The Remnant
The last survivor of the Ezdhulian Alliance waging a solo war against the world, #2 most wanted being on Zheng-Kitar
Operator 985-02-7764 (a.k.a. The Remnant)
WARNING: The Rasmanthus Guild has issued a continent-wide S-Class bounty for the death of Operative 985-02-7764, codenamed The Remnant, and declared them #2 Most Wanted on Zheng-Kitar. Proof of their death delivered to the headquarters of the guild in the city-state of Axiom, City of the Great Game shall net whosoever achieves the deed a sum total of 250,000 Gold Pieces. Be advised, all prospective hunters - the Remnant has outsmarted and killed no less than 4 S-Rank Adventuring Parties, single-handedly orchestrated the deaths of the entire Guild Executive Council on multiple occasions, slain two Raoulish Dukes in their homes, and killed thousands more across the continent. They are not to be approached lightly.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
The Remnant's physical condition is a bit of a hotly debated mystery - they seem to have recieved some sort of secret, high grade bodily enhancements and augmentations that have turned them into something of a "Supersoldier"(As evidenced by their height, extremely wide and muscular build, and abnormal strength, speed, reflexes, and durability), but on the other hand seem to be deteriorating over time thanks to their old age.
While they seem to remain somewhat mobile, they have been reported as having an injured, "bum" left leg that did not heal correctly from some past injury - though otherwise, they seem to retain their superhuman physicality and reflexes. Part of the difficulty of discovering their physical condition is the voluminous rumors surrounding them - centuries of activity have created an entire mythology around them, making it hard for scholars and experts who wish to learn about The Remnant's physical condition and abilities.
Body Features
The Remnant, while not as tall as giants and the like, is a towering figure for what seems to be a Human or a Human-adjacent species - standing at nearly 14ft (4.26m) tall, they are wide-bodied and muscular despite their old age to an abnormally perfect degree(Hinting to the bodily augmentations they likely recieved), though despite their size and musculature their remain supernaturally quick and nimble.
Otherwise, none have ever survived a close encounter with them long enough to get a more accurate close-up description of their body and physicality.
Facial Features
The facial features of The Remnant have only been glimpsed a single time across their centuries of operation on the Most Wanted List, and even then only at dusk through the glint of a hand-held telescope held by an S-Rank adventurer who was blinded a split-second later by a screaming Ezdhulian projectile that pierced their eye and head(Allowing them to survive only by a miracle): reportedly they possess short grey-white hair and a mangy silver beard with streaks of black, a squared-jaw covered and wrinkled, leathery skin. They may or may not wear an eyepatch, but otherwise possess a face like a jagged boulder.
Identifying Characteristics
Because so little is known of their actual physical appearance, their only identifying features are the weapons they carry and the patchwork, raggedy garb they wear - and perhaps most of all, the constantly repaired ancient Ezdhûl "Gas Mask" designed to protect against airborne toxins and contaminants, which also has the seemingly desirable side-effect of providing their victims a terrifying, nightmare black, alien visage to glimpse before their deaths.
Physical quirks
Though their exact race is unknown, the Remnant is believed to be Human or at least one of the Human-adjacent species - which makes it all the more strange that they are so extremely tall and broad-shouldered, standing over twice as tall as the tallest Human with twice the muscle mass of them as well.
Though never confirmed, it is believed that they were the subject of secretive and state of the art bodily enhancements and augmentations during their service to Thorgrom Blackgranite and The Ezdhulian Empire - which is believed to be the reason behind their abnormal size and physicality.
Special abilities
While their weapons and equipment alone would make them a terrifying threat, The Remnant seems to have undergone highly advanced and experimental bodily augmentations and enhancements to be transformed into some kind of "Supersoldier" - they have repeatedly demonstrated the ability to lift objects in excess of 5 Tons(4,500 Kilograms), move at speeds exceeding 50 miles(80 Kilometers) per hour, and withstand enough force normally able to level castles and crumple Adamantine armor.
With this extreme physicality(Brought down only slightly by their old age), this makes them even more astronomically dangerous - as they likely possess all manner of other abilities because of these augmentations that have not been uncovered.
Apparel & Accessories
The Remnant is often seen swaddled in a ragtag outfit comprised of countless scraps of cloth, gas mask, and parts of their old armor and uniform during their time in The Ezdhûlian Alliance - a mixture of patches, ancient but extremely advanced Ezdhûl Composite Armor designed to stop high-speed projectiles and close-range detonations, and strips of cloth that they have found over the years.
Additionally, their alien-looking black-mask(The "Gas Mask") that is worn on their face to mask their visage serves as their most iconic piece of apparel, though it is sometimes covered by a cloth covering to protect against Zheng-Kitar's harsher environments.
Specialized Equipment
As many unfortuante victims have discovered over their centuries of operation, The Remnant carries many extremely deadly weapons that they use to lethal effect on those who would try to hunt and kill them - the first of which is an extremely advanced Gunpowder Weapon of ancient Ezdhûl design which has proven capable of firing metallic slugs at high enough velocities to puncture Adamantine plating at a distance of 3 miles away(4,828 m). This strange and deadly weapon has been reported both as having extremely loud firing sounds and being completely silent, so many have assumed The Remnant possesses some way to silence this deadly and terrifying weapon.
Secondarily, they carry an ancient Ezdhûl Chainsaber, a strange weapon created in small quantities under the orders of Thorgrom Blackgranite for the old Special Forces operatives under his command. This weapon, resembling a longsword, has a highly advanced mechanism in the hilt and crossguard that spins razor-sharp metallic "Teeth" along a track laid into the blade, generating enough force to tear through even reinforced metal with ease - to say nothing of flesh and bone.
To add onto these two signature weapons, they have demonstrated a masterful use of the plethora of explosives(Both thrown and trap varieties) that they seem to possess - to add onto this, they wear state-of-the-art Ezdhûl composite armor that has proven capable of stopping explosives at close range, blades, arrows, and all manner of mundane attacks - though it seems to offer no protection against magical or elemental assaults. The Gas Mask they wear, as well, protects them and seemingly renders them immune to all airborne toxins and contaminants.
Because they have never ran out of ammunition, fuel, or explosives during multiple centuries of operation, many have assumed them to be a masterful survivalist capable of assembling new such items out of materials on hand in the field.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
The history of the being known as The Remnant is frustratingly, unknown - only a very loose timeline can be established that places them in the service of Thorgrom Blackgranite's father Lomdael during the Invasion of the Infernal Host nearly 1,300 years ago as a veteran of the ancient Ezdhûl Rockcrusher Legions, and later as a Special Forces operative under Thorgrom Blackgranite during The War of Boiling Skies. Having managed to survive the collapse of the ancient Ezdhûl Empire and escape the executions that followed the signing of The Dûlhralian Accords, they have lived a life on the run ever since.
Gender Identity
Unknown - The Remnant's gender remains an unknown quantity.
Sexuality
Unknown.
Education
Unknown, though from what little is known of their past they likely recieved extremely thorough special forces training across the spectrum of espionage, assassination, close-quarters combat, marksmanship, survivalism, and more.
Employment
Served as a Veteran of the Ezdhûl Rockcrusher Legions under Lomdael Blackgranite during the Invasion of the Infernal Host.
Served as a Special Forces operative under Lomdael's son Thorgrom Blackgranite during The War of Boiling Skies.
Has operated as a rogue element ever since the end of The War of the Boiling Skies and brutal death of Thorgrom Blackgranite.
Accomplishments & Achievements
The Remnant is a master-class warrior supposedly present during Thorgrom Blackgranite's final duel with Kyra Aenai in the Saintbuster Silo in the Ezdhûl citadel of Kal-Dûlhral, they evaded capture and execution during the years after the signing of The Dûlhralian Accords and survived into the present day using their espionage and masterful combat skills. They have defeated hundreds of elite adventurers, bounty-hunters, and all kinds who have come to slay them, and have consistently evaded detection from the governments and top organizations of Zheng-Kitar for centuries.
The Remnant is a supremely dangerous being who operates unseen, strikes from the shadows, and is almost impossible to pin down in one place for long, let alone defeat and kill - and before the rise of Jilixia Worldthrone, previously occupied the #1 Most Wanted slot of the guild for his assassination of dozens of Guild executives, the death of several S-class hitsquads, and more. Most notably, has remained a consistent and omnipresent threat to the life of Kyra Aenai.
Failures & Embarrassments
The specifics of The Remnant's failures are unknown - notably, they have never experienced a defeat since their placement on The Rasmanthus Guild's most Wanted List(Though they have been stymied in their attempts to take Kyra Aenai's life).
However, before this period they experienced what is likely their greatest failure - the failure to prevent their death of their beloved liege Thorgrom Blackgranite at the hands of Kyra Aenai.
Mental Trauma
Though specifics are unknown, the Remnant is likely a deeply traumatized and scarred being - having survived the fall of their civilization and witnessed the deaths of their family, liege, and entire people and way of life, they have remained against the world by themselves for centuries and have thus only exacerbated their mental traumas.
Intellectual Characteristics
The Remnant is a highly precise, methodical soldier to the core - capable of adapting their doctrines and tactics on the fly, they develop and execute masterful plans and do nothing impulsively unless forced to, always preferring to let enemies come to them and stumble into traps and ambushes rather than seeking out direct confrontation. In their ideal world and plan, their plans are executed from afar, dealing death to their enemies with well-placed projectiles taking out key leadership while well-laid traps tear apart the rest of their enemies to allow for them to pick of stragglers with ease.
Morality & Philosophy
Unknown.
Taboos
Seemingly, none - though not for lack of trying on the part of those who hunt them, as attempts have been made to use women and children as shields from their assassination attempts only to discover that they have no qualms with slaughtering anyone who stands between them and their objectives.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Though The Remnant specific motivations are unknown, they are likely driven by a desire for vengeance - vengeance against those who wronged them, against those who wronged their people, and against all who had a hand or were otherwise complicit in The War of the Boiling Skies that stole away their people's empire, livelihoods, High Thane, and so much more.
Also possible is the even simpler motivation that, for the being known as The Remnant, the war never ended - that they continue to wage their one-being war against the world for the simple reason that they continue to live, and will never give up the fight because they do not believe the war has ended.
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Masterful Assassin, Sniper, Saboteur, Ambusher, Tactician, Infiltrator, Survivalist, Gunsmith, Mechanic, ???
Though their Ineptitudes have not been discovered or understood, they seem to be somewhat lacking in close-quarters combat skills compared to the rest of their long-range specializations - they have displayed advanced Close-Quarters-Combat training several times, but their extreme old age has blunted their physical edge to some degree...though they remain a very dangerous melee combatant nonetheless thanks to the bodily enhancements and augmentations they seem to have undergone long ago.
Likes & Dislikes
Likes: A well-laid plan, Thorgrom Blackgranite, The Ezdhulian Alliance, ???
Dislikes: Kyra Aenai, Direct Confontration, What their people have become, ???
Virtues & Personality perks
Though little about them would be called a virtue by most of the continent who despises them so much, The Remnant's greatest asset and virtue is their patience - despite their extreme old age(or perhaps because of it), they have a patience that borders on the unnatural; capable of waiting motionless for days in the same spot if it means taking advantage of a split-second window of attack, they do nothing impulsively and approach every scenario with intricate plans, maps, strategies, and theories.
Because they have existed as one of the continent's most wanted beings for so long, little else remains on their virtues as none have cared to discern or attempt to learn any.
Vices & Personality flaws
Because they have existed as one of the continent's most wanted beings for so long, much is known about the vices of the being known as The Remnant - first and foremost is their vindictive streak and burning hatred, which has carried them through untold centuries of solo operation across the continent even long after everything they knew and loved collapsed and was brutally executed by Kyra Aenai and the allied forces under her command which opposed The Ezdhulian Alliance during The War of Boiling Skies, such that even now, well over 500 years after The Dûlhralian Accords which ended that awful and infamous war, they soldier on on their self-destructive quest for vengeance.
So intense is this vindictiveness and hatred that they even seem to hold a hatred for their own people in the modern day, the Ezdhûl - who they have on a handful of occasions slew when attempts were made by the governments of various Ezdhûl Keeps to contact them and bring them back into their societal folds.
Additionally, they seem to have a penchant for smoking a most peculiar brand of cigar from the Kingdom of Seoghar which has been found at several skirmish sites in the past - a brand of cigar which, interestingly, is no longer in business...meaning that The Remnant either has a dwindingly supply or has secured alternate means of aquiring them, as no other brand or type of smokable has been observed on or near their person.
Personality Quirks
Though none have been able to take advantage of it, several reports from those who have survived encounters with them have shed light on what seems to be a poorly healed left leg - painting them as possessing a limp or "bum leg" that hinders their movement in some way.
However, the fact that this impediment has not been able to be used against them should speak volumes about their superhuman skill.
Hygiene
Information on their hygiene is unknown, but many assume that after centuries on the run, it is likely quite poor - many sketches that have been done in the past of their assumed visage present them as an unkempt vagabond to the populace.
Social
Contacts & Relations
The Remnant likely has little in the way of contacts, relations, and affiliations - though they were once a special forces operative serving The Ezdhûlian Alliance, Thorgrom Blackgranite, and Thorgrom's Father Lomdael, with the downfall of the Alliance and the total collapse of the Ezdhûl people's empire centuries ago, they are likely little more than a rogue agent left in a world that has moved on with no allies or contacts left to call their own.
To add onto this isolation, any contacts or relations The Remnant is likely to have would be utter fools to openly ally themselves with the #2 Most Wanted being on Zheng-Kitar - the level of attention that they would attract to themselves and their ally further adds credence to the commonly held belief that The Remnant has little to no one they can call a contact, relation, or ally...at least, none that would ever publically admit to it.
Family Ties
None - any family that The Remnant had was likely butchered long ago during the downfall of The Ezdhulian Alliance and the execution of Thorgrom Blackgranite.
In fact, this is corroborated by experts on the ancient customs of the Ezdhûl people during the days of the Alliance - marks on their outfit near their medals of honor suggest they mourn a family unjustly killed.
Religious Views
Information on the religious views of The Remnant is expectedly quite scarce - though it is, rather unexpectedly, a source of great interest to certain circles of scholars.
This is primarily due to the Remnant's extreme apparent age - if they are indeed an Ezdhûl who was alive and in military service during the Invasion of the Infernal Host over 1,000 years ago, they could likely provide precious information on the religious practices of the ancient Ezdhul from before their conversion to the faith of Soo-min the Sorrowborn - a commodity which is very hard to come back in the modern era thanks to the efforts of the Ezdhûl priests which saw such total conversion to their new faith that records of the old were hidden or lost.
Social Aptitude
The Remnant's social aptitude is unknown - because they operate so secretly, little to no information has been gathered about their social prowess.
Mannerisms
From what little has been observed in combat encounters with The Remnant, they show signs of extreme old age - their bodily movements are jerky and erratic(Betraying possible signs of bodily dysfunction brought on by old age), but nonetheless are the mannerisms of a special forces operative with over 1,000 years of experience in combat: careful, precise, and methodical.
Hobbies & Pets
The Remnant has not been observed with pets, but presumably is quite the skilled gunsmith - a hobby that likely became a neccesary skill once they became a rogue operative on the run.
Speech
The Remnant has never been observed speaking, so no information on their speech has been recorded.
Wealth & Financial state
As they have remained constantly on the run from countless law enforcement agencies for the better part of 5 centuries or more, The Remnant, as one might expect, has little in the way of personal wealth they carry with them on their person. While they may likely have some safehouses and bolt-holes across the continent to stash belongings and hide up in case of emergency, it is altogether unexpected that they have many valuables beyond the belongings they carry on their person and what pocket change they happen to carry at any given time.
...they're a goddamned nightmare. Quite frankly, it's still debatable whether they're more or less of a threat than the Combustion Queen - though they'll never make #1 so long as she's around. It's just how the ranking works - they don't cause the same wide-scale destruction, so they're relegated to #2 in the eyes of the Guild. In truth, every single engagement with them has resulted in total, cataclysmic losses for the engaging party - Bounty Hunters, Adventures, Mercenaries, doesn't matter. Hell, the slaughter at The Battle of Jaghhori's Pass alone cost Raoulin an entire battallion of veteran knights! Nearly 1,000 men walked into that pass to take out one saints-damned soldier - and not one left that canyon alive come morning. Not even the Combustion Queen has that spotless of a victory record. Over 500 years of operation, and we haven't scored a single victory against them yet - guild executives assassinated, S-Class Teams wiped out...all we've done is stymied them each time they've tried to take Kyra Aenai's life. No communication, no bargaining, no reasoning - just a war waged by one being without end, nor offer of peace.
Alignment
Unknown.
Current Status
Renegade and Vagrant, on the run from all law on Zheng-Kitar
Ethnicity
Honorary & Occupational Titles
The Remnant, The Slayer, The Aenorian Shadow, The Jaghhoran Butcher
Age
Has reportedly been alive since the Invasion of the Infernal Host, nearly 1,300 Years Ago.
Children
Current Residence
Unknown. Believed to currently reside somewhere in the Great Gyatsoshin Desert.
Pronouns
They/Them
Gender
Unknown
Eyes
Unknown. Rarely seen without their Gas Mask.
Hair
Short grey-white hair and mangy silver beard with streaks of black
Height
14ft (4.26m)
Weight
Unknown, but abnormally heavy.
Aligned Organization
Prospective Godslayer
Though a very vocal minority does exist on Zheng-Kitar that calls for the death of the High Lamia God-Queen Kyra Aenai, Empress of the Kingdom of Raoulin, no singular creature has presented more of a threat to her continued existence than the #2 most wanted being on all of Zheng-Kitar - the nameless being known only as The Remnant. Having survived The War of the Boiling Skies and the Downfall of the Ezdhulian Alliance that soon followed it, The Remnant seeks eternal vengeance on Kyra Aenai for her role in the death of their liege, Thorgrom Blackgranite, the downfall of the Ezdhulian Alliance, the brutal execution of Zunairah the Hundred Mind, and many other perceived crimes - and is willing and able to achieve this vengeance through any means neccesary. Trained as a special forces operative by Lomdael Blackgranite during the Invasion of the Infernal Host and presumably enhanced by secretive enhancements under Lomdael's Son Thorgrom Blackgranite, The Remnant has made no less than 4 attempts on kyra's life throughout their centuries of activity - each closer to success than the last. These attempts are each the stuff of legend the likes of which Cynebald the Unseen himself would have been proud of - attempts made on her divinely empowered flesh from afar with highly lethal gunpowder weaponry, withering explosive assaults made on her throne room resulting in horrific casualties, and most recently, an attempt that nearly claimed her life as she slumbered in her bedchamber, surviving only thanks to the timely arrival of a meagre servant whose life was tragically lost to protect that of their god-queen. Time and again, The Remnant has demonstrated a complete mastery of espionage, assassination, and subterfuge - capable of bypassing the intricate defenses of Kyra Aenai's palace and adapting to each strategy as they are deployed; even in one instance stymieing Father Patriot's attempts to organize a defense against their most recent assassination attempt which they were so bold as to announce a week beforehand, thwarting their fellow on the most wanted list who was summoned by Kyra Aenai to aid in her protection.
Comments