Ophion

Iothisk Ophion Khadebraixen III (a.k.a. Renyr)

"You musn't rely on the gods' guidance to solve every problem. That was the folly of your beliefs. This Prime Material is a combination of efforts both mortal and divine, so you cannot simply fault one side without faulting the other. Segoma's War is a primary example."

- Ophion to Renyr

Ophion Khadebraixen III, known by the Fortuna Arcana (Tenth Arcana: Fortune Arcana) adventuring party as Renyr, is the current sole retainer of Claude Mori-Mori, the son of Morigor’s current director. Unknown to the majority of Morigor, Ophion is the result of two conjoined souls. Due to the unique circumstances surrounding his creation, Ophion has withdrawn from the world.
Though Ophion works as an emissary of the Old Children, he prefers to not be heavily associated with them. He is known for having his thoughts frequently challenged by Claude, who is actively working to better him.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Ophion, though always well-built and healthy, changes appearance depending on the amount of blood he’s consumed. From young and spry to old and haggard does he fluctuate, though this does not appear to affect his strength.

Special abilities

Ophion’s divinity, Sanguine Flow, gives him absolute control over the cells in his body, shaping his blood, flesh and bone to whatever he desires. It’s unknown what the full extent of this ability is, but he is capable of surviving the harshest of punishments by dissolving into blood entirely. From that liquid state, he is capable of reforming back to a full body. His cells can change between all states of matter at will. The strength of this divinity is reliant on hunger; if he has not recently fed on something, it’s considerably weaker.
Along with this divinity are two sub divinities, one derived from Renyr and another his own prior to vampirism. Though the details of these two sub-divinities are mostly unknown, Ophion claims to be aware when one tells a lie in his presence regardless of what magic is used to convince him otherwise. It’s worth noting that other divinites are capable of blocking this divinity’s power.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

A New Beginning

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Due to unknown circumstances, Ophion was left stranded on Prostesa with nothing save for the clothes on his back and the spells he remembered. He was drawn to the Twilight Isles under the pretense of discovering how a city of undead functioned. Supposedly, his realm never had undead inhabiting a sole location in such a large number. Upon arriving, he found himself appalled at the environment, something he describes as “unusually familiar.”
Ophion discovered Morigor during the Restoration of 5200 AA, where the city was struggling to recover after the Waking of a Millennium, a civil war started by Malcolm Mori-Mori, Morigor’s current Director. It was there he spoke with Malcolm and lent his assistance in the Restoration. Thanks to Ophion, the wildlife has an easier time sustaining itself despite the corrupted environment.

Between Life and Death

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In the winter of 5466 AA, Ophion and Malcolm Mori-Mori were approached by Artides, emissary of the Outer Conference. In the lion’s arms was the lifeless body of Renyr, one of the only surviving members of Fortuna Arcana after Segoma’s War. Though Artides requested a proper burial for Renyr (Glinmire wouldn’t have him), Ophion had heard of a way to preserve the soul of a fallen comrade. With the assistance of Malcolm Mori-Mori, Ophion’s mind, body, and soul shared and shielded Renyr’s, leaving the two in a state between life and death.
Ophion knew nothing of Renyr at the time, but a few months spent learning of him left the dragonborn soured. It had to be a joke, Ophion supposed, that he was stuck with a being almost entirely at odds with him. Their endless conflict left them constantly bickering, utterly unsatisfied with each other—to onlookers, Ophion was unstable and disturbingly aggressive.
On New Years of 5467 AA, Ophion spoke with Aevinu, though that too proved difficult. Aevinu, though he made no direct attempts to reach Renyr, offered Renyr the chance to visit Ophion’s realm, though only for about a month. Aevinu did not wish to hear Renyr’s opinion afterwards and instead disappeared, leaving the dragonborn with his own thoughts.

5466 to Now

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After about five years of living in the same body, Ophion had become accustomed to Renyr’s presence, and the two seemed to speak cordially with one another. Finally, they could think and act on one accord, though not perfectly. It was enough for Malcolm to trust Ophion with the responsibility of taking care of Claude at the very young age of seven. Claude is rarely seen without Ophion by his side.
Ophion’s mindset on the world has changed in the thousands of years he’s lived, both due to the influence of Renyr and the onslaught of Echoes, phenomenon that Ophion calls one of his “few fears.” Renyr and Ophion pass off control to the other depending on the circumstance as part of an unspoken agreement, and Ophion has managed to keep steady conversations about the Old Children, much to his surprise. Though they are rarely seen outside of the Mori-Mori estate, those who have managed to speak with Ophion understand that there’s much more beneath the surface.

Education

Ophion comes from the Khadebraixen tribe, an ancient civilization that was said to live close to the stars in a region known as Vela Nova. Though he was trained as a knight from birth, he specializes in an even mixture of martial and arcane combat, with a preference for abjuration and evocation spells. He is credited with the creation of Ophion’s Cosmic Bullets, a powerful modification of the Crown of Stars spell.
His connection to Aevinu is perhaps one of the strongest of those currently wandering the Prime Material, as he is said to have studied directly under Aevinu’s guidance. Because of this, Ophion commonly teaches clerics or paladins, as Aevinu is typically hard to reach on faith alone. Though normally these teachings are exclusive to Morigans, he’s willing to teach those who pay for it.

Employment

Primarily, Ophion is Claude Mori-Mori's retainer. He has worked alongside Claude for years and was then asked to serve as a member of the clergy due to his connection to Aevinu. He holds the fullness of priesthood, and his influence has granted him his own title: Iothisk (meaning “holy star”). Churchgoers address him in reference as “His Irradiance.” After being soul-binded to Renyr, Ophion continues serving as Iothisk of the Morigan Church, due to both his love of the Old Gods and to hopefully influence Renyr.
Aside from his role in the Morigan church, Lukas often calls for Ophion’s presence during diplomacies, providing clarity when Lukas’ disposition makes him difficult to understand.

Intellectual Characteristics

Because Ophion’s mindset is mostly his own instead of Renyr’s, he’s often seen as someone more content to watch and listen rather than involve himself. When speaking of Aevinu, he is overcome with fervor, becoming notably more formal or informal depending on if he's speaking within the church. When speaking of Aevinu, he says “Father” instead of “The Creator.”

Morality & Philosophy

Ophion believed in self-improvement, insisting that if everyone simply worked to better their own character, the world would be more peaceful. With Renyr, he has created his own code, a set of rules that aims to inspire cooperation and maintain peace between them.

Ophion's Code

• The doctrine of a god is a suggestion, not a rule. To blindly follow a deity’s word deprives you of agency.
• There is no such thing as pure good or evil. Likewise, there are no actions that are purely good or evil. This does not mean we should be blind to morals.
• To exist is to be fallible. Never let pride become arrogance.
• A fate one would not be willing to endure shouldn’t be inflicted on others. Let death be as swift as possible.
• We take only what we must to sustain ourselves. A surfeit of sustenance makes us gluttonous and evil.
• If our death is the catalyst for peace, let us die.
• We are to tell no lies.
• By any means necessary, the Prime Material is to be protected. If breaking this code protects the majority, then breaking this code is a must.

"You can't have so much power and make a mistake with it. There are people other than yourself that suffer because of it. The place you came from doesn't exist anymore. Haven't you ever taken that as a sign?" 

- Renyr to Ophion

Alignment

Lawful Neutral

Current Location

Morigor

Currently Held Titles

• Northern Star

Date of Birth

15th of Awakening

Year of Birth

4622 BA 10243 Years old

Circumstances of Birth

Soul-binding

Children

• Claude

Gender

Male

Eyes

Reddish-orange, softened

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Pale white

Height

6'3" or 1.9m

Weight

255 lbs or 115.7 kg

Quotes & Catchphrases

"Let it go, and move on."

Related Myths

• Major Arcana

Known Languages

Seemingly all

Ancient White Dragon by Wizards of the Coast

Of the Old World

Ophion is capable of entering a form identical to that of dragons using most of his energy. He claims that every dragonborn from his realm was capable of achieving this form through spiritual enlightenment and a firm connection to Aevinu. This form strengthens in the presence of the moon, amplifying Ophion's powers to their limits. Ophion has said that if he loses his faith in Aevinu, he will be incapable of becoming a dragon.

Among the Stars

In Ophion's realm, the highest honor bestowed upon the faithful of Aevinu was the promise of immortalization in the form of becoming a constellation upon death. Very few have been given this honor, but Ophion claims that his grandfather was the first to receive this blessing. His grandfather became known as a Saint as a result of this, and Ophion, since his grandfather's death, has striven to achieve this same glory.

Dimensional Shackles by Wizards of the Coast

A Necessary Sacrifice

Due to Ophion and Renyr's old conflict, their soul-binding produced more problems than benefits. Had they begun fighting after they'd adjusted, there would have been no issues, but it is currently far too late for them to have regrets. The Spirit Shackles were forged by Malcolm Mori-Mori in his efforts to prevent Renyr's spirit from ripping itself from Ophion and becoming lost forever. Consequently, it actively restricts Ophion's power, preventing him from unleashing its full extent. The only matters capable of breaking this seal are either Malcolm undoing the shackles himself or Claude using Dirge's power over souls and undeath to unlock them.