Kastion
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| |
| We all have our time machines, don't we. Those that take us back are memories... And those that carry us forward, are dreams. | |
| Kastion | |
| Player: Marcus Falcon | |
| Origin: | Natural |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Shield/Dark |
| Security Level: | slowly climbing. |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Jack |
| Known Aliases: | Kalico Jack, Handsome Jack |
| Species: | Phantom |
| Age: | 486 |
| Height: | Formerly 6'4, now 8'0 flat |
| Weight: | 400 pounds |
| Eye Color: | Red |
| Hair Color: | Salt and pepper |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | Unknown |
| Occupation: | Formerly Pirate, As of now, Anti-Hero |
| Place of Birth: | Wherever the sand lay. |
| Base of Operations: | Officially Talos. |
| Marital Status: | Attached... |
| Known Relatives: | none |
| Known Powers | |
| Soul binding, Manipulation of powers of the nether. | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Increased Durability, transmutation of the highest caliber. | |
| Equipment | |
| His "shield" Lilith. One rifle. | |
| Footnotes | |
| There is awe in death. | |
The Tale
Lilith rants on...
As the story goes Kast... eh I mean Jack, was born of noble status. Not too shabby, but I never like explaining this part as I'm usually not in it. Anyway, Jack was a rich, young and may I add, handsome gentleman, who lived a very normal life...up until he lost his wife Amelia. Unfortunately no one knew what ailed her, and even Jack searched for medicines of all kinds. He even went as far as learning alchemy. Can you blame him? he was bold, naive, but brave.
It was at this time (1540 A.D.) that he began navigating the seas. As with any young man, Jack found solace in the one thing he and his wife shared, the open air. Did I not mention that?, yeah she was quite the corsair. Much to my chagrin I'm only stuck on his arm for eternity...more on that later.
As time swept the sands and the cold air whispered on the back of most grizzled pirate, Jack became more and more reclusive. His ways were vicious, and at time uncaring. It seemed he lost his empathetic nature and become more of a tyrant. In those times, it was truly the only way to survive. As his tyrannic grasp laid siege to every and anyone he laid eyes upon, Jack grew more indifferent to things. He lost many crew members for this very reason alone.
It seemed Jack fell quickly into a depressed state...Nothing mattered, his gold, his ship, even his own well being. But he pressed on, as he knew deep in his heart, the treasure he was seeking, was but a stone's throw away.
The Binding
Upon reaching the Aegean Sea, Jack landed on what you humans call Santorini Isle. Back then it was thought to be Lemuria or Atlantis...silly humans. Here he would stumble upon a door, well more like a gate, I was young back then, its hard to remember. You may now know it as La Porte de l'Enfer. If my french is accurate. That's all that was in the vast Isle...a gate. It wasn't long before Jack peered in...
The air grew dense, the sky tinted ever so lightly, and Jack felt a shiver run down his spine for the first time in his mortal life. As jack opened the door his looked gazed directly into an abyss, absolute darkness, almost engulfing in nature. As he stared endlessly for what seemed like minutes, The knowledge of the entire universe was revealed to Jack, omniscience in a second...but it would seem that with ultimate knowledge would come the ultimate price.
As Jack stepped back he let out a twisted smile and uttered "Not today, I'll live plenty of lives before I ever see you again". Even now I don't really understand it. As Jack finished those words hands from within the gates reached out ripped into his flesh, tearing him apart from the outside in. Jack reached his ship in what seemed like a bloody mass of muscle and reached for the nearest object...
With his newly found knowledge of all things, Jack bound his soul to this very creepy looking mask he found. Two things where born that day, Kastion and Lilith.
Lilith
My favorite part...
Most if not all call me Lilith, lets take a break here and learn a little about me. I'm what you might call a demon, but I never enjoyed the word its too bleak. Consider me a familiar. I'm that lovely piece of "thing" you see on Jack's arm. Aren't I pretty?. My manifestation came about when Jack made that very binding.
Please get on my good side, call me Lilly.
See I can easily make pacts with humans, and although many humans no nothing of the demon world or of any such pacts, I go unnoticed unbeckoned as it were. When Jack gained all that knowledge he knew exactly how to call forth my powers and made a trade of his own. It's all about sacrifice I say, and Jack was the perfect example.
I keep Jack's human side, or whats left, intact. Within his mask. So not only is his soul bound to the mask, but I also make sure his human body stays replenished and well fit. I made some adjustments, nothing he would mind anyway...
My "human" form as you see here is what I sacrificed to be with Jack, rather to protect him as well. Its a very big price to pay...something I intend to remind Kastion every time he goes on an adventure. Still, I could leave whenever I want, something always keeps me by his side...I'm a big softy, I know...
The Gates
I figured you would wanna know what exactly the gates are. I share some knowledge with Jack, but even then he blocks me out.
These would be them. Now stop asking about them!-Lilly It seems he doesn't wish to share that part with me. But I can tell you the moment he laid eyes on it, he was amazed and disgusted by it. Immense power comes from these gates, something stronger than me...something holy...I care not to dive into that kind of conversation, but if you must nagger...the gates are said to be of "higher" power. I frankly don't believe that to be true, as the gates look man made to me. Plus who would leave such a thing in an isle?. Too many questions with far too little answers come up, whenever I talk about the gates.
We never went back to Satorini, and with good measure. We both deemed it cursed. Till that day I've lost no sleep in knowing it was the famed "Isle Del Oro". Gold is one thing, but keeping ones soul is another...
Some things to take notice about the Gate;
- The Thinker (Le Penseur), also called The Poet, is located above the door panels. One interpretation suggests that it might represent Dante looking down to the characters in the Inferno. Another interpretation is that the Thinker is Rodin himself meditating about his composition. Others believe that the figure may be Adam, comtemplating the destruction brought upon mankind because of his sin.
- The Kiss (Le Baiser) was originally in The Gate along with other figures of Paolo and Francesca da Rimini. Rodin wanted to represent their initial joy as well as their final damnation. He removed the figure that became known as The Kiss because it seemed to contrast along with the other suffering figures.
- Ugolino and His Children (Ugolin et ses enfants) depicts Ugolino della Gherardesca, who according to the story, ate the corpses of his children after they died by starvation. (Dante, Inferno, Canto XXXII) The Ugolino group was cast as a separate bronze in 1882.
- The Three Shades (Les trois Ombres), which was originally 98 cm high. The over-life size group was initially made of three independent figures in 1899. Later on Rodin replaced one hand in the figures to fuse them together, in the same form as the smaller version. The figures originally pointed to the phrase "Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate" ("Abandon all hope, ye who enter here") from Canto 3 of the Inferno.
- Fugitive Love (Fugit Amor ) is located on the right door pane, it is one of several figures of lovers that represent Paolo and Francesca da Rimini. The male figure is also called The Prodigial.
- Paolo and Francesca is shown on the left door pane. Paolo tries to reach Francesca, who seems to slip away.
- Meditation appears on the rightmost part of the Tympanum, shown as an enlarged figure in 1896.
- The Old Courtesan is a bronze cast from 1910 of an aged, naked female body. The sculpture is also called She Who Was Once the Helmet-Maker's Beautiful Wife (Celle qui fut la belle heaulmière). This title is taken from a poem that was written by François Villon.
- I Am Beautiful (Je Suis Belle), cast in 1882, is among the second set of figures on the extreme right portion of the door.
Jack Shrugged
Life began a new for Jack, new crew, new ship(Le Noche Buena) and even a new name. Much to my dislike Jack decided to push away his name, and call forth a being within himself. And although Kastion is Brash, unpredictable and quixotic, Jack is noble, brave and logical. I do find myself leaning toward the latter at times, but neither can keep away from them. It is almost like two different entities live within one shell. For me this would be the beginning of a very one sided relationship.
It's not so much I hate Kastion, but rather I enjoy the memories I share with Jack. And even though I was never there, I share memories with Jack, so I know which ones keep him happy, and which he would rather leave in the past. I'll make sure people remember the name Kalico Jack, as a tyrant? mayhap, but a name not soon to be forgotten.
Paragon?, Who broke the ship!?
We landed here a couple of days ago, Talos Island?, Of course I have no idea where we are, or what where doing here. It may have been when Kastion whispered those words "I want to be a hero again", It didn't happen right away, but I felt sleepy for once and almost as if I drifted away into a dreamlike plain. Jack's power's seem to manifest on a whim. It scares even me at times.
La Noche Buena, before teleporting to Talos.
I suppose we make the best of it especially since the ship doesn't seem to want to move, regardless of the strong winds. I have a feeling Jack is trying to find his place in the world again...
I didn't realize his powers had grown so much in the couple of years we've been traveling. Maybe a little bit of my power transferred to Jack, although I've never seen this kind of power in just a few words, especially words of a memory.
As the story goes Kast... eh I mean Jack, was born of noble status. Not too shabby, but I never like explaining this part as I'm usually not in it. Anyway, Jack was a rich, young and may I add, handsome gentleman, who lived a very normal life...up until he lost his wife Amelia. Unfortunately no one knew what ailed her, and even Jack searched for medicines of all kinds. He even went as far as learning alchemy. Can you blame him? he was bold, naive, but brave.
It was at this time (1540 A.D.) that he began navigating the seas. As with any young man, Jack found solace in the one thing he and his wife shared, the open air. Did I not mention that?, yeah she was quite the corsair. Much to my chagrin I'm only stuck on his arm for eternity...more on that later.
As time swept the sands and the cold air whispered on the back of most grizzled pirate, Jack became more and more reclusive. His ways were vicious, and at time uncaring. It seemed he lost his empathetic nature and become more of a tyrant. In those times, it was truly the only way to survive. As his tyrannic grasp laid siege to every and anyone he laid eyes upon, Jack grew more indifferent to things. He lost many crew members for this very reason alone.
It seemed Jack fell quickly into a depressed state...Nothing mattered, his gold, his ship, even his own well being. But he pressed on, as he knew deep in his heart, the treasure he was seeking, was but a stone's throw away.
The Binding
Upon reaching the Aegean Sea, Jack landed on what you humans call Santorini Isle. Back then it was thought to be Lemuria or Atlantis...silly humans. Here he would stumble upon a door, well more like a gate, I was young back then, its hard to remember. You may now know it as La Porte de l'Enfer. If my french is accurate. That's all that was in the vast Isle...a gate. It wasn't long before Jack peered in...
The air grew dense, the sky tinted ever so lightly, and Jack felt a shiver run down his spine for the first time in his mortal life. As jack opened the door his looked gazed directly into an abyss, absolute darkness, almost engulfing in nature. As he stared endlessly for what seemed like minutes, The knowledge of the entire universe was revealed to Jack, omniscience in a second...but it would seem that with ultimate knowledge would come the ultimate price.
As Jack stepped back he let out a twisted smile and uttered "Not today, I'll live plenty of lives before I ever see you again". Even now I don't really understand it. As Jack finished those words hands from within the gates reached out ripped into his flesh, tearing him apart from the outside in. Jack reached his ship in what seemed like a bloody mass of muscle and reached for the nearest object...
With his newly found knowledge of all things, Jack bound his soul to this very creepy looking mask he found. Two things where born that day, Kastion and Lilith.
Lilith
My favorite part...
Most if not all call me Lilith, lets take a break here and learn a little about me. I'm what you might call a demon, but I never enjoyed the word its too bleak. Consider me a familiar. I'm that lovely piece of "thing" you see on Jack's arm. Aren't I pretty?. My manifestation came about when Jack made that very binding.
See I can easily make pacts with humans, and although many humans no nothing of the demon world or of any such pacts, I go unnoticed unbeckoned as it were. When Jack gained all that knowledge he knew exactly how to call forth my powers and made a trade of his own. It's all about sacrifice I say, and Jack was the perfect example.
I keep Jack's human side, or whats left, intact. Within his mask. So not only is his soul bound to the mask, but I also make sure his human body stays replenished and well fit. I made some adjustments, nothing he would mind anyway...
My "human" form as you see here is what I sacrificed to be with Jack, rather to protect him as well. Its a very big price to pay...something I intend to remind Kastion every time he goes on an adventure. Still, I could leave whenever I want, something always keeps me by his side...I'm a big softy, I know...
The Gates
I figured you would wanna know what exactly the gates are. I share some knowledge with Jack, but even then he blocks me out.
We never went back to Satorini, and with good measure. We both deemed it cursed. Till that day I've lost no sleep in knowing it was the famed "Isle Del Oro". Gold is one thing, but keeping ones soul is another...
Some things to take notice about the Gate;
- The Thinker (Le Penseur), also called The Poet, is located above the door panels. One interpretation suggests that it might represent Dante looking down to the characters in the Inferno. Another interpretation is that the Thinker is Rodin himself meditating about his composition. Others believe that the figure may be Adam, comtemplating the destruction brought upon mankind because of his sin.
- The Kiss (Le Baiser) was originally in The Gate along with other figures of Paolo and Francesca da Rimini. Rodin wanted to represent their initial joy as well as their final damnation. He removed the figure that became known as The Kiss because it seemed to contrast along with the other suffering figures.
- Ugolino and His Children (Ugolin et ses enfants) depicts Ugolino della Gherardesca, who according to the story, ate the corpses of his children after they died by starvation. (Dante, Inferno, Canto XXXII) The Ugolino group was cast as a separate bronze in 1882.
- The Three Shades (Les trois Ombres), which was originally 98 cm high. The over-life size group was initially made of three independent figures in 1899. Later on Rodin replaced one hand in the figures to fuse them together, in the same form as the smaller version. The figures originally pointed to the phrase "Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate" ("Abandon all hope, ye who enter here") from Canto 3 of the Inferno.
- Fugitive Love (Fugit Amor ) is located on the right door pane, it is one of several figures of lovers that represent Paolo and Francesca da Rimini. The male figure is also called The Prodigial.
- Paolo and Francesca is shown on the left door pane. Paolo tries to reach Francesca, who seems to slip away.
- Meditation appears on the rightmost part of the Tympanum, shown as an enlarged figure in 1896.
- The Old Courtesan is a bronze cast from 1910 of an aged, naked female body. The sculpture is also called She Who Was Once the Helmet-Maker's Beautiful Wife (Celle qui fut la belle heaulmière). This title is taken from a poem that was written by François Villon.
- I Am Beautiful (Je Suis Belle), cast in 1882, is among the second set of figures on the extreme right portion of the door.
Jack Shrugged
Life began a new for Jack, new crew, new ship(Le Noche Buena) and even a new name. Much to my dislike Jack decided to push away his name, and call forth a being within himself. And although Kastion is Brash, unpredictable and quixotic, Jack is noble, brave and logical. I do find myself leaning toward the latter at times, but neither can keep away from them. It is almost like two different entities live within one shell. For me this would be the beginning of a very one sided relationship.
It's not so much I hate Kastion, but rather I enjoy the memories I share with Jack. And even though I was never there, I share memories with Jack, so I know which ones keep him happy, and which he would rather leave in the past. I'll make sure people remember the name Kalico Jack, as a tyrant? mayhap, but a name not soon to be forgotten.
Paragon?, Who broke the ship!?
We landed here a couple of days ago, Talos Island?, Of course I have no idea where we are, or what where doing here. It may have been when Kastion whispered those words "I want to be a hero again", It didn't happen right away, but I felt sleepy for once and almost as if I drifted away into a dreamlike plain. Jack's power's seem to manifest on a whim. It scares even me at times.
I suppose we make the best of it especially since the ship doesn't seem to want to move, regardless of the strong winds. I have a feeling Jack is trying to find his place in the world again...
I didn't realize his powers had grown so much in the couple of years we've been traveling. Maybe a little bit of my power transferred to Jack, although I've never seen this kind of power in just a few words, especially words of a memory.