Ozoss, the Enduring

the Enduring

Ozoss is a red dracolich and the main (and only) object of worship of a small, semi-organized cult in eastern Valimar.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

In his true form as a dracolich, Ozoss is a terrifying sight to behold. While much of his body is rotted away, revealing the skeleton below, dull red scales still cling to various parts of his body, some appearing blackened by rot and necrosis. His once fully-feathered wings now only display plumage sparingly, clinging to the outstretched, veiny skin in patches.

Body Features

He possesses a crown of 3 horns centered atop his head, all of equal height. Once a beautiful ivory, they are now stained with the color of death. He has two (once) feathered wings and a long, thick tail.

Special abilities

Ozoss possesses the ability to shapeshift, able to take the form of various humanoid creatures up to his own size. Despite his natural undead appearance, the forms he chooses to shift into do not necessarily appear undead themselves, though they can if he so chooses.
Being undead, he has no need to eat, sleep, or breathe. He is also biologically immortal, unable to die of old age, and if killed by damage, can regenerate thanks to the existence of his phylactery. Being a red dragon, he can also shoot scalding, supernatural flames up to 100 feet in distance from his mouth.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Once a mighty, but mortal, chromatic dragon, Ozoss was not satisfied with the power he held by the nature of his being. Among mortals, he was feared and awe-inspiring, but there were many like him within his own kind. Seeking to distinguish himself among even his own people, he sought to rid himself of imperfections and achieve status as ultimate - the first perfect being on the material plane.
Through countless research, he came to the conclusion that perfection could only be obtained one way: through the purging of all weakness. It was not enough to be feared, one also had to be undefeatable and capable of complete control over every aspect of self: physical strength, magical prowess, and even social reputation. One by one, he tackled each perceived weakness, first through extensive and thorough arcane training as a universalist mage, and then through physical means as he trained each part of his body, perfecting them physically and ensuring that he was skilled in various types of combat.
During his training he sought to challenge various foes both good and bad, building up his reputation. Wherever he failed, he was quick to destroy the evidence and take the lives of any and all who witnessed such error, in order to keep his reputation pristine. In time, his personal image attracted the attention of other mortals who marveled at his seemingly flawless track record, and he used the most fervent among them to expand his reach, sending them out into the world to track down occult information, gather powerful items, and spread the word of his greatness.
When he had amassed enough followers, he brought them all together and announced his intentions to overcome one of the greatest weaknesses - mortality. He assured them that as his devoted followers, he intended to heighten them to greatness and instructed them to begin preparations for a powerful spell that would banish mortality completely for all who were present; unbeknownst to his followers, they were actually preparing the ritual that would grant him lichdom, at the expense of almost all of their lives. A select few were "in" on the secret. Those cultists went on to beome his most devoted worshippers. When the ritual was ready, the spell was cast and thousands upon thousands of devoted followers perished, granting Ozoss, who had by then began referring to himself as "the Enduring," lichdom.
It wasn't long before he was tracked down and confronted by Cambri Solaris and his party of adventurers. Unable to defeat Ozoss and his cult, they instead sealed the dragon away, supposedly making off with his phylactery, and declaring him dead and defeated once-and-for-all. This was a mistake on their part, as despite his imprisonment, Ozoss was able to communicate to his followers that he was still alive. He mocked and degraded the hero to his followers, and convinced him that the imprisonment was a part of his plan. He explained that he was undergoing an intense transformation that, upon emerging, would prove him more powerful than ever.
He had his followers send adventuring group after adventuring group to where he was imprisoned, through various plots and under various guises, convincing them that every failed attempt was a sacrifice that only added to his strength, powering him more and more until he was finally ready to break free. Cultists passed their twisted religion onto their children, preparing them to take his orders and be ready for when the time came that Ozoss would rise again.

Divine Classification

Pseudo-Deity

Alignment

Chaotic Evil

Gender

Male

Eyes

Fiery blue, glowing

Hair

Feathers (sparing) crimson

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Scales (sparing), dull crimson and black

Height

40' long