Vitrio Graasp

Vitrio Odacrux Graasp (a.k.a. The Grasp of Death)

Vitrio Graasp - also known as The Grasp of Death, or simply The Grasp, by the small communities and merchant caravaneers who have the misfortune of residing within his claimed territory - is a knight turned bandit-king known for his dangerous psycho-mystical powers. Vitrio gets his name from his uncanny ability to exude large quanities of corrosive ectoplasm seemingly at will, siezing his opponents in acid-coated gauntlets or flinging arcs of viscous vitriol that can wipe out entire squads. Potentially a mad man - or, as his loyal followers in the Shining Hands of the Forest believe, the only man sane enough to see reason in a world with no history - Vitrio Graasp terrorizes half a continent with his never ending hunger for power, knowledge, and gold.

Physical Description

Special abilities

The specific form of arcana wielded by Vitrio Graasp in the rumors about him does not neatly conform to arcane knowledge as High Hedgemont University scholars understand it. Apparently, Graasp is capable of conjuring forth ectoplasm from the Fae Realms or some other extra-material source, then manipulating it in ways that cause it to exert a destructive influence on material objects and creatures. This ectoplasm can simply coalesce into a mass that drips forth from his palm - ignoring the force of gravity within a limited range - but it can also be shaped into sword- or scythe-like columns to provide the ability to 'slash' through opponents up to two arm lengths away from Graasp's outstretch fingertips. In an isolated account, he has exuded the ectoplasm as four lashing pseudopods from his back, allowing him to strike multiple targets at once at a significantly increased range.
Some have speculated that Graasp is in possession of part of the Manifold Edge and has somehow reverse-engineered its properties for his personal use; some accounts include the detail that, in some rare cases, The Grasp of Death can simply press his finger into a target and penetrate it as with a blade, despite no visible apperance of the ectoplasmic goo he can otherwise exude. It is also believed that Vitrio's ecoplasm may be less a form of acid than something that exerts a directly corrosive influence on objects affected by it, given that it is sometimes capable of attacking objects normally resistant to the influence of vitriol (i.e. glass). Alternatively, this may instead point to new facets of alchemy not yet discovered by studies at the University.
It is important to note that not all of Vitrio's ecoplasmic powers are destructive in nature. He is also known to be able to coat his feet with the substance, allowing him to skate along the ground at surprising speed and to even traverse slopes (i.e. rooftops) and walls after a fashion. He has also showed a limited ability to shape the ectoplasm into short-lived barries to deflect attacks that would otherwise penetrate or evade his body armor. In any event, even if one were to find a way to avoid being burned by his touch, Vitrio Graasp is still a very mobile and aggressive fighter and should by no means be underestimated.

Apparel & Accessories

Vitrio Graasp still wears the weathered curiass and helmet given to him as part of his previous profession. He also carries an axe and shield for use in melee combat. He has not been observed carrying any ranged weapons in more recent accounts, and this may be because his powers have given him another means of dealing damage to opponents at long range.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Little is known about Vitrio Graasp's early life except that he came up as a squire as part of a band of knights still holding onto a small keep in the aftermath of the Old Generica Period. During a mission the knights undertook to destroy a band of roving occultists operating as bandits in the nearby countryside, Graasp found himself separated from the other knights and presumed dead. Captured and tortured by the bandits, Graasp subsequently fought his way free and killed all the occultists, whereupon he came into possesion of certain ancient Lunar Glyph treatises outlining obscure rituals by which one could 'attune to the underlying fabric of reatlity' and 'contact entities from beyond the cosmic spheres.'
This dark knowledge intrigued Graasp enough that he took time to read and internalize it, discovering within himself a thirst for arcane knowledge that had heretofore been suppressed by his knighty upbringing. He allowed himself to be presumed dead, retreating into the bush for a number of years while he perfected the techniques in the treatises.
It was only much later that the knights began to notice a resurgence in bandit activity headed by the mysterious 'Grasp of Death,' a recently-ascended bandit king who had gathered an upswell of support among the disaffected citizens of the forest even as he cowed dissent with threats of 'discorporation' from afar. Soon, the knights were overwhelmed, consigned to an ineffectual existence on the keep's grounds against a now well-organized bandit threat.
It is in this state of affairs that Vitrio's horde now reigns across the whole forest, his power frightful and absolute.

Sexuality

Word has gotten around that The Grasp is seeking the hand of a woman of noble blood to become the 'queen' to his bandit 'kingdom.' He makes no claims about the appearance or even wealth that his bride should possess; it is the prestige and political legitimacy that a noble heritage would entail that he is after. It appears to all outside sources that Vitrio's own aesthetic tastes are less important to him than his emerging image as a self-styled royal authority in a world that has otherwise gone without authority for decades at this point.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Most of Vitrio Graasp's meteoric rise to power is known to the citizens of High Hedgemont only through the reports of far-roaming scouts who, themselves, have only heard the rumors from merchants and other explorers far from their own homelands. Thus, it is difficult to verify the facts of Graasp's life story or the true reach of his influence with firsthand experience. What is known is that he has gained a vast modicum of psycho-mystical power in a short period of time, pushed out other contenders for control of his territory, and generated enough fear to drive rumors all the way out to the Great Lookout Mountains.

Alignment

Lawful Evil

Species

Human

Age

30

Sex

Male

Eyes

Green

Hair

Brown

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Light, with scars running down the side of his face

Height

6'2

Weight

190 lbs

Aligned Organization

Shining Hands of the Forest

3.5e

LE Male Azurin Binder 5/War Mind 10/Knight of the Sacred Seal 5. Specialized in touch attacks, with Hammer, Dissipating Touch, and Dissolving Touch powers. Binds Otiax, Aym, and/or Primus. Uses Shape Soulmeld to get Heart of Fire and/or Lighting Bracers; the Open Chakra power lets him bind it for extra damage.