Nephmos

"Hear the cry of my soul, Shadow Queen!"
A mysterious swordsman who wanders the continent, Nephmos is a blade without purpose. He has dedicated himself to the Order of Extinction, the Goddess of Secret Murder, and various bands of adventurers who tolerated his presence. He has gained some renown around the continent, especially within Ayrith and Asvathas, for his abilities on the battlefield. This has earned him no shortage of lords and despots looking to buy his services, which he has not been above accepting.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

A lifetime warrior, Nephmos is in near peak physical condition, though his body is riddled with scars, only some of which were gained in battle.

Apparel & Accessories

Nephmos is usually found in his signature adamantine armor, a sleek, black set of plate armor without a scratch. He prefers to dress in simple, dark, or earth-toned clothes during his downtime.

Specialized Equipment

Despite his following of Nyx, his primary weapon of choice is Mournblade, the artifact of Strife, the Lord of Plots. It is a devastating sword with a murderous aura pulsing from it, allowing it to absorb the souls of slain enemies, forever wailing in agony as their energy is used to fuel the weapon.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Born to lowly human parents in the slums of Bascana, Nephmos learned to survive from an early age. He had to live off the scraps of the townsfolk or hunt for his own food outside the city walls, in the hills.
He became apt with a bow, but when a regular skirmish from the northern dark elves made it into the city, the slums were the first to be hit. His father died in the attack. Using his father's sword, Nephmos did what he could to defend his family from the invaders. While he was able to fell a few raiders, his mother and sister were taken prisoner while the elves retreated. He begged the dark elven commander, Raleth, to release them, promising to pay everything his family owned in ransom - but the reality was, nothing was left to give. The raid had taken it all.
Left with nothing, he approached the commander. But it was too late. His mother and sister had been sold into slavery, and he was told if he had any hope of seeing them, it was at the commander's mercy. Now, only a whelp of 16 years, he dedicated his blade to him, fighting and killing whoever he had to in order to get the information he needed and the spoils to get his remaining family members back. This persisted for a handful of years until one fateful night, in a drunken stupor, his commander informed Nephmos that he had personally killed his mother and sister the very day they were captured. There was never any hope of finding them. He only led Nephmos along for the value of fighting ability and the drive that motivated him.
Nephmos realized he had been tricked in the cruelest of ways. He was prepared to leave and never return, but the realization that he had done so much evil for no good purpose, coupled with the graphic, boastful description of the raiders' violation of his family before their grizzly death, sent Nephmos into a rage. He attacked Commander Raleth and set fire to his camp, slaying all he could before running as far as he could away. He wasn't sure when his rage came to an end. He awoke in a hut in the wild. A fisherman told him he had saved him days ago. He was unconscious in the river, followed by a red stream from all the blood he had shed.
Nephmos wondered what purpose his life had anymore. He had no family and had spent the last five years killing innocents without reason. He had kept none of what he'd plundered, now left with nothing but his despair and his sword. He was approached by an old contact he had only witnessed, the archmage Athendis. A powerful spellcaster, he had met with Commander Raleth in the past. Nephmos was present for it. Athendis heard of Nephmos' rage against his raiding party and the butchery he had committed. Taking advantage of his hopeless state, Athendis whispers of a new world with reawakened dark gods, gods who loved tieflings like Nephmos and would grant him purpose in this life and the next. Nephmos, suppressing any doubt in his heart, fell for these infernal whispers and joined a cult that had gone by many names, the Order of Extinction, the Children of the Flame.
From here, accounts differ on the fate of this tiefling. Some say he died serving Athendis in a grand battle moments before the infernal gods were awakened from dormancy. Others say he continues to roam as a blade for hire.

Sexuality

Bisexual

Mental Trauma

He has done his best to block out memories of the terrors of war, the abuse he suffered by Commander Raleth, the rending of flesh at his hand, and the graphic description of the ravishment of his mother and sister. He has tried alcohol and isolation to block these memories out, though he's failed to do so. They remain seared in his mind no matter how hard he tries.

Morality & Philosophy

After all that Nephmos has been through, he seems to operate on personal trust more than morality. While he does not go out of his way to commit acts he would consider immoral, he accepts that he spent much of his life mindlessly following the orders of others who would point his blade at the innocent. He feels he no longer has the right to pursue goodness. As such, he walks a gray path, where the only thing he seems to value is his own prowess. He sees himself now merely as a vessel for battle, not as a man capable of doing good.

Social

Religious Views

During his time with Athendis in the Order of Extinction, for reasons he could not quite articulate, he found a connection to Nyx, the Goddess of Secret Murder. Perhaps an ill-fated pair, he never adopted her ways of stealth and shadows, preferring to fight like a knight, as if grasping at some dream of what he could have been. Nonetheless, the Shadow Queen accepted him as he was, not for his methods but for his unwavering dedication. She would call him his champion but, over time, has seemed to abandon him to his devices, finding him a ship with no rudders, a soul with no purpose who could no longer further her goals. Nonetheless, he still seems to have some spiritual attachment to her, constantly seeking an audience with her.

Social Aptitude

He can be intimidating, quiet, and reserved, preferring not to talk to others or get involved if he can avoid it. He can be quite deferential, even refined with those above him in authority, nobles, and royalty. In his most comfortable spaces, with the few friends he has gathered occasionally, Nephmos can even display a softer side, an appreciation for humor, and confidence based on his abilities.

Alignment

Lawful Neutral

Current Status

In a caravan, napping on the road to Galerest

Ethnicity

Tieflings

Age

25

Date of Birth

30th of Dawnfall

Birthplace

Bascana

Pronouns

He/him

Sex

Male

Gender

Man

Eyes

Gold

Hair

Long, black, pushed back

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Red

Height

6'6"

Weight

275 lbs

Belief/Deity

Nyx (Infernal Order)