Markel Darkweaver
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| |
| Darkweaver, as he originally appeared. | |
| Markel Darkweaver | |
| Player: @Sheyon | |
| Origin: | Magic |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Stalker |
| Threat Level: | 50 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Markel Aaron Smythe |
| Known Aliases: | Markel, Darkweaver, Darky |
| Species: | Human |
| Age: | Confidential |
| Height: | 5'6" |
| Weight: | 176 lbs |
| Eye Color: | Blue |
| Hair Color: | Blond |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | American |
| Occupation: | Terrorist |
| Place of Birth: | New York City |
| Base of Operations: | Unknown |
| Marital Status: | Widower |
| Known Relatives: | None |
| Known Powers | |
| Proficient in the use of fire magics, dark magics, and healing magics, capable of minor spells in other schools. | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Extreme sensitivity to the arcane | |
| Equipment | |
| Two large summonable swords, a small enchanted dagger, other various magical items. | |
| The right hand of Bad Dream and the leader of the Black Tie division, the Magi. | |
Cruel, vengeful, and full of nearly uncontrollable hatred, it may be hard to believe that he was once a good and noble man, cut from the same cloth as Markel Smythe—a name he reviles. Once a slave, Darkweaver is now a lieutenant of one of the most dangerous criminal masterminds in the world. He rages against the living and seeks only to snuff it out. Now he has the means to do it...
Contents |
Background
Markel Darkweaver was once just a name given to the disgraced Legacy Chain mage Markel Smythe when he made his home in the Rogue Isles. That name then took on a life of its own—quite literally.
Markel had been deceived into becoming one of the Relics of Power, an ancient group of immortal corrupters. Knowing what would happen should he ever surrender himself to his relic, Markel destroyed it, and his corrupter Lady Myth retaliated. Lady Myth tore his soul into two pieces. One she infused with the blackest hatred for life, love, and everything to do with humanity; and the other, Markel's true self, she shoved into his subconscious to be painfully aware of the atrocities he would commit in her name.
Markel was stopped, but his allies were unable to repair the damage. Instead, the corrupted half, which came to be known as "Darkweaver", was suppressed for a time, until Bad Dream made his return to the Rogue Isles. He claimed Darkweaver for himself, ripping him from Markel and placing it in a clone body.
Darkweaver was ritually bound to Bad Dream, much in the same manner Ghost Widow was bound to Arachnos. As long as Bad Dream existed, so would Darkweaver. Though Darkweaver was loathed to work with the Lord of Nightmares, his very life depended on it...
In His Service
Darkweaver did not hesitate to express his displeasure at his newfound status, but rather than simply berate Darkweaver, Bad Dream made him a deal. Bad Dream would grant him his freedom if he performed five tasks for him. At the end of his five tasks, Darkweaver could then decide if he wanted to stay on with Black Tie or go his own way.
Whether Bad Dream intended to keep his word remained to be seen, and Darkweaver did play along for a little while. But when Bad Dream disappeared for a time and it was not clear if he was coming back, Darkweaver attempted to flee but instead he found himself blackmailed into joining Kira's Dirty Hands Inc. funeral parlor.
Darkweaver's tenure in Dirty Hands was short, however, as Bad Dream resurfaced suddenly and Kira was forced to return him. But there was something else. Darkweaver noticed that there was something strange about Bad Dream. Something old and eldritch...
Bad Dream pronounced Darkweaver's tasks completed and said he was free to go. Perhaps he hoped that Darkweaver would stay willingly. But when Darkweaver took that first step away from Bad Dream, it quickly became apparent that Bad Dream did not intend to just let him go. All bets were off. There would be no more deals; no more games. And Darkweaver ran. He fled to a secret spot where he attempted to break his bonds, but Bad Dream stopped him before the ritual could be completed, tapping the power of an ancient mysterious fragment and forcing Darkweaver back into his service.
Rebellion
Darkweaver railed strongly and sharply against Bad Dream from then on, oft receiving harsh punishments for his disobedience and defiance. And Bad Dream's attempts to win him over were largely fruitless. Though placing Darkweaver in command of the Magi did go far to pacifying him, as it gave him something constructive to which he could direct his energies, always something would come up to remind Darkweaver of his servitude and he would rebel all over again. Bad Dream needed a mage but Darkweaver wanted his freedom, though there was no doubt in anyone's mind that Darkweaver would run at the first opportunity, even if the two did share similar goals, if not ideals.
It was also clear that another force was acting upon Darkweaver, another voice which had his attention. During Darkweaver's time in Dirty Hands Inc., he had somehow developed a relationship with it's proprietor, Kira. Her kind treatment of him was instrumental in his attraction to her even despite Bad Dream forbidding otherwise. Bad Dream likened the relationship to a puppy following a master, where he himself would try to mold Darkweaver into a bloodhound. Kira, however, claimed that she was only treating Darkweaver like an equal. Things came to a head when Bad Dream fatally shot Darkweaver for siding with Kira, brutally reminding him that his circumstances have not changed and that she could never give him that which he truly desired.
Despite that, he continued to see her anyway...
And his hatred of Bad Dream grew ever brighter, attracting the attention of a certain entity known as the Keeper of Secrets. The Keeper of Secrets had taken over the world in his universe and he desired to get rid of one of the potential roadblocks to world domination in this universe—that roadblock being Bad Dream. The Keeper of Secrets made a deal with Darkweaver that if he killed Bad Dream, he would give Darkweaver his freedom. As a token of his sincerity, he loosened Darkweaver's bonds and promised to undo the rest of it upon completion of his task, and he gave Darkweaver a dagger specially crafted to do so. Though Darkweaver did not give an answer either way, he hid his weapon and waited.
Reconciliation
He didn't have to wait long. Bad Dream suffered an apparent drug overdose and was left completely at the mercy of his vengeful lieutenant. For whatever reason, however, Darkweaver did not end his life. Whether he feared retaliation or entrapment or whether it was something else, the man who held his soul captive lived to see another day. Soon after that incident, however, Bad Dream went underground yet again.
He resurfaced some time later seemingly a changed man. Calmer, darker and apparently free of his drug addictions and mania, he called Darkweaver into his office. He wasn't in trouble for seeing Kira behind his back and neither was he in trouble for conspiring with the Keeper of Secrets. Instead, Bad Dream revealed his ultimate goals and also his final proposition: Kill with me.
It had been one of the first times he hadn't been reminded of his involuntary servitude or even of his subordinate status as a respected lieutenant of Black Tie. Instead, for that moment, he was a partner—an equal. And Darkweaver accepted.
Darkweaver reached into his jacket and pulled out the dagger that had been given to him by the Keeper of Secrets. Holding it handle forward, Bad Dream reached out and silently took it. There was nothing more that needed to be said between the two.
A New Era
Darkweaver was among the first to hear the specifics of Bad Dream's vision, and the Lord of Nightmare systematically worked his way through the ranks of his lieutenants to sway them. A new era of Black Tie was coming, and they were gathering the angry, the destitute, and the outcasts into a veritable army. Targeting certain individuals and groups and instigating riots, Black Tie quickly propelled itself into the media and every major intelligence network in the world.
As for Darkweaver, the matter of his soul seemed like such a trivial issue now that the seeds of his own goals were quickly becoming realized. What he didn't ask for, however, he received anyway, and Bad Dream un-anchored Darkweaver from himself. Darkweaver's new anchor is a secret to all but a few and even then only he and one other knows where it is. As long as that anchor remains intact, so shall he.
Darkweaver serves Bad Dream willingly and loyally. As the commander of the Magi and the hand of Bad Dream, he is confident that nothing will be able to stop them from achieving their ultimate goals.
Possession
As a bound spirit, the notion of self-preservation has take on less and less importance. Bodies are merely a house for Darkweaver to inhabit as well as a means by which he can affect the physical world. Because he cannot truly pass on, he will return to Black Tie upon his death where he can possess a new body.
It is only in his spirit form that he can choose a new body. The body can be already inhabited (ie. a person taken off the street) or an empty shell (ie. a clone). And once he has either repressed the spirit already inside or has bonded to the shell, he cannot hop to another body unless he is killed again.
Darkweaver actually keeps his own little basement in the Black Tie facility where he stores clones and other potential hosts and also runs magical experiments to perfect his next reincarnation.
Current Shell
((The information listed under "Notes" is not common in-character knowledge.))
- Name: Allen Pritchard
- Age: 28
- Height: 7'0"
- Weight: Estimated 300 lbs.
- Eye Color: Silver (Formerly brown)
- Hair Color: Brown
- Nationality: Etoile Islands
- Occupation: Nebula Cor Leonis soldier
- Summary: Allen Pritchard, a native of the Etoile Isles, signed up with the Council as a means of escape. Peeved that he was stationed in his homeland, he nevertheless proved himself to his superiors, eventually earning the privilege of undergoing super-soldier treatment. Towering at seven feet, Allen has the strength of five men.
- However, a run-in with Sgt. Anna Maris left Darkweaver shot to death with mage-killer bullets and his body devoured by Gerad Gantert. Black Tie operative R-41 Incinerator, tired of Darkweaver's violent haunting of the base, retrieved a number of bodies for him to inhabit. Darkweaver finally settled on Pritchard.
- Some time later in his new body, Darkweaver attacked Maris on an impulsive desire for revenge. Failing that, she planted a mage-killer bullet into his back and then hunted him down until his strength gave out. The bullet sealed into his flesh and then Darkweaver himself was left for dead. As he was slowly being torn apart by his own magics, he barely managed to crawl to one of the safehouses of the Shadow Spiders where he was able to summon help. Though he recovered, the incident has left him permanently disfigured.
- Notes: During his stay with the Shadow Spiders, Allen Pritchard was removed from Darkweaver, and Darkweaver's memories of the event were completely erased. To explain Pritchard's absence, Shadow Spider commander Lerezal Avalar implanted new memories that somewhere between the time Maris left him and Darkweaver reached the safehouse, he was waylaid by Thorn mages who took Pritchard for themselves. In actuality, Pritchard was given a clone body and is now trying to start a new life far, far away from the Rogue Isles...
Skills and Abilities
(Note: Darkweaver shares most of the same powers and abilities as the original Markel. Follow the link for a more detailed explanation.)
Dark Magic
The touch of the Netherworld is cold and dark. When unleashed upon a person, he or she feels as if their muscles were going numb. While not lethal up front, a constant barrage of dark energies will kill a person as easily as any weapon as cell tissues are painfully afflicted and then destroyed.
- Shadow Shroud - Darkweaver likes to lurk, concealed by magic. If he is invisible, he cannot be seen by the naked eye. (Hate to break it to you.) He is not detectable by thermal imaging, however, those who are nearby will notice that the air around him is unnaturally cold. And of course, those who can sense magic will not miss his presence.
Fire Magic
It takes a steady mind to learn how to safely wield fire magics (or any type of magic, really). An unstable person is just as likely to hurt himself as he would his enemies. Darkweaver, like Markel, has been working with fire magics since his youth as a mage in the Legacy Chain, and he has a very natural command of the art.
Healing Magic
Through sheer concentration, Darkweaver is able to mend even the most broken of bodies, regrowing flesh, knitting bones, and repairing skin. He requires physical contact in order to initiate a heal, though he is also able to radiate a soothing aura to calm a patient and even stabilize them until either he or another person can fix them up. He cannot heal himself in this manner; and depending on the extant of the injuries, he may tire very quickly as he pours massive amounts of healing energy into their body. There is a limit to what he can do. For example, he cannot restore eyesight or raise someone who has been dead for more than a few minutes.
Miscellaneous Powers
- Magic Sense - Being a trained magician, Darkweaver is able to sense all sorts of magics. The presence of magical beings, auras, or items are not hidden from him. With a little bit of concentration, he may even be able to determine the nature of the magic.
- Flight - Darkweaver possesses the ability to fly by means of magic. Aside from getting to place from place, it makes him extremely maneuverable while in combat. He can fly out of reach from foes as well as easily juke out of the way of attacks.
- Teleportation - Darkweaver is able to bind an object to himself to summon and dismiss as he pleases. He is also able to concentrate on an ally and teleport them to his side, usually to help them escape a sticky situation or traverse difficult terrain. Strangely though, like his "brother," teleporting himself has proven to be an elusive skill for him to master.
Equipment
Some notable items in Darkweaver's possession.
Demonic Blades
One of Darkweaver's pacts with the Netherworld has allowed him the ability to summon two very demonic looking swords. These swords thrive off of blood and destruction, so Darkweaver will not pull them out unless he means to feed them. Magically-inclined individuals will not miss their presence as their hunger is very palpable as well as the black aura they emit.
While the blades themselves are magically unstable, they can stay summoned in this world a few seconds once Darkweaver has broken physical contact with them. And these blades are very lightweight, so a favorite tactic of his is to throw them like a spear, as he can just summon them back into his hands at will.
Lament Box
Once opened, lament boxes are said to be gateways to other dimensions or planes of existence. Darkweaver's is a torture chamber, a prison. The lament box is attuned to his essence and can also be used to forcibly extract him from his body.
Affiliations
A list of people and organizations with whom Darkweaver has ties.
Associates
People
Organizations
None... yet.
Adversaries
People
Organizations
Trivia
Little tidbits that do not fit anywhere else.
IC
- On Pritchard's body, Darkweaver has a scar on his lower back resembling the scar on Maris's face. Additionally, the veiny scars on Darkweaver's face cover a good portion of the rest of his body.
- Whatever his current body, Darkweaver has the ability to polymorph himself to resemble his original form, that of Markel Smythe.
- Darkweaver sports a black star-shaped tattoo around his left eye. It is the mark of Bad Dream's personal guard unit, the Black Guard. Few people outside the Black Guard are known to have this tattoo.
- Despite the shift in his relationship to Bad Dream, he still refuses to call him "Lord."
- While Darkweaver hates many things, he particularly despises meathooks.
- Important dates (More for my own reference, but feel free to take note.)
- March 1, 1969 - Markel Smythe was born
- April 27, 2009 - Lady Myth split Markel into two souls.
- July 8, 2009 - Bad Dream ripped Darkweaver from Markel.
- Darky hates you.
OOC
- Darkweaver is often referred to as R-41 Incinerator's brother because of their shared interest in burning and killing. As a joke, I created Markel Firestarter, a Fire Blast/Kinetics Corruptor (like Cinny), to illustrate this. The toon is entirely in-character, though, as Firestarter is a throwback to Markel/Darky's history with the Legacy Chain and Kinetics is RPed as dark magic. Consequently, Firestarter may apply to either Markel Smythe or Markel Darkweaver.
- Depending on the nature and the mood of the RP, Darky will rage (/em frustrated) if someone breaks the fourth wall. ICly, he will never notice that the fourth wall is being broken, so in his mind and to most people around him, he is suddenly and inexplicably very angry!
- I told myself I would never create an immortal character. In the case of Darkweaver, it simply became a part of his nature. However, just because Darkweaver has a way to cheat death does not mean I will allow you to destroy his body all nilly-willy. Such a thing I will reserve for specific people and specific RP purposes.
Tropes
Warning! TV Tropes detected! Click at your own risk!
- Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds
- Draco in Leather Pants - Based on a series of bizarre incidents where women were flocking to Darkweaver--whether attracted by his dark angsty personality or his... roguishly good looks--and trying to get close to him to either fix him and/or have him return their affections.
- Mind Rape - If mind rape could produce a child...
Credits
I originally intended to put this in the Trivia section, but it eventually grew large enough to merit it's own section. Darkweaver wouldn't be who he is if it weren't for two very awesome people.
The first goes to @ScarletRedemption, the mastermind behind the Relics of Power. The Relics have greatly shaped my characters from the earliest months. I spent many hours ICly and OOCly with Moira (past both our bed-times!) discussing Relics. The lore behind it is remarkable and deep, and I have latched onto it and devoured it. Moira is amazing. :)
And the second goes to @Talisien Nightbane, the man behind Bad Dream. I broached the subject of placing Darkweaver into Black Tie if he could find a way to extract him from Markel and keep him from running off. The "Ghost Widow"-style binding was his idea. Roleplaying it has been both a challenge and lots of fun.
Darkweaver is still under development as I make him my own. But I wanted to give credit where credit is due. Without them, Darkweaver 1) wouldn't exist and 2) would just be a footnote in Markel's profile page.
Views and Opinions about Darkweaver
Leave in-character views and opinions here
- "You... you......... We'll meet soon enough. So I can offer my congratulations on your freedom in person."
- "Patrick Batemen..?"
- "I haven't quite put my thumb on Darkweaver. What makes him tick, what motivates him, et cetera. But I can guess, and it seems my guess was correct. With that being said, let the Heavens tremble in terror."
- "Darky and I, we're mates. Real pals. Heh. Yeah, he won't admit it, but he likes me. One of these days we're just going to take a trip to Vegas and tear the place up. I keep trying to buy him hookers, but he either rejects them or says he's going to kill them. I tried the other kind, but... heh, guess he doesn't go that way either."
- "What is it, twice, now, that I've shown you what happens to people who fuck with me? Let's hope you aren't stupid enough to try it a third time."
- "He burns things, I burn things. Not much else needs to be said."
- "Markel Darkweaver puts on airs and acts like he's an individual, but at the core, he's no different then myself, Dream, or many of the people he 'hates'. He is a hypocrite, a fraud, and a fool by that fact, and that fact alone. However, I must thank him, for without his meddling in my life, I wouldn't have the power I do today."
- "Me no stoopid cha-yuld! You cha-yuld! With no friendieness!"
- -Kage Hebi (After Markel called him a "Stupid Child")
- "I'm not the only one who is frozen it seems.... Yes, quite. Frozen."
- "He's kind of quiet. Hates me quite a bit. But you know, there's just something underneath that makes you want to grin at him."
