Shade Nefarious
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
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Shade Nefarious - ah, where to begin! Shade began as a simple antagonist to my main City of Heroes character, Runo, based vaguely off of a Dungeons and Dragons villain I had worked with for a long while named Zolar. As with many a villain, Shade began as nothing more than a petty thug-like character trying to gain power. Eventually, he developed into something more that I finally felt satisfied with - he may not be the most well-known, powerful or amazing character in existance, but what I think matters is he's darn fun to roleplay, and hopefully just as fun for others to roleplay with!
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| Raloz, the Nefarious Shade | |
| The Nefarious Shade | |
| Player: @Runo | |
| Origin: | Magic\ |
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| Archetype: | Brute |
| Threat Level: | 50 Brute |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Raloz |
| Known Aliases: | Shade Nefarious, The Nefarious Shade |
| Species: | "Vor'Kaaru-Kahi", or Void Demon Prince |
| Age: | Approximately thousands to tens of thousands(?) |
| Height: | 8'0" |
| Weight: | ~765 lbs. (dense bone structure and pure muscle) |
| Eye Color: | Any color - typically glowing red |
| Hair Color: | Ashen Grey |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | Born a denizen of the Violet Void of Felterran |
| Occupation: | Freelance people-eater |
| Place of Birth: | Felterran, the Violet Void |
| Base of Operations: | The Sanctum of the Sekhem-Sa |
| Marital Status: | Single, Probably Not Very Interested |
| Known Relatives: | Zolar (Brother - Deceased) |
| Known Powers | |
| Void Sorcery, "Void-Warping" (demonic mutations) | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Demonic Strength, Healing Factor, High Pain Tolerance, Demonic Will | |
| Equipment | |
| See Equipment article | |
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Contents |
Affiliations
((Feel free to add in a blank name under the appropriate section and I'll add in a bit from Shade.))
The Sekhem-Sa and Phoenix Company
Sworn to protect Primal Earth from all interdimensional and interplanar threats, Shade is the Champion of the Sekhem-Sa, playing the role of the guardian of their sanctuary, their hunter-gatherer, and a brutal ally to whenever Phoenix Company must call upon the demon to battle off mutual threats to the world.
Origin & Motives
Originally not of this world, Shade Nefarious, or as per his real name, "Raloz", was born like most any other creature... and like most any other monster, he became what he is today. In his world, Primal Earth is an alternate reality to the inhabitants, and known only as 'Material Earth'. His own world is known as Felterran, a world overrun by magical creatures. Felterran is, or rather was loosely linked to Primal Earth. One such passageway between the two worlds was the swirling violet vortex perpetually breaking a hole through the sky of Felterran -- the Violet Void, a vortex that stands as access between the demonic realm of the Vor'Kaaru, Primal Earth, and Felterran. It wasn't until Rularuu the Ravager threatened the existence of Felterran that Shade's existence would even begin to stir...
Cause For Concern Amidst The Vor'Kaaru
Rularuu and his neverending army of insatiable monstrosities had set their eyes with a greedy gaze upon the Violet Void and Felterran, both. Rularuu himself, centuries prior to being bound by the Midnight Squad and trapped within the Shadow Shard and condemned to rot within his own hellish prison, to stew... now was not that time. Now, Rularuu would personally arrive with the threat of devouring the Violet Void and the dimension linked to it. Once the Violet Council had learned of the invasion yet to come, the council gathered to speak. The Violet Queen herself -- the most powerful of the Vor'Kaaru, an entity of deity-level power - had yet to give word on what action would be taken, but she had decided on one thing; her legacy would continue. She had personally seelcted a Vor'Kaaru Titan to mate with, to produce a noble Void Demon Prince -- once the lengthy session of the Queen repeatedly forcing herself on the Titan was over with, it would be days later that she knew she would be giving birth to twins. Their names would be Zolar and Raloz, fraternal twins who would carry on the legacy of the Violet Blood were anything to ever happen to the Queen and her kingdom. However, Zolar was born mutated at birth -- to be born defective as such was to be imperfect. Imperfect children were thrown out into the wastelands to survive on their own. Rarely did they, however, leaving the young Raloz to be raised as a noble heir to the Fel Throne.
Rularuuan-Vor'Kaaru War: Rularuu's Rending & the Violet Void's Devoruing
It was an unfortunate day for the Violet Council when the queen of the Vor'Karu confirmed that they would go to war. Raloz was to be sent as an ambassador to explain the problem to the gods of Felterran by way of convincing the mortals to pray and forewarn their deities. Such a mission was suicidal, but death was not the fate of the young blooded prince of the Void. Even as the Vor'Kaaru marched to fight against the invaders as they arrived, there was so little even these vile demons could do to defend themselves from a monster of such power. Though dispatched to another world, intent on being sent to Felterran to warn the mortals and gods alike of the coming storm. Ultimately, an entity as powerful as Rularuu could not be stopped -- could never be stopped -- and the entire dimension of the Violet Void was swallowed up; assimilated by the Ravager, who did not let even one scrap of the world escape his greedy maw. Only by a sheer stroke of luck did the collapsing void spit out Prince Raloz upon the shores of the Nile River, of Egyptian fame - of all times, during the rise of a rather famous Pharaoh...
The Rise and Faltering of Raloz
Some feared him, but most of the Egyptian people revered Shade as a herald of Anubis, the god of death and the afterlife. Though it isn't entirely clear as to what happened between the ages of Egypt and the reign of Greece, Shade quickly found himself not so welcomed with the rise of Greece, regarded as a herald of Hades and a threat to the general populace. For centuries, the demon would hide... for so long, the demon would wait. And finally, as time passed, with the demon prince making a name for himself as the monster that hunted men, 'Ink'. However, Ink hunted only wicked men and fellow monsters. If he was to be bound to this earth, he would slowly come to realize that he should protect it, not scar it.
To Emerge the Victor
The Rogue Isles had made their presence known. Lord Recluse and his arachnid slaves were a new threat... and so Raloz would arrive on the shores of the Etoile Islands, much as he did the riverbanks of Egypt, wading through the water and seeking to strike fear in the hearts of those that oppress the balance. By now, Raloz had realized that world destruction or domination were a fools' motives. No, Raloz would protect this earth, its people, and make an example of any one or any thing that decided to upset its balance. He would not see another home fade. The Delphian Circle brought upon many events that would only show Shade how much this world needed to be nurtured by he and others like him. So he would seek to raise this young earth, or so he would try to lend a hand to whatever degree was necessary... even if it meant utter destruction and slaughter of those who would undo humanity and their home world.
Finding the Sekhem-Sa
It was years later that, by chance, the demon wandered upon an ancient vampire known as Sekhmet, engaging her in conversation and finding that the two made quite a pair, sharing motivation and origin so closely that Raloz could only find his needs for allies he could trust growing. it was weeks after their meeting that shade would be appointed Champion of the Sekhem-Sa, bound by sworn oath to protect them to the end of his existence. An alliance had been forged.
Personality - Who and Why He Is
Although not overly talkative, most would consider Shade to well-versed in social conversations, situations and confrontations. He is a fearmongerer, and will use threats as a last-resort to try to ensure submission or retreat of his foes. Lastly, he is not afraid to resort to extreme and sometimes unnecessary violence to solve any problems and issues. Shade is also a natural-born leader; although one might not expect much out of him as a tactician, strategist or commander, Shade is known for all of the above. He is capable of employing these aspects of leadership into one unified ability, in the form of a calm battlefield presence. Still, he holds a motto: "Take no prisoners, unless it benefits you." Anyone he defeats in the battlefield, he does his best to ensure that they never return, often resulting in attempts to kill or otherwise permanently maim and cripple his opponent. He is a cruel, malevolent creature with only darkness surrounding evey intent, even if this darkness tends to only develop over 'impure' humans -- he only hunts those who would prey upon the earth and its "pure" inhabitants. The world was soon missing tens, hundreds, thousands of vile people and creatures -- those that Shade deemed impure monsters; rapists, murders, pedophiles, and the likes, disposed off in the most violent manners possible.
Physical Information - from Physique to Physiology
Shade's abilities, whilst limited compared to some others, are often considered horrifying to behold. Soulless creatures afflicted by the Dark Mastery spells are often taken down instead by its more physical aspects. Many foes are blinded by the darkness, at least partially.
Void Sorcery (Dark Miasma), or Soul Magic
Shade's ability to wield powerful Void Sorcery can render many foes weak. Although it is not particularly destructive, Shade's magic prowess is still capable of killing foes through weakening or stealing their soul or spirit, and soulless creatures can be defeated with enough force from the magic attacks... assuming brute force isn't appropriate.
Innate and Natural Abilities
- Demonic Super Strength: Shade's super strength is above that of even some superhuman strength. Getting hit by Shade is similar to getting hit by a really sharp mac truck His claws only add to the damage that he can do with every strike.
- Demonic Constitution: Shade is able to shrug off almost any form of damage. Although it will still injure him (in example, a bullet can tear into or through him since his flesh is no tougher than a human's), his resistances prevent him from feeling too much pain. For that matter, Shade is severely sadomasochistic, and can even derive a sick pleasure from intense pain that will drive him to continue fighting.
- Sustenance Consumption: Anything Shade can consume for sustenance, he can use to sort of 'fuel' his magic, or his regeneration. The more 'fuel' he has within, the more he can do. Almost anything that has vitamins or nutrients in it will supply sustenance; however, he has been seen eating metal, glass and other inedible substances just to burn through them for more strength.
- Regeneration: Shade has an intense healing factor that results in regenerative abilities. The larger or more severe the wound, though, the longer and more pre-consumed sustenance it takes for him to regenerate it.
- Supernatural Will: Shade's mental resistances are very high, and he has also warded himself with spells to help aid against mental intrusion and control.
- Polymorphic Form: Shade can change a lot of properties of his body, from the barbs on his tail, to the claws on his hands (Demonic Rending ability), to the shape of his horns, as well as the color of his eyes. There are many mutable properties on Shade's body.
Demonic Strength
Shade is naturally much, much stronger than any non-superpowered human, and even some humans with superpowers. If his claws are not enough, it has been witnessed that Shade can lift several-ton vehicles, crush objects made of titanium and grind diamonds to dust, and even mutilate or dismember most foes with relative ease.
Weaknesses and Limitations
Shade keeps his weaknesses as closely-guarded secrets, although some foes know them well. Some that may be focused on include Shade's sensitivity to loud noises. He must concentrate to block out any overly-loud sounds, as for some reason they cause him severe pain, at times. This results in a limitation of not always understanding what people are saying. Shade's eyes are sensitive, and extremely bright lights will temporarily damage his eyes.
Tolerance to Blessings and Holy Effects
Shade is noteably resistant to holy effects; spending six years being tortured by renegade celestials has given him a high tolerance to holy magic and blessed equipment, leading some to believe he is immune to it (though that isn't the case).
Physiology
Shade seems to be built for war, as almost every aspect of his body is like weaponry, or made for combat.
- Shade can create tentacles and tendrils on and from his body; they can become almost any length and any number on him.
- Shade has claws on his hands as well as three per feet, instead of toes, not unlike an animal's.
- His eyes glow supernaturally. It is assumed this allows him subsequent supernatural sights. It is apparent that he can see into the Astral and other such planes of existance besides our own; other than that, his sight is like a human's, if not slightly enhanced.
- When seen with his wings, it can be noted that the alar phalanges end in claws, whilst the wing tips both end in blade-like attachments.
- Shade does not get ill from eating raw meat like a human (or even some animals) might. It is rumored that, where his appendix would or should be, there is a different kind of organ that specifically processes the things he eats and drains (flesh, blood, and magic), and even transforms souls into a sustenance.
- Shade's immunity system is incredibly resistant to things like poison, disease, infection or other natural illnesses. Still, he is not immune, but they tend to affect him less severely, for a lessened length of time. Magic-based illnesses tend to affect him more severely.
- Shade's tail is over three feet long, and is capable of growing barbs along the length. It thins down the length, and ends in a spade. The barbs cannot be launched as projectile weapons. As well, the toxicity, if any, of Shade's tail-barbs is unknown.
- Shade's saliva tends to be intoxicating in large amounts. In other words, when he bites someone, a large amount of concentrated toxin will transfer from his fangs and mouth. This can have various effects, depending on the individual. Some witnessed reactions include cellular necrosis, a state of sleep, paralyzation or even death. Shade can control how much, if any toxin/venom is transferred to the victim.
- Shade does not sleep; however, he can enter a sleep-like state known as Reverie, in which he can relax enough to heal wounds and gather his focus. It is like a form of supernatural meditation.
- Shade, being polymorphic, can mutate his hands into giant, demonic claws.
Powers, Diet and Consumption
Shade's magic power and innate demonic abilities (strength, constitution, agility and will) heavily rely on how much he has consumed that day, be it blood, flesh, magic or souls. Shade requires at least two whole humans to sustain himself throughout an entire day, if he resorts to consuming his favored sustenance: flesh and blood. He can consume up to five whole 'average'-proportioned humans per twelve hours. Shade is capable of consuming nearly anything, through either natural or magical means. He has an innate ability to transform magic and souls into palatable, digestible 'food' sources, using them to sustain himself.
Appearance
Tall and appearing as physically powerful, Shade is often seen in his typical attire of almost gothic demonflesh robes. The robes themselves seem all too big for Shade, making him seem all that much larger than he really is. That isn't too say the demon is not rather large, as he stands at a precise eight feet tall and is closing on five hundred pounds. Two magnificent horns jut from the front of his skull, not far from above the brow, curved slightly - as if perfect for running through something, or someone. Wicked claws extend from his fingertips, and a thick, trunklike tail wavers behind him at any time it is not coiled behind his waist. His eyes glow coolly, neutrally considering any and all within the vicinity. His posture is always subtly, smoothly precarious, as if he were to be ready for anything at any momen. Shade is incredibly difficult to scar. Shade bears no scars nor blemishes of any sort due to his healing factor. If one finds demons attractive, they may consider Shade handsome enough in spite of his potentially intimidating glowing eyes, fangs, and curved, pointed ears. Others might find him terrifying, or even trite-looking. Shade has a heavy "noble" accent, and his voice itself sounds ghastly, with a hollow tinge to it; however, he manages to stay loud and clear when speaking, and when he wishes to be heard, he is oftentimes heard. He is capable of making hellish sounds, from roars to growls. They are quite animal-like.
Equipment
Prized Possessions
The following is a list of items that Shade has won or otherwise stolen from others, usually his enemies.
- The Blackhearted Duelist's Silver Rapier: After a short fight with the Chaos Necromancer's (Grumdek) minion, the Blackhearted Duelist, Shade managed to grind the Duelist into dust and take his silver rapier.
Truncated List of Possessions
- Weapons: Ritual dagger, staff-blade (goes from small bladeless stave to broad sword), Darkwand, silver rapier
- Armor & clothing: Void Demon-flesh robes, the Ruiner's armor, Coldforge Helm, Hellfrost Yeti-fur/flesh boots and gloves, Glacial Naga-skin robes, demonflesh pants
- Miscellaneous: Communications device, bag of spell components, Bottomless Bag, chilled and warmed plasma transfusion packs
