Mordred

"A man born of shadows as dark as his heart."

Overview

Gavin Donaldson was a child of Earth, a Gaean. He was an architectural student who adopted the name Mordred after witnessing the horrors of Teralt's humanity and becoming convinced by the corrupting influence of Dusta, Gaean Shard that the only way to fix the issues was to be in charge of them.

The Sorcerer's Prophecy

The Sorcerer's Prophecy, carved into the Arch of the Son, was foretold by the first Son of Earth, The Gaean, who was gifted with prophecy.

When the moon burns red in the dark night sky,
A powerful sorcerer of innocent magic arrives.
He is the Savior of mankind's ambition.
He will rain destruction upon a dark coalition.
But beware, for the sorcerer heralds a time of great change:
Hearts decayed, minds enslaved.
Ending the times of great struggle and clashes,
This Destroyer brings ruin, sowing seeds in the ashes.
He is the end of all life still left living,
None of our sins will be worth forgiving.
And his name is a relic of a time left unsaid.
He will be known by another– the great Mordred.

Origins

On Earth, Gavin was a chess prodigy, ranked as an International Master and nearly becoming a Grandmaster before he was brought to Teralt. A year before his arrival on Teralt, Gavin's sister Julia passed away after a long struggle with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) affecting her optic nerve. This happened while Gavin was playing against a chess Grandmaster, the results of the game confirming his own GM status.
At Julia's funeral, her friend gave Gavin his sister's Book of Shadows, a tome containing all the spells she'd ever studied or created during her and her coven's occult practices. At first, Gavin didn't have the strength to look through the book because it reminded him of Julia's passing and the pain, and instead put it on a shelf by a picture of her.
A month before his arrival to Teralt, Gavin met Ally, an incredibly intelligent and beautiful girl who showed an atypical interest in conversating with him, despite his odd fascinations. He fell in love with her instantly, but after that night, she didn't reply to any of his texts. A week later, after running into her again, he found out that she was only flirting with him because it was fun, and she'd been leading him on at the insistence of her friends. Gavin returned home, depressed and enraged. In his wake, his foot knocked over his bookshelf and crashed into his sister's photo. Gavin picked up the picture, noticing the book again, and opened it.
Julia had left a note for her brother inside. It mentioned a spell she thought he would enjoy casting, one that would enable him to "peer into a world of magic". Months later, he decided to cast the spell with his only friend, but the two of them performed the ritual incorrectly, and Gavin was pulled through the portal into Teralt.

Arrival to Teralt

After Gavin's arrival to Teralt during a Blood Moon, he wandered the wilderness in search of civilization. After stumbling into town, dehydrated and confused, he was saved by a girl he would soon fall in love with. However, her father, the local lord, disapproved of their coupling. His daughter would marry a successful man of his choosing, not the wandering vagrant she saved.

Moonbeasts

During the Blood Moon, which lasted a week, the village was plagued by Moonbeasts, ravenous beasts that cannot be sated. While one of these attacks is occurring, Gavin discovered his affinity for magic, finding it relatively easy to perform incredible feats he'd only ever imagined before. He used these new powers to defend the village and drive the Moonbeasts away, but still the lord would not let him marry his daughter, as he could not offer a significant dowry.
In one of the final Moonbeast attacks, the Blood Moon began to fade. During this attack, Gavin was overrun by the creatures, with one beast about to strike from the shadows and kill him. The girl saved Gavin again by killing the beast, but as the Blood Moon faded, the beast transformed back into a human, her brother, and he cursed her to suffer the Betrayer's Doom for what she had done.

Runaways

Over the next few weeks, the two made plans to run away together as Gavin acquainted himself with this new world and made money through one-sided bets he couldn't lose, which he would later use to buy them two horses. During their flight, however, Gavin was hunted by a platoon of men for abducting the lord's daughter. The attempted escape led to the two of them falling down a ravine and into a river. Gavin shielded the girl as best he could, suffering critical wounds in the process. She pulled him out of a shallower part of the river further down, but a storm was brewing overhead. To escape the storm, the two hobbled into a nearby cave.

The Ancient Statue

Within the cave, the couple stumbled upon a grotesque statue of an Ancient. And in front of the Ancient was a rusted eye, seemingly glowing. Fascinated, Gavin reached out to touch the eye, and as he did so, it crumbled away into dust.
The girl screamed from behind him, and Gavin turned, his eyes catching the sight of his love being held in the air by the statue. One hand was held as though it were about to stab her with its incredibly sharp claws. She cut her hair, dropping to the ground.
The two realized that the statue was alive, but it would only move if no one was looking at it. Bleeding out and soon to die, Gavin stayed behind to let his girl escape. But as his strength was fading, he knew that he couldn't keep his eyes open, and so he did the only thing he could think of, and cut his eye out of his head to watch the Ancient for as long as it could.

Resurrection

Dusta resurrected him some months later. As a child of Earth, he was connected to her, and she was capable of using some of her fading power to bring his soul back into his body. Though she acted as if she didn't want him to go looking for his lover to save her from the demonic statue, she knew he would. Dusta slowly earned Gavin's trust, working to corrupt him so she could bend him to her will.

The Betrayer's Doom

Gavin managed to track down the woman he'd fallen in love with, but he finds her with another man. By this time, Dusta's whispers had become very influencial upon his mind, and when she suggested his lover had forgotten him and already moved on, he felt betrayed.
These emotions, combined with Dusta's silver tongue, left Gavin to merely watch as the Ancient Masragot appeared and ripped the heart from his betrayer's chest.

A Doppleganger Appears

For a time, Gavin traveled Teralt, seeking a way back to Earth now that no attachments kept him in this new world. But all of that changed when he met a young woman named Rosali.
Gavin was taken aback by this woman's resemblance to his sister. She seemed almost a perfect doppleganger. But as he spoke with her, Gavin learned she was beginning to lose her vision, the same symptom his sister had first exhibited.
Resolving himself to prevent Rosali's loss of sight, Gavin attempted every magical trick he'd learned in his time on Teralt, but none of them were able to heal her. She wasn't surprised, as she'd been seen by many healers in the past, and all had proclaimed her fading vision to be an untreatable divine curse.
Rosali's kindness, for a time, was able to slow the progression of Dusta's influence, and Gavin became friends with several of the locals. When he declared he would be traveling in search of a cure for the woman he saw as his sister, she and his new friends accompanied him.

Becoming Mordred

It was during these travels that Gavin and his crew stumbled upon a group of human nobles that were attempting to cast an incredibly powerful spell— one which would drain the life from all humans it could reach, and enable the ascension of the nobles to godhood.
After witnessing the ritual the human nobles were attempting to employ, willingly about to sacrifice almost a million citizens to ascend to higher beings, Gavin used his new understanding of magic to hijack their magic, inverting the effect and instead changing the nobles into Prym'Teev as punishment for their inhumanity.
It was as he intended to dispel the powerful magic that the allies he'd come to trust— excluding Rosali— tried to persuade him to continue the nobles’ spell, using it so the “good guys” might ascend instead. This is when Gavin became even further disappointed in humanity.
Dusta took advantage of this disgust and disappointment, convincing him to instead become what this world needed: a king who would rule his citizens while also watching over them, instead of treating them like cattle. He would need to be listened too, and to truly save this world, he would need to change them so that they would help him rebuild instead of chasing their foolish ambitions.
Enraged by yet more betrayal from humans on this planet, and spurred on by Dusta's whispers, Gavin seized the reins of the spell which was almost finished changing the nobles, and turned it on his greedy friends and then the population of the world, converting them into the first Azher'Tek, beings that would no longer think for themselves, and work only toward's Gavin's goals.

"You all keep saying I'm the Mordred of your prophecy, and I kept denying it. But now? Fine, I'll be the Destroyer you so desire."

Creation of the City of Glass

Knowing Rosali's condition was rapidly declining, Mordred commanded all Azher'Tek to build the City of Glass, which he named Jada, after his sister Julia's coven name Jade.
The city— built mostly out of glass, a fantastic magical conductor— was designed to function as one large enchantment, draining the Azher'Tek living within it of their magical energy at a relatively slow rate, and funneling that energy into a spell to slow Rosali's deterioration. However, in order for the spell to continue channeling, Mordred had to remain in the city to monitor and maintain it.

Formation of the Fists of Man

As Mordred was unable to leave Jada for extended periods, he created The Fists of Man, an organization comprised of elite Azher'Tek that were fighters in their past lives. Their goal would be to find the relic Mordred had heard of during his search for a cure— the King's Gauntlet, which he believed would enable him to ascend to godhood so that he might fix the world and heal Rosali.
During his time living constantly in Jada, Mordred was approached by Bak'kon, a half-Ancient whose machinations were unknown. But as Bak'kon willingly did anything Mordred commanded, and was also impressively skilled in magical and strategic endeavors, he was made to be Mordred's lieutenant, and the head of the Fists of Man. Under Bak'kon, the Fists of Man became an even more deadly fighting force, one which scoured the world for dangerous magical artifacts, and brought them back to be stored in the gallery of the Gleaming Spire.

The Coalition of Races

Many had escaped Mordred's grand spell, and these races formed a coalition to combat his every move. They rightly believed that his end goal was the destruction of all life, and refused to go down without a fight.
Though Mordred rarely left Jada, there were a few instances when he felt it was necessary to end a battle before more Azher'Tek lives were lost. On these occasions, he would appear in the sky above the battle and cast a grand spell, ending the fight in any number of ways, such as burning a whole city of Nak'Shyr to the ground so he could retrieve an artifact he sought.

The Song of Mordred

With reins on the world, he sits on his throne,
Ruling from a city of glass and stone.

He rides on the wind, and death soon cries.
From the beating of his drums, the Council flies.

If you oppose him, know one thing:
He is the chosen– the Architect King.

The ever unbeatable, great Mordred.
The undefeatable, great Mordred.

With reins on our souls, he sits on his throne,
Ruling over mind, blood, and bone.

With a single spell, a city caught fire.
Defied his will, earned his ire.

If you oppose him, know one thing:
If you make a foe of him, you cannot win.

The ever unbeatable, great Mordred.
The undefeatable, great Mordred.

Ascension and Death

Mordred finally achieved his goal, locating the King's Gauntlet and the two halves of the Slayer's Heart, which would allow him full access to the Godhand. With this, he ascended to godhood, becoming the second God of Games, and planning to unleash another spell that would absorb all life from Teralt and propel him even further toward omnipotence.
But before Mordred could finalize his most powerful spell, he was challenged to a game by a mysterious man, one that he was certain he could never lose— chess. Though Dusta urged him to ignore the challenge and finish the spell that would implant her as the Worldsoul of Teralt, Mordred's ego was too strong, and he accepted the challenge.
But this game of chess would be unlike the others. The challenger's pieces would be his friends. Mordred would be his own side's king and his pieces would be his servants. As the game progressed, Mordred was astounded by the skill of this challenger in the game he himself had brought to Teralt.
But still, he was swiftly winning. And as the challenger's King piece had never manifested on the board, all Mordred needed to do was step on that square and the game would be over.
The God of Games strode across the board, a cocky smile on his face. All hope seemed lost. But just as Mordred approached the final square, the ground burst open, and Korangar emerged as the challenger's King. In the brutal fight between the two, Mordred was mortally wounded by Korangar's spear. And as Dusta's corruption began to fade, his last words were an apology.

Artifacts

• Jada, the City of Glass
• The Gleaming Spire
• Mordred's Slab
• The Chopper
• Tek Rafts

Divine Symbols & Sigils

The Crown

by DALL-E

Divine Goals & Aspirations

Mordred's goal was the extinction of all preexisting life, the absorption of all of that life force, and the eventual recreation of that life in the image he saw fit.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

His magical studies resulted in his slowed aging and so, even at the age of 64, he still resembles a fit, lean, much younger version of himself.

Identifying Characteristics

Black veins surround his eyes and encroach into their whites. This is Dusta's corruption.

Special abilities

As a Gaean, Mordred is incredibly gifted with magical power. He far surpasses the average mage of Teralt, and in his time, is the most powerful mage alive. As an avid fan of fantasy books and movies, magic just makes sense to him, and he is able to quickly learn how Teralt's system works.

Apparel & Accessories

Mordred typically wears flowing black robes with silver trim, and a matching silver sash.
Around his neck, he wears a simple leather thong, hanging from which is a burnt silver ring with a hexagon made of triangles emblazoned on it.
It represents the two strongest shapes working together, and the fragment of his soul contained within it is the key to many of his magical locks, much like a fingerprint.

Mordred's Symbol

Specialized Equipment

He always carries Mordred's Slab, the control unit for all of Jada. This device is an incredibly important invention of his, enabling him to have all the functionality he needs in one magitech object.

Mental characteristics

Education

As Gavin, Mordred pursued dual Master's degrees in Architecture and Civil Engineering with a free ride to university due to his living situation, excellent grades, and chess ranking.

Accomplishments & Achievements

• He achieved International Master rank in chess on Earth.
• He became the most powerful sorcerer of his time on Teralt.
• He revolutionized magical understanding and technology.
• He designed and constructed Jada, the City of Glass.
• He invented magitech such as the Chopper and his Slab.
• He collected dangerous artifacts inside of Mordred's Gallery to keep the rest of the world safe from them.
• He located and used the King's Gauntlet.
• He was the first mortal to actually ascend to godhood as the second God of Games.

Failures & Embarrassments

• He failed to recreate guns in Teralt, seeing the only working prototypes as being far less useful to him than simple Azher'Tek magic.
• He failed to absorb all life, establish Dusta as the new Worldsoul of Teralt, and ascend to a greater height than godhood.

Mental Trauma

Mordred has sworn to never love again due to the awful series of betrayals and suffering he endured because of love.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

Mordred is a man of complex motivations. Primarily, he is driven by love for his sister, and by extension, Rosali. This love, and his refusal to lose the one he is close to again, drives him to seek ultimate power. But Dusta's corruption has left Mordred's priorities mixed, and he often does things countermanding his goals.

Savvies & Ineptitudes

Mordred is a strategic mastermind, and a magical savant. He naturally takes to Teralt's world, which makes him one of the quickest-adapting Gaeans, and one of the most powerful mages in history.

Likes & Dislikes

Mordred's favorite game remains as chess, though he awaits a day that he can be truly challenged in it again. The closest adversary from Teralt that he has encountered in chess was Bak'kon.
His favorite quote is from Bobby Fischer, "Chess is war over the board. The object is to crush the opponent's mind."

Virtues & Personality perks

He will do anything for the ones he loves. He also believes that he is doing the right thing in attempting to rebuild the world and resculpt all life, to remove the greed and exploitation.

Vices & Personality flaws

Mordred possesses a hugely inflated ego. This is not to say that he does not rightly appreciate his own achievements and capabilities, but he certainly views himself as far more important than others due to these attributes.

Reign

Mordred's reign lasted 45 years. Many songs and tales about him fill the annals of Teralt's history, but the greatest enduring testaments to his reign are the remnants of Jada, and the Azher'Tek that live within it. These residents believe, even hundreds of years after his death, that Mordred will come again, and restore them to their lost greatness.

Divine Classification

God of Games

Species

Gaean

Realm

The Gleaming Spire

Honorary & Occupational Titles

• The Worldbane
• The Architect King
• King of Jada
• The Sorcerer Foreseen
• The Savior
• The Destroyer
• The Great Mordred
• The Second God of Games

Age

64

Circumstances of Death

Slain by an undead Korangar

Birthplace

Earth

Place of Death

Teralt

Current Residence

Jada, the City of Glass

Sex

Male

Eyes

Piercing emerald green

Hair

Black, medium length

Height

5'9 or 1.75m

Weight

180 lbs or 82 kg

Quotes & Catchphrases

• "War is never more than a game with high stakes."
• “Careful who you treat as pawns; it’s a passed pawn that makes for a frightening adversary.”

Aligned Organization

The Fists of Man