Varael Nexis

Varael Nexis stands confidently in his sleek, modern office, a commanding figure who exudes both power and refinement. A middle-aged man with a well-groomed beard, his attractive, conventional appearance contrasts sharply with the visible cybernetics integrated into his body, giving him an air of enigmatic authority. Dressed in a sharply tailored business suit, small arcane runes are subtly stitched into the fabric, glowing faintly as they pulse with magical energy. In his hand, he holds an ancient tome, the pages illuminated with an ethereal glow as runes float above it, shifting and reconfiguring in midair. Behind him, a polished metallic desk gleams under the cool, sterile light of the room, which is both a study and a laboratory—combining intellect and precision with an almost clinical sterility. The walls, etched with softly glowing runes, seem to hum with magical energy, creating an atmosphere charged with both the arcane and the technological. Varael’s presence dominates the space, a living embodiment of the fusion between magic and machine, as he stands at the nexus of Dark Syde’s power.

World Ember Progress

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

STR 8 (-1) DEX 22 (+6) CON 11 (+0) INT 10 (+0) WIS 13 (+1) CHA 18 (+4) VIG 18 (+4) SAN 14 (+2)

Saving Throws

STR -1 DEX +12 CON +0 INT +0 WIS +1 CHA +4 VIG +4 SAN +8

General Stat Block

• Hit Points: 160
• Kata Points: 11
• Vessel Regeneration: +7
• Vessel +43
• River 5
• Armor Class 15
• Speed 30 feet.
• Initiative 1d20+6

Ultra Max Modifications

• Hit Points: 7/7/7/7
• Armor Class: 11

Special abilities

Skills

Intimidation +12, Acrobatics +12, sleight of hand +12, Induce +10, Detection +10, Deception +10, Arcana +4, Computer Use +4, Demolitions +4, Engineering +4, History +4, Investigation +4, Nature +4, Religion +4, Sciences +4

Proficiencies

• Armor. Light and medium armor
• Weapons. Simple weapons, one-handed and two-handed small arms
• Tools. All ground vehicles and aircraft

No Armor/Weapons Bonus

After taking a long rest, if you wear no armor and wield no weapons, you gain the following until you make an attack roll or cast a spell.

• +2 bonus to Charisma or Intelligence (select one)
• advantage with either Charisma or Intelligence skill checks (select one)

Path of Flame

• You gain resistance to fire damage and immunity to any magical fire you create.

Compelling Directive

After you finish a long rest, roll a d20, and put the result aside. You can swap out any roll you or an ally that can communicate with you makes for that result. You should always have a d20 result put aside this way, but after swapping four die rolls, you cannot swap another until you finish a short or long rest. After you finish a long rest, you always roll a new d20.

1d20

• 20

Earned Loyalty

You can turn a short rest into a long rest without an extension of time. This affects you and all allies you can see. After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you have completed four additional long rests.

Just Stop

Additionally, you can take a moment to focus and gather your wits, as well as the wits of your allies. Use an action, and you and all allies able to communicate with you gain the benefit of a short rest. This takes no time other than the action on your turn. After you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

Specialized Equipment

Can make 4 attacks per a turn. If all ranged attacks you make with an Attack action are directed at the same target, you can make two additional ranged attacks against that target. Can make one bonus attack with his off hand gun.

You can use a ranged attack as an opportunity attack.

Heroic Bloodshed

At 14th level, you become a staple of action films. If wielding two one-handed small arms, you can double the number of ranged attacks you make with your Attack action, your Bonus action, and any Reactions until the beginning of your next turn. Once you use heroic bloodshed, you cannot use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Infinity

Carries 2

The infinity is a simple weapon with a simple effect. It never runs out of ammo. Ever. No one knows where the ammo is coming from. Cases for bullets eject similar to an automatic pistol, but the bullets appear in the chamber seemingly from nowhere.

• Hit. 1d20+5
• Damage. 1d6+5 piercing
• Range. 50/200
• Properties. Light
• Type. One-handed small arm.

Ammunition.

This weapon never needs reloading. Its ammunition capacity is infinite.

Armor Piercing

This weapon ignores a target's resistance to the weapon's damage type (e.g. a piercing weapon ignores resistance to piercing). If the target has fantasy damage resistances, the weapon also counts as magical, silver, and adamantine.

If an opponent has immunity to the weapon’s damage type and the weapon has the AP property, the opponent has only resistance to that weapon instead of immunity. Certain weapons unlock the AP property at indicated character levels while others gain them immediately.

Light

A light weapon is small and easy to handle, making it ideal for use when fighting with two weapons.

Small Arms, One-Handed

These single-handed firearms are renowned for their ease of use and compact style, making them natural choices for those preferring stealth.

Properties.

One-handed small arms use the same general rules as ranged weapons, except as follows.

• You do not have disadvantage on attack rolls if you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature who can see you and who isn’t incapacitated.
• One-handed small arms cannot be wielded by Large or larger creatures (e.g., exo-armor).
• You do not suffer disadvantage on ranged attack rolls if you are prone and proficient with the weapon you are using.
• If your Strength is 13 or higher, one-handed small arms without the Light property gain the property.

Ultra Max Modifications

• Damage. 1d8+5 piercing

Mental characteristics

Intellectual Characteristics

• Sarcasm and insults are my weapons of choice.
• People. I'm loyal to my friends, not to any ideals, and everyone else can take a trip down the Styx for all I care. (Neutral)
• I protect those who cannot protect themselves.
• I harbor dark bloodthirsty thoughts that my training failed to quell.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

Varael Nexis is driven by an unwavering commitment to protect those loyal to him, valuing personal connections over abstract ideals. To him, loyalty is a bond worth safeguarding at any cost, and he takes great pride in shielding his allies from harm while offering them opportunities to flourish under his guidance. This protective instinct, however, is rooted in a deep personal failure—an incident from his past where someone who trusted him suffered or perished due to his actions or inability to act. Haunted by unresolved guilt, Varael’s dedication to those he cares for is as much an effort to atone for his past as it is a reflection of his belief in the importance of loyalty and trust.

Beneath Varael Nexis’s composed and commanding exterior lies a constant internal struggle against the bloodthirsty thoughts that linger from his darker impulses. This conflict drives him to seek mastery over these urges, channeling them into ruthless efficiency in combat or calculated, strategic dominance. His sharp wit and biting sarcasm often serve as a mask, deflecting others from glimpsing his deeper turmoil. Yet, at his core, Varael quietly longs for redemption—a goal he keeps buried beneath layers of cold detachment and sardonic humor, unwilling to openly acknowledge the weight of his own conscience.

Virtues & Personality perks

Varael Nexis embodies a unique blend of virtues and perks that set him apart as a formidable leader and ally. His charisma is undeniable, drawing people in with his sharp intellect, confidence, and enigmatic aura, while his loyalty to those who have earned his trust makes him a steadfast protector. Varael’s keen strategic mind allows him to outthink and outmaneuver opponents, blending arcane prowess with technological expertise to devastating effect. His adaptability shines in moments of crisis, where his resourcefulness and quick thinking transform obstacles into opportunities. Despite his darker tendencies, Varael’s strong sense of responsibility and unyielding commitment to his allies make him a figure of both power and reassurance, capable of inspiring loyalty and fear in equal measure.

Vices & Personality flaws

Varael Nexis’s vices and flaws are as deeply ingrained as his strengths, often working against him despite his immense power. His sarcasm and cold detachment can alienate those around him, creating barriers between him and potential allies. His obsession with loyalty and protection can cloud his judgment, leading him to make decisions driven more by personal attachment than logic. Beneath his composed exterior lies a dangerous bloodlust that, when unchecked, threatens to consume him, leading him to act with a brutal efficiency that can be both terrifying and reckless. Additionally, his refusal to confront his guilt and the darker aspects of his past means he often buries his emotions, only for them to surface in unpredictable bursts. These flaws make him both a powerful figure and a tragic one, constantly walking the fine line between self-destruction and control.

Known Languages

English, French

Character Prototype

Exploits

Abnormally Fast

• Kata cost 1

Spend 1 kata as part of your movement to double your speed until the end of your turn. If you are hit with an attack before the beginning of your next turn, you gain 1 Kata.

Blood in the Eyes

• Kata cost 1

Spend 1 kata as a reaction if an enemy scores a critical hit on you and make a ranged attack against the triggering enemy. If you hit, your attack is also a critical hit. If you miss by 5 or more, you regain 1 kata.

Classic Tumble

• Kata cost 1

Spend 1 kata as a reaction when hit with an attack or if you fail a Dexterity saving throw. You take only ¼ damage.

Kinesics

• Kata cost 1

Spend 1 kata on your turn as a bonus action, and your movement is not reduced through difficult terrain; you don’t provoke opportunity attacks, and all attacks against you have disadvantage until the beginning of your next turn. If you suffer more than one hit while kinesics is in effect, you regain 1 kata.

Limber Up

• Kata cost 1

Spend 1 kata with a bonus action and have advantage on Dexterity and Strength ability checks, skill checks, and saving throws until the end of your next turn.

Between the Knees

• Kata Cost 1

Spend 1 kata before making a ranged attack roll to have advantage on that attack roll. If both attack rolls hit, double your ability modifier damage. If both miss, you regain 1 kata.

Boundary Threshold

• Kata Cost 1

If you are within 5 feet of at least two enemies, you can spend 1 kata along and 30 feet of movement to make one ranged attack to one of those enemies.

Endorphin Response

At 20th level, instead of using your Hit Dice to recover hit points during a short rest, you can expend them on your turn as a bonus action and gain 4 points of kata.

Dark Precision

As a free action, before making a ranged non-auto attack, you can spend points from you vessel to gain benefits on your next attack. Must be a one handed or two handed small arms attack that is a non auto-attack.

• 2 points to have advantage on your next attack roll.
• 3 points to make your next ranged non-auto weapon attack an automatic hit. You can ignore cover as well.
• 5 points to add 10 bonus damage.
• If you spend any quantity of dark on an attack, the attack is also counted as being magical, gains the AP property, is counted as silver and adamantine; you also no longer suffer disadvantage when firing beyond normal range.
• You can also spend 4 points before making the attack to turn a hit into a critical hit. This critical hit only applies to the weapon’s damage, not any damage as a result of Mutualistic Spell.

Mutualistic Spell

You can channel a spell employing a ranged spell attack through your traditional weapon-based ranged attack. The selected spell must come from your river and attaches to your weapon as a free action. You can then make a traditional non-auto ranged attack with a one or two-handed firearm. If you hit with the weapon, you inflict the weapon’s damage plus the effect of the spell. You can combine a mutualistic spell with your Dark Precision feature. Vocal and somatic spell components are ignored.