause enough for an investigation, and Scipio was one of those sent off to investigate.
“What’s it this time?”
Mihlos paused, her expression a wash of uncertainty as she looked down at the most recent letter. “Do you remember when we met?”
Scipio scoffed. “How could I forget? I spent nearly a week trapped in the smog of the Ashfall Waste before the tower finally revealed itself”. Mihlos sent back a glare. “No, no. After that. You were the one who followed me here. Do you remember what you said?”
“I’ve always thought that something wasn’t right about this place.” Scipio laughed. “I suppose the Order has finally taken an interest too then? What happened to change their mind?”
“The invitations were sent out again”.
Those golden envelopes had numerous rumors attached to them. They were the hallmark of the Cathedral of Eyes and the place was difficult to find, let alone enter without one. Some thought the golden letters were nothing more than tickets for admission to performances, while others believed them to be the mark of a curse.
On the surface, the Cathedral was a place imbued with magic and while Scipio suspected that it held its share of secrets, it had been a surprisingly welcoming place. “What was it that made you suspicious then?” Mihlos had asked them previously and Scipio had chewed their lip in contemplation before the realization struck them.
There were traces of the Shade everywhere. Even in the brightest region of the Sunbeam Ruins, its essence still skittered through the shadows. Yet within the Cathedral of Eyes, there were no traces of it at all.
“It’s suspicious” Scipio mumbled. “We have not been able to eradicate the Shade. Even containing it takes such a massive amount of energy, I can’t imagine a power that could banish it completely. . . Yet if such a power exists, it must be here”.
“So, Mihlos, let’s start from the beginning then. Where did you get the invitation you sent me?” Mihlos stilled. “What do you mean?”
“How do you think I found you here? I’m talking about the letter in the golden envelope? The invitation. Who else would have sent it?”
“Well. . . I never summoned you here. Whoever sent the letter, it wasn’t me.”
Scipio’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “Interesting. I always thought they were sent out by residents here. I wonder then, who writes them”.
The visitors began to arrive over the following days. “How did you find this place?” Scipio inquired as they walked beside a young Pearlcatcher. “Well, I received an invitation of course!”
“Oh? Who invited you m’lady?”
The Pearlcatcher’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Well, I’m honestly not entirely sure.”
It was the same story. Everyone was invited, yet no one could discern who had sent those golden invitations in the first place. Scipio grew more curious. They inspected numerous golden letters, all identical and hand-written in sweeping black cursive. They asked both visitors and residents of the Cathedral, yet no one was able to pinpoint where the letters came from. Many of them, however, spoke of crows.
“It was delivered in the bill of a crow”.
“A black bird landed before me”.
“It had wings like dark smoke and in its mouth it carried the invitation, a stark contrast of brilliant gold”.
Scipio grew exasperated. They swept the Cathedral and its gardens, yet there was not a single sign of the writer of the golden invitations or their mysterious crows. . . Until finally one of the guests pulled a black feather from their pocket. It was a Wildclaw who smiled at Scipio as they passed. “I hear you’ve been asking about the invitations. I thought you might be interested in this”.
“Is this-“
Scipio stopped short, noting that the Wildclaw had already slipped away into the crowd of guests.
The tracking spell was simple. They cast it onto the feather, watching as it gently elevated and began to float towards its owner. If they could at least find the crow it belonged to, perhaps it would lead them back to whoever sent these invitations. The feather took Scipio from their own small room down several corridors still crowded with guests and then onwards to a part of the Cathedral they had never seen. It appeared to be an extension of the resident’s corridors, yet how they had never before noticed it baffled them. The halls were dimly lit, yet as equally extravagant as the remainder of the Cathedral - lined with black marble that crackled with veins of shining gold. Finally, they came to a staircase that spiraled as it led upwards.
They huffed as they climbed, the stairs seemingly endless as Scipio chased after the feather. It must have taken an hour to climb to the top where finally the feather bumped softly against a smoothed wooden door. It was polished mahogany, carved with the forms of crows and inlaid with veins of gold. They reached for the door handle, yet the door creaked open before they could touch it, the feather continuing its path forwards.
It was night now and the room that Scipio found themselves in was a gargantuan circle, the ceiling above a dome of glass that opened to the sky. The feather continued towards the center of the room before falling to the ground before a massive Imperial. She did not appear to notice Scipio at first, her wings rustling slightly as she appeared to be writing, scrawling something on the massive stone tablet before her. Finally, she folded the parchment, the air around it shivering as something golden enveloped the paper and Scipio recognized the unmistakable form of the invitation.
“I found them!” Scipio thought excitedly.
“Indeed you have, young visitor”. The Imperial murmured. Her voice was quiet, yet it startled Scipio as they were certain they had not spoken aloud.
“We’ve been watching you”. The Imperial continued her work as she spoke, Scipio watching as the feathers along her wings shifted and suddenly, a dark crow burst free, circling about the room before it grabbed the invitation and continued upwards, flying out through a small opening in the vaulted glass ceiling above.
“I- what?” Scipio stammered as the Imperial finally sat down her quill and turned.
“You heard me. We’ve heard your inquiries. You’ve grown curious. . . And your curiosity has led you here. We likewise have taken an interest in you and your unique abilities. Your stories have impressed us, so we have decided to offer you a gift.”
The Imperial’s brilliant golden eyes bored into Scipio and her voice echoed, trailing off into incessant whispers. “What do you mean?” Scipio questioned, backing slowly towards the door, which suddenly slammed closed behind them. They reached cautiously for the blade at their side. “What kind of gift could you possibly offer?”
The Imperial smiled. “There is no need for violence. Our gift is three questions that we shall answer to quell your curiosity.”
Scipio chewed at their lip as their mind raced. “What purpose do you have for inviting visitors here?”.
“We invite newcomers so that they might enjoy our performances and share their own stories.” It was a benign answer, yet it left so many more questions in Scipio’s mind.
“How do you decide then, who to invite?”
The Imperial was silent for a moment. “We listen to the tales of those who come and we collect our list of names. It is a referral of sorts, if you will.”
While it was a bit disturbing to find that there was someone watching and listening to the Cathedral’s visitors, Scipio was unable to tease more information out of the Imperial. Finally, they asked the question that had intrigued them since they first set foot through the Cathedral’s doors.
“There are traces of the Shade everywhere. So why are there none here?”
The Imperial smiled. “Now that is an interesting question. Yet, you are mistaken. It is not that the Shade does not exist here”. She lifted her wings, another crow erupting from her black feathers. It sat for a moment on the Imperial’s arm before deteriorating into a wisp of unmistakable darkness.
“You would do best to remember that everything here is under our control. . . And the Shade is no exception”. The Imperial’s claws closed around the wisp and Scipio watched as it writhed in her grasp before deteriorating into nothingness.
“That’s impossible” Scipio whispered. “How did you do that?”
The Imperial only hummed. “I believe you’re out of questions, young War Seer. We will look forward to seeing your talents develop”.
The next thing Scipio knew, they were falling. The room dropped away and they found themselves struggling to remain conscious. “Scipio? Hey, are you awake?”
Their eyes opened to find Mihlos staring down at them. “Are you alright? I found you passed out in the corridor.” Scipio glanced around with confusion, yet that circular room and extravagant black marble corridor were gone. “I had the strangest. . . Dream” they spoke slowly.
“You were gone most of the night.” Mihlos commented, “did you find out anything about the invitations?”
“Perhaps”
“Oh?”
“It’s nothing of consequence”.
Mihlos cast them a disappointed look. “Though I am curious Mihlos, do you think there is a way to control the Shade?”
“That’s utterly ridiculous” Mihlos laughed, “we can barely contain the Shade. Despite our research, we have no way of inactivating or destroying it. Just the thought of trying to control it? Impossible!”
“Hm, I suppose you are right.” Scipio responded, yet their interest had already been piqued. They had to know more about the Cathedral and its secrets.
From high in a tower, the Imperial called Corona returned to her writing with a smile. “Children these days are so curious”. A dark Wildclaw nodded as he opened a book beside her to read. “Yet they create the most interesting stories.”
graphic&template: ashborne
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Exalting Scipio to the service of the Lightweaver will remove them from your lair forever. They will leave behind a small sum of riches that they have accumulated. This action is irreversible.
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