Kracius

Knight-General Jato

The Shade Knight-General of the Voss during the Long Night

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Kracius was a tall, well built man in his youth, and following the dragonflame wounds from Tamalth he was entombed within full plate which cost him much of his speed and mobility but made him a juggernaut on the battlefield.

Body Features

Kracius' burns from Tamalth caused him great pain throughout his life, his Shade regeneration dulled the pain, and his armor allowed him mobility but the pain never entirely faded.

Special abilities

Kracius' gifts as a Shade allowed him to temporarily become invisible, heal wounds, and teleport between shadows. These gifts only functioned within some kind of Darkness.

Apparel & Accessories

Kracius preferred the use of a flaming long sword to inflict some of the torment he feels himself upon his enemies.

Specialized Equipment

Kracius full plate was heavily enchanted to defend him from attacks and enhance his strength, as well as allow the wounded Shade to move his destroyed body to some degree following his near death from Dragons Fire.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Kracius belonged to a family of Voss, who considered themselves above the other Shades. Their line was pure and strong Human stock of with a history of worthy deeds to the Voss and Yheia. Upon birth in the House of Jato, Kracius had four siblings, three brothers and a sister, upon which he was expected to compete for station within the house and kingdom. Any kindness the siblings shared was crushed by their caretakers or their parents, who were intent on keeping the Jato traditions alive, to breed rivalry between the four. Lies were spread throughout the household, to divide the siblings further, until Kracius' youngest brother Dehed attempted to trap Kracius inside a well upon the manor grounds. In their struggle, Dehed was thrown down the well where he struck his head and drowned. Kracius' father finally gave his son praise, for murdering his sibling in self defense, and raised Kracius above the remaining children to be sent to the court of Nabirus to be trained as a noble. There Kracius was trained in the ways of the Shadow-Weave, and sword skill. For many years Kracius was trained as a noble, though he did not affiliate himself with the others who were sent from the houses. Instead Kracius spent much of his time in the Barracks with common soldiers. The other nobles scoffed at Kracius, though he cared little for their thoughts on the matter. When Nabirus had portals opened during the Age of Black Sun, Kracius was given command over the forces sent to build a foothold for the Voss. The Knight-General brought with him the house guard to serve him directly while the majority of his forces attacked outlaying villages and forts. Kracius had the misfortune of having his base of operations constructed under the shadow of the Dragon Lord Tamalth's lair. The Red Dragon erupted from the nearby mountain to lay waste to the Voss forces who invaded upon the mad wyrms territory. Kracius was immolated by dragon flame, his body charred to the point even Yheia's highest clerics could not save the flesh. Instead, The Knight-General was entombed within a powerful enchanted set of full plate to sustain the wounded Shade. Kracius was not present for the remainder of the Age of Black Sun, his wounds required him to remain within the Temples at the Jato estate while his brother Nunoth was left in charge of the Voss forces. Kracius made his return to the court of Nabirus several years following the wounds Tamalth gifted unto him. Kracius was always a towering figure, but clad in Shadow blessed full plate made him an imposing figure among the court. Kracius no longer tolerated the insolent whispers from his fellow nobles, beating them viciously or assaulting them with magic, careful to spare their lives however to avoid punishment from Voss law. Kracius made a number of enemies in the court following his return, though his reputation among the soldiers grew, the general who rose from the dead to return to lead his men. Kracius would eventually return to the Mortal Plane, to lead the Voss incursion into Sya'Nau during its burning. The Knight-General brought with him several shadow castles to reinforce Voss troops directly in the field, making their advance into elven lands swift and brutal. their flying castles decimated the scattered wind riders the elves could muster, and slayed many more before they could get airborne. Kracius' swift decimation of Sya'Nau brought glory to the House of Jato, and erased the shame that Kracius and Nunoth had brought centuries prior during the Age of Black Sun. Kracius' victory was cut short however, by the Ascendants, who remained in defense of Highgate during the Long Night. The Ascendants countered the Voss assault with one of their own, attacking Kracius' Shadow Fort and bringing it low over the snowy plains of Ravan by destroying the core. Kracius was slain, ending the first assault of the Voss. While Kraicus' death was a major setback for the Voss forces on the Material Plane, it was not the end of their invasion. Kraicus' sound defeat of the Elven forces with the aid of the Dark Elves, allowed for three of the Voss castles to be anchored in Ravan to oversee occupation. Kracius very nearly conquered the Material plane, and at the cost of his life provided his kingdom with a foothold upon the Plane.

Education

Kracius was trained in Sword Skill, Shadow Magic, and history at the Court of Nabirus.

Employment

Kracius served as an advisory in training to Nabirus, and eventually as his Knight-General during two of the Voss' most infamous attacks on the Prime Material Plane.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Kracius destroyed the Kingdom of Sya'Nau in a matter of months without significant losses to his own forces. Kracius is also directly responsible for the current Voss presence on Irindor.

Failures & Embarrassments

Kracius failed to properly scout his forward command post, and build his base of operations too close to a Great Wyrm, which nearly cost him his life. Kracius underestimated the Ascendants, and the remaining mortal presence at Highgate, which cost him his life and the Voss a Sky Castle.

Mental Trauma

Kracius was traumatized by the accidental death of his brother Dehed, made only worse when his brother was later resurrected by Yheian clerics to serve as a Death Speaker for their faith. Kracius never trusted the clergy after this, nor his family, relying instead on the strength of his soldiers than magic.

Intellectual Characteristics

Kracius relied on traditional warfare tactics rather than magic, which made him a pariah among the Shades of Voss, though he was quite adept at War Tactics. His militant mind was valuable to Nabirus, who granted him the title of Knight-General to lead Voss forces into the Material Plane to expand the Voss empire. Kracius may not trust magic, but he was no fool, and used their mages to open portals behind enemy lines to attack without warning in small forces while the main force attacked the disorganized army from the front. this sudden assault from multiple fronts often caused the enemy line to break quickly.

Morality & Philosophy

Kracius was taught from an early age to place his house and his kingdom above all else, in that order in fact.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

Kraicus sought to bring glory to the House of Jato, and through his house expand the boarders of his Empire.

Savvies & Ineptitudes

Kracius refused to rely to heavily on the magics of the Voss, instead using traditional forces with as little magic support as he could justify.

Likes & Dislikes

Kracius never seemed to enjoy anything, his apathy was one of the reasons the clerics of Yheia named him their Champion.

Social

Contacts & Relations

Kracius developed a strange relationship with the Black Dragon Zyzzut, who he rode into combat during the Long Night. none were aware of the agreement between the two, though there is suspicion that Zyzzut was perhaps a servant of Omynvaarnth.

Family Ties

Kracius was the First Child for the House of Jato, given the right to represent his family in the court of Nabirus.

Religious Views

Kracius had a distant relationship with Yheia, his distrust of magic was especially true for the Clerics who had revived his brother and made him a Death Speaker. When Dehed named him Champion of Yheia, Kracius attempted to refuse the title, but his armor had been blessed by her Shadow, and he was forced to attend the ceremony regardless.

Social Aptitude

Kracius was not one for speeches, nor was he particularly well spoken. he said what he had to say, with seemingly as little words as he could, and moved on to the next task. he spoke through actions rather than words, and his fellow soldiers understood that when he did speak, it was best to listen.

Mannerisms

Because of Kracius increasing rigidness, and stoicism there were rumors that he was indeed slain by the Dragon Tamalth, and that this armor was a form of Golem sent by House Jato to remain in power.

Alignment

Lawful Evil

Current Location

The Shadow

Species

Human

Ethnicity

Voss

Life

3980 9097 5117 years old

Circumstances of Death

Slain by the Ascendants during Long Night.

Height

190 cm

Weight

136 kg

Quotes & Catchphrases

"I don't understand these people, they have not seen the light in years and yet they still worship this Sun God. They'd rather die on their knee's praying, than change their ways and survive." To Jora, During the Age of Black Sun