Zydrik

Information

Player: Memnoch

Character Full Name: Zydrik Scath

Character In-Game Name: Zydrik

Association(s): Forsaken, Horde

Race: Forsaken

Class: Priest

Skills and Abilities:

• Shadowy Focus: Zydrik has spent so long in his Shadow Form that he's finding it increasingly difficult to resume substantiation. In addition, he can disperse to pass through nearly any surface not magically protected or cast of metal or elven stone. (Anything with an opening such as a window, or anything which would naturally have cracks in it, such as brick walls, cobblestone, wood, etc.)

• Power of the Mind: Zydrik has learned to take the idea of levitating his body and applying that to the objects around him within a very limited range. Anything within roughly arm's reach, he can pick up or manipulate. He can not throw anything very far in this manner, no more than if he were using his own, relatively weak arms. Small objects are the norm, while larger objects are much more difficult, meaning he could, with difficulty, lift a large claymore, or even open a door close to him, though this is the extent of the ability.

Age: 60

Sex: Male

Hair: Black

Eyes: Forsaken ghostlight

Weight: 210 (underweight due to rot)

Height: 6'3"

Usual Garments/Armor: Black robes, gloves, and boots.

Other: Almost always in Shadow Form

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Personality

Zydrik tends to have an interesting view on things. He can usually find a silver lining in any given situation, even if it's one that doesn't make much sense, or bring much comfort. On the other hand, however, he tends to be extremely sarcastic. In other words, he may try to comfort someone, but it'll be in a way that tends to either confuse, or make things worse.

He's also rather Darwinist (the weak die while the strong survive), which leads him to become more sarcastic than normal around people he finds weak (read - unworthy of (un)life). To those he deems strong, he shows respect, and will sometimes try to offer guidance in his own...unique...way.

Yet, those who are weak, but wish to become strong, or even those who, for whatever reason, fall in the middle, Zydrik will try and help. He may feel as if the weak shall fail while the strong endure, but he doesn't take that into negativity, rather he wishes to take those who need saving, and raise them up. However, he will not take a direct hand in this, technically, instead choosing to challenge the other in a way to help them grow, be this physically, mentally, spiritually, or any other way he deems necessary.

History

Ever since Zydrik was a child, he's been exceptionally bright. While all the other children were out playing Catch-the-Cat, he was inside, pestering his father to teach him how to read. Once he learned how, he was off reading almost every book he could get his long-fingered hands on. He never thought twice about going outside and playing, wanting only to understand the world and how it worked; books were to him as schematics are to a typical gnome, he simply couldn't resist.

Ironically, he was originally not at all interested in the priestly ways, thinking that many of the men in these churches were so wrapped up in their faith that they could barely see past their own noses. However, when he was 30, and the Dark portal opened with the result of green-skinned orcs pouring out and decimating much of the human lands, he lost a close friend of his at the siege on the first Stormwind. One thing he knew for certain was that if he'd had the knowledge and power, he could have saved the man. In his grief, he came to a rather twisted conclusion: if his friend had been stronger, he wouldn't have died. This was the beginning of his Darwinist views on life, and it still sticks with him to this day.

After that battle, he began speaking to the priests who were on the battlefield, rather than the ones in chapels. He found that they had a much more down-to-earth way of thinking. What he was after was the knowledge of how to augment people's natural abilities, to prevent them falling to weakness like his friend had (from his perspective). After a while and a lot of practice, he began to develop the rudimentary healing skills and spells iconic to most priests. His path was not the Holy one, but rather Discipline of the mind, like those seen behind the front line, protecting and helping the soldiers in battle. His powers came not from his faith in the Light, but rather from his faith in the strength every individual has within them, and their ability to rise above what they were: less a faith in a deity, and more a faith in humanity.

His life remained much the same in this respect for a long while, all the way through the Third War. Up to this point, he'd not thought himself ready to be in the thick of a fight, but at Mount Hyjal, he finally stepped forward and began to flex his powers. His mental faculties provided strength for his spells, and he found, to his delight, that he could hold his own.

Upon returning home to Lordaeron, he started to try and make a living for himself at a local church. The priests at this little chapel were much more down to earth than the ones he'd grown up with, and he found himself more inclined to listen to what they had to say on the Light. Interested, he spent a great deal of his time in the chapel, learning what he could in the back from them.

When the attack on his home from the Lich King's forces occurred, Zydrik ran out into the thick of the battle, but this time, he was overly-arrogant from his successes at Mount Hyjal. Right as he was striking down one zombie, another came at him from behind, raising a sword....

Next thing Zydrik knew, he was standing in the forests of Lordaeron, having just been freed from Arthas' grip. To his dismay, several of the spells he knew now gave him such excruciating pain, he would only ever cast them if absolutely needed. Eventually, he ran into another priest who had followed a much darker path, the path of Shadow. He spoke of self-empowerment, and the strength that could be achieved through these spells. Learning a few things from this priest, Zydrik began to experiment with shadow magic, and used it with great success during the fighting preceding the founding of Undercity.

Zydrik kept mostly to himself at this point, experimenting and playing with shadow. He quickly mastered the technique of delving one's body partially into the shadow plane, and it felt quite wonderful to him, connected as he was to that place of power. He began to spend more and more time thusly, and after a while, Zydrik noticed something odd happening: it was becoming more and more difficult to re-materialize and extract himself from the Shadow Plane, though he does not consider this a set-back. Has also begun to utilize his old teachings of how to levitate his body, an apply them to manipulating small objects close at hand.

Recently, Zydrik has heard whispers of an organization in and around Undercity that teach self-empowerment and strength of oneself. He is trying to find out more.