Draco Laskarsis
GOD IS DEAD, AND I HAVE KILLED HIM.
I KILLED WITH THE THINGS THEY GAVE TO US BUT LACKED THE POWER TO GROW.I KILLED HER WITH CULTURE HARNESSED INTO A MIRACLE: INTO MAGIC.
CLAIM YOURSELF THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE ALL YOU WISH, IT IS WE WHO TURN THE WHEEL OF A TRILLION HEARTS. IT DOES NOT MATTER HOW MANY DOMAINS YOU RULE OVER, WE ARE THE CREATORS WHO GIVE REALITY SIGNIFICANCE, AND THUS POWER.LONG LIVE THE REVOLUTION OF LOVE! ALL HAIL THE ERA OF THE MORTAL!
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A Primer, for the UnenlightenedThe context provided is fundamental to Draco, Banafsaj, and all of the other members of the Ninth Tail. The Great Revolution of Love may be ancient history, but it defines how and why they choose to exist in every moment.
It has been millennia since Black Moon spoke these words after she pulled an obsidian revolver from her chest and pulled the trigger, marking the beginning of the overthrowing of the gods and the Great Revolution of Love. That time has long passed. All hail the New Era. The mortal understanding of magic has reached a revolutionary pinnacle. Now interpreted as the dormant power residing within the twofold mortal elements of their understanding of the world on a logical level (science) and emotional level (art and culture) and studied on a universal level, mortal society has found the strength to overthrow the deities that once ruled over them. Fireballs and telekinesis are no longer derived from arcane incantations, but synthesized emotions, understandings of identity, phrases rooted in the languages of past and present, and choreographed movements like dances.
In the wake of the revolution, the Union was founded, a loose coalition of thousands of dimensions in the greater multiverse united through a singular purpose: provide people with the power to pursue happiness and purpose through magical enlightenment. Of course there was conflict, there was strife. Suffering is just a constant of mortal existence, but through the Union progress was made at rates never seen before. In a sea of countless universes, it shone like a glass shard amidst a beach at the shore of an infinite ocean. That was, until the fragments were discovered. It was like the gods still hated them. Like they had one last contrived moral dilemma conveniently shaped into a magical macguffin just to spite the freed.
After the revolution, expeditionary parties noticed one unusual constant across the dimensions. White fragments that flickered and danced manifested in truly random places by chance. Each held the same magical signature, the same physical form, and the same inertness if unrefined. But through trial and error, these anomalies in the fabric of reality were discovered to be refinable into something wearable, conveniently fit on the head of most humanoid mortals. Crowns for royalty, crowns that when worn, gave their bearer a supernatural level of wisdom, intellect, and charisma impossible to replicate through any magic or divine intervention. Beacons of truth in a time filled with so much hope yet still plagued with uncertain direction.
Was this the next step for civilization like magic? This time, the response was not universal.
And so mortal society found itself in a universal war not with gods, but with themselves.
There are two key factions in the Transcients' War. The Stalwarts, whose multidimensional fighting force is managed by PARMA (also known as the Needle), look to recover and safeguard all fragments and prevent such an arrogant ascension to a power that so little is known about. The Crowns are just a way to reverse the flow of the Great Revolution of Love and return the world to one of gods and non-gods. The Heralds, whose multidimensional fighting force is managed by PARMA (also known as the Needle), seek to use all available fragments to lead mortal society another step away from suffering. We fear progress naturally, and that just perpetuates our struggle. Mortal society must learn to embrace these new things to work towards a reclamation of purpose in the face of painful absurdity.
This is not a war fought merely in the inner and middle rings of the Union's incorporated dimensions, but far outside of it as well. Specially conditioned soldiers blessed with the very specific combination of psychological traits needed to easily navigate dimensions without the titanic infrastructure of portals hunt down fragments and each other far, far from home.
Hence why we find a group of twenty-four soldiers lost somewhere unfamiliar...
After a successful incursion on the God-Eater's Crossroads to retrieve a fragment due to failed negotiations, twenty-four soldiers found themselves captured and placed under an unusual contract. Despite their transgressions against her lands, the nine-tailed goddess decided to be merciful and offer them a deal as a result of either her sheer boredom or massive capacity for kindness (possibly both). In exchange for never leaving the confines of her dimension (and the ones surrounding it, which are conveniently quite a few) without express permission, and thus never returning to the war until the God-Eater felt like it, they would be allowed to live and continue to make their military expertise useful as a special division who would keep her Crossroads safe. Yes, she could technically just do the defending herself, but where's the fun and character development in that?
Tafari Ayelde, the unofficial leader of this group of soldiers shook on that deal rather begrudgingly. As the years passed and the promise of escape seemed increasingly unlikely, the soldiers began to focus on continuing the mission of the Union in their new environment. More funding and recruits came in to bolster their forces. They began to conduct humanitarian aid missions to assist magical communities in crisis. Subdivisions were created for the express purpose of educating the residents of the Crossroads in new magic (exactly why the God-Eater allowed this sort of magic that directly challenged her rule is still not well understood). The war somehow became a distant memory. Five years later, it was almost like a new Union had emerged leagues away from its origin. A little seed slowly grows, thrusting its branches into adjacent worlds.
Even with an infinitesimal fraction of the power of the original Union and relatively small influence when put up against monolithic organizations like TITAN and the Crossroads, their mission is the same as it ever was and has been: enlighten the uneducated and protect the practice of magic wherever they can.
And the Bifrost Terminal, slowly waking from its slumber, is another opportunity to extend that will. |
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One of the original twenty-four capture soldiers of the Crossroads incursion and founding members of the Ninth Tail, Draco Laskaris is the former Director of Magic of the Ninth Tail and current Director of Expeditionary Actions.
Although he initially passed up Cain's invite to the terminal, new reports on a supermassive magical pulse resonating from the peak of Mount Pathena suddenly shifted this issue from a footnote in a board meeting to one of the most critical opportunities for the Ninth Tail's intervention.
But the storms are kicking in, and pretty much any attempts to scale the mountain have either ended in merely hours, left the travelers isolated at the Terminal or left the travelers lost to the snowy wastelands of these peaks. The winds are becoming supernaturally brutal. Even with all their technology, the Ninth Tail remains cut off from the terminal and unable to fulfill their mission.
Draco is getting nervous. Whatever is going on at the terminal is powerful, and thus dangerous if left unchecked and unregulated. There are eight groups of people remaining at the top of that mountain, with their own agendas and morals. An alternative route must be found as soon as possible. The teleporter is fixable, but not without a week's worth of undivided focus. It could be bypassed, but how? There might be some sort of path through the storm as well. That doesn't seem any more likely than the teleporter either.
By the time that happens a travesty could have already occurred that would doom the population to an abusive use of power, a sort of crime he is intimately familiar with. Control of the situation has been cast to the hands of fate, not his own. Not something that will settle easily with him. All Draco can do now is help the locals and investigate every nook and cranny of this plane for some skeleton key that can carve a trail to the top before things spiral out of control.
Is there a way? He needs to keep looking.
Table of ContentsBackstorySee A Primer for the Unenlightened for context.
Documents are classified to avoid defamation of this individual. Concerning yourself extensively with this individual's background is subject to punishment. |
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Personality
Tactical - Analytical - Creative - Altruistic - Reserved - Deferential // Participative Leadership
With a straight spine, slighted smile, and hands folded below his waist, Draco puts forth the image of a composed and almost servant-like figure when met face-to-face. His words are sparse, subtle, and deliberate, providing insight and commentary where necessary, but most often directed towards others so they may take the lead. Such mannerisms extend beyond just social situations though. Draco is known, almost notorious among his fellow soldiers, for always letting others take the lead, and never being sure of any possible statements he puts forth (even if they may be the smartest in the room). Most are aware that he has a sarcastic edge and wicked sense of humor, but few are intimate enough with him to hear it firsthand.
But underneath the constant apologies and questions, lies an intellect of unparalleled caliber. Draco is the head of magical affairs in the Crossroad’s “Ninth Tail” special division for a reason (one he argues against but nevertheless obliges with). His creativity, analysis, mindfulness, and reason are the composite functions of a mind that can trivialize any logical puzzle, be it a simple game of checkers, or the optimizing the countless variables surrounding a spells such as "dark star," to cleave through the magical and psychological defenses of its targets in a manner of seconds. Ever sound, yet perpetually innovating, that is who many consider Draco to really be. Still, such power has limits.
If you asked the Ninth Tail for descriptions of Draco, the first couple of words would sound something like "genius," "mastermind," and "invaluable," and the third would be "spineless,” or "quiet.” The psyche of Draco is powerful; it is not strong. When put up against a confident voice or high volumes of stress, it tends to fold in on itself. Often that means crippled aggression as Draco's caution takes hold of reasoning. That means a tendency to isolate beyond his already introverted self and a habit of slowing his impressive work ethic to a jog or a crawl. Often overanalysis of the situation, especially in desperate moments, can be his downfall. He is at his worst when the chips are down.
Likes
- [Entry]
Dislikes
- [Entry]
Abilities
✦ [Ability 1]
[Description of Ability 1]
✦ [Ability 2]
[Description of Ability 2]
✦ [Ability 3]
[Description of Ability 3]
Skills & Stats
[Description of the character's skills and such]
Weapons
[If applicable, descriptions and information on the character's weapon(s)]
✦ General Stats
| ✦ Strengths |
✧ Weaknesses |
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✦ Imperative Strengths
[In depth explanation of important strengths]
✧ Imperative Weaknesses
[In depth explanation of important weaknesses]
✦ Psychological Stats ✦
| Charisma | ✦✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧ - 1 | Kindness | ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧ - 7 |
| Patience | ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧ - 7 | Intelligence | ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦ - 10 |
| Confidence | ✦✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧ - 1 | Perception | ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧ - 8 |
| Discipline | ✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧ - 6 | Psych stamina | ✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧✧✧ - 3 |
| Courage | ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧ - 7 | Caution | ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧ - 7 |
| Honesty | ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧ - 8 | Loyalty | ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧ - 7 |
| Maturity | ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧ - 8 | Creativity | ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧ - 9 |
| Cleanliness | ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧ - 8 | Work ethic | ✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧ - 6 |
✧ Combat Psyche ✧
The basic capabilities of the psychological profile of a soldier influence in what ways their magic flows, and thus in what ways the find strength and face weakness in combat. These are more applicable to the soldiers of the Union because of how their magic functions, but technically can apply to just about any warrior. Physical capabilities are meaningless, for those with a Psyche of iron will can wear the armor of titans with proper focus.
In the book On Violence and Warfare by Gormongor Haadax, Sgt. Haadax divides the capabilities of any combatant into a few distinct categories. Many have attempted to provide their own classifications based on new data; however, his work is still regarded as the most universally accurate way of assessing the "Combat Psyche" of a given soldier.
| Power | ✦✦✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧ | Memory | ✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧ |
| Load-bearing capabilities for implants, heavy armor, and heavy equipment. | Ability to memorize spells, memorize cultural touchstones, and thus use that knowledge modify spells in and out of combat. | ||
| Reflex | ✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧ | Willpower/Spirit | ✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧ |
| Influences both physical and mental dexterity, reaction times, and precision. |
Ability to resist psychological |
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| Fortitude | ✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧ | Caution | ✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧ |
| Influences ability to take damage, resist effects of injuries, resist afflictions and max magical stamina ("mana"). |
Loyalty | ✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧ | |
| Maturity | ✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧ | Creativity | ✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧ |
| Cleanliness | ✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧ | Work ethic | ✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧ |
✧ Physical Stats ✧
| Physical Strength |
✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧
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Speed |
✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧
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| Magical Strength |
✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧
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Constitution |
✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧
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| Physical Defense |
✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧
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Dexterity |
✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧
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| Magical Defense |
✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧
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Stamina |
✦✦✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧
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Usage Notes
[State clear hard 'no's and/or permits with character usage, if applicable]
Gallery

[main reference image]
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Author's Notes
✦ The only art of Draco Laskaris is in bunny suits. No, this was not my decision.
✦ The union may not restrict the ethical practice of magic on any basis, including but not limited to passing legislation; promoting cultural practices such as holidays and speeches; discrimination against certain groups such as ethnicity, sex, and species; "divine" acts enforced by divine entities (the existence of which is restricted under the 2nd clause of this section); and supporting antimagical groups.
This is the highest right a mortal can hold. To move against this notion in any way, shape, or form is to declare oneself anathema to the pursuit of happiness in the face of a universe.
It is the responsibility of every citizen of the union to uphold this value for everyone's sake. This power is extended to unincorporated citizens of the union who remain in diaspora as the to rise against any antimagical oppressor to establish the necessary. To those Reading this in such a situation, this is your calling to begin the walk on the path to enlightenment, even through violence if all other routes are deemed impossible.
