Zakath
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| |
| Xakath "the Soul Eater" | |
| @Alistara Theraslayne | |
| Activity Level: | Active |
|---|---|
| Origin: | Magic |
| Archetype: | Brute / Warshade |
| Primary Set: | Dual Blades / Umbral Blast |
| Secondary Set: | Dark Armour / Umbral Aura |
| Patron: | Ghost Widow |
| Threat Level: | 50 / 50 |
| Personal Data | |
| Name: | Xakath |
| Alias: | Zakath |
| Titles: | The Soul Eater |
| Education: | Little to no Earth education |
| Birthplace: | Dallia, Dirketh |
| Base of Operations: | St Martial, Rogue Isles |
| Physical Data | |
| Species: | Xalem |
| Gender: | Male |
| Eye Color: | Purple |
| Height: | 6'7 |
| Weight: | 137kg |
| Build: | Heavy Muscular |
| Distinguishing Features: | Black flesh Tentacle-lined jaw Glowing, purple eyes Shadow Aura Trinoman War Blades Dirium Armour |
Like all Xalem, Zakath is a creature of darkness; a construct of shadow and souls. He appears to be a sinister, demonic creature, but this is not the case. He will do nearly anything he can to survive. Despite his demeanor out of battle, he can be cruel and savage.
Contents |
Associations
Individuals
- Delinquent Behavior
- Feral Gigawatt
- Jonin Princess
- Rigel
Organisations
- The Last Bastion (Former)
- Inevitable Evolution (Former)
Personality
Despite (and possibly as a result of) his sinister appearance and catastrophic history, Zakath is a very gentle and friendly creature. He is seldom aggressive, usually attacking only when he is provoked. He will, however, rise to protect anyone he considers a friend.
He is not human and shares only a few human qualities. English is not his native language, and as such, he has trouble forming correct or accurate statements. His grasp of the English language is fairly strong, however. The square shape of his jaw makes it difficult for him to speak properly.
Zakath is not a true Villain.
Appearance
Zakath is almost always seen in combat clothing, whether it is a simple kilt, or a full set of armour. On the rare occasion, he can be seen wearing normal, Earth human clothing. He looks like an almost featureless black shade, constantly releasing dark energy.[1] He appears to dissipate whenever he moves. [2]
Costumes
- Heavy Battle Armour - A heavy suit of dirum armour, constructed in the fashion of the Trinoman Imperial Guard.
- Casual - A simple kilt, greaves, and bracers.
Powers and Weaknesses
Powers
Trinoman War Blades
Zakath's weapons of choice are his dirium-crafted Trinoman runed[3] war blades. These swords are very sharp and very heavy, requiring great strength to properly wield them.
Shadowcasting
The art of Shadowcasting was introduced to Dallia by the Ancient Ones to a single bloodline of humans called the Shalinei, meaning Gift of Shadow. True to its origins, Shadowcasting has remained a guarded secret within the Shalinei. Animus was considered the last of the Shalinei. Though his human form has been destroyed, the presence of the ancient art still holds true in his Xalem form.
When he operates in Paragon City, Zakath forgos the use of his Trinoman War Blades. Instead, he chooses to rely upon his abilities as a Shadowcaster. Zakath must draw in power from himself or another source to be able to successfully perform his Shadowcasting.
Soul Mastery
Zakath can regenerate his own body using the souls of the fallen, yet he rarely does so. If he is forced to, however, he will never take the entire soul.
- Shadow Shifting - Zakath has learned to cover his bestial appearance and make him look nearly identical to another human being, based upon the appearance of any person he has touched, or any soul he has consumed. The defeating clue to this disguise is his purple, glowing eyes; they do not disappear when he has shifted.[4]
Weaknesses
- Zakath is not invincible. He is susceptible to almost any injury a normal human is.
- Zakath's mind is open to mind probes, but telepaths will only find a plethora of thoughts and "voices" that do not belong to him.
Origin
Zakath's Creation
The Xalem of Dirketh was a race of human-like magical entities created through the use of a sentient being called the Creator. The Creator was responsible for the survival of the Xalem through its creation process. Creation of a new Xalem entity was not possible without the harvested soul of another living creature and the Xalem could not harvest without revealing their presence to the humans.
Renegade Xalem, known as Zealots, despised the idea of having to share Dirketh with the humans and even more, the idea of having to hide from them. A prominent Zealot named Xorgath took it upon himself to murder a reclusive human Shadowcaster named Animus Voro and use his soul to create another Xalem entity, naming him Zakath. Naturally, the new entity had retained his power over shadow, though the twisted rebirth of Zakath had corrupted the power he wielded, turning it into something darker and more powerful.
After the new Xalem entity was created, Xorgath enslaved him using a binding collar he had created. This collar forced Zakath to obey any command given to him by Xorgath and harmed him if he attempted to remove it. By now, Xorgath had his own personal Shalinei at his command and that power filled him with greed. The Zealot Overlord eventually tried to soothe his lust for power by using Zakath to achieve his goals.
Xorgath had planned to use Zakath against the humans of Dirketh, and thanks to the slave collar, Zakath was perfectly willing. In a show to exert his power over Zakath, Xorgath forced him to attack and kill the Creator to prove his worth. The Creator wordlessly accepted his fate, allowing Zakath to use his corrupted shadow magic to drain the Creator of his essence and absorbed it into his own body, empowering the Xalem. This impressed Xorgath immensely. The act of killing the Creator seemed to bring the Xalem race to its inevitable end and Xorgath did not care.
The Soul Eater
Eventually, Xorgath had become brazen enough to take his Zealots out to begin his campaign of conquest. Together with Zakath, they overran the Dead Lands and took over the habitable areas of the Black Abyss, the bottomless chasm that was once Lysean's Gate.
Xorgath's control over Zakath had driven the misguided Xalem into spreading his dark corruption across both the Dead Lands and the Abyss. The conquered lands began to decay and grow fungi that had never before been seen in the world. The human inhabitants of the decaying realms were plagued with illnesses borne of the decay of Zakath's encompassing darkness. The bestial inhabitants had starved to death as a result of crop and vegetation decay from the darkness. The dead beasts in turn produced diseases that swiftly spread throughout the land. Zakath, of course, was forced to consume the souls of the humans and beasts that perished to survive.
These acts earned Zakath the title of the Soul Eater.
The Zealot War
Over time, Xorgath's control over Zakath had strengthened and he used the Soul Eater to spearhead a Xalem invasion in the Eastern Kingdoms of Dirketh, an invasion that began in the Karidean Protectorate of Capo Dante.
A small army infiltrated the capital of Kapo City and struck at the Xalem from within. It was here Zakath met the one true person that could help him, though at the time it was impossible to tell. With the distraction the adventurers caused, a small group, led by an unnamed woman of Dallian descent, broke into the Zealot base and confronted Xorgath and Zakath. Finally having what he sought for so long, Xorgath sent Zakath to kill the Dallian and her companions while he fled into the city's fortified keep. With Xorgath's watchful eye gone, Zakath pleaded for the Dallian to set him free from his collar. The Dallian obliged and destroyed his slave collar, forever ending Zakath's enslavement.
Following these events, the efforts of the Dallian's group shifted to ending Xorgath's reign in the Eastern Kingdoms. They, along with Zakath, attacked Xorgath at Kapo City, making swift work of his Zealots and setting up a confrontation with Xorgath himself. Rather than allow the Dallian and her companions to be the ones to bring Xorgath in, Zakath attacked himself. A long fight commenced and Zakath had bested the Zealot leader. Rather than turn him over to the Dallian woman, Zakath instead chose to devour Xorgath's soul in the most brutal way he had ever done so, forcefully ripping his soul from his body. Xorgath's soul was now trapped inside Zakath's mind with many others and it would be this soul that he would never unleash.
After the death of Xorgath, his Zealots fell into disorganized masses and were quickly demolished by Zakath. Those who had never fallen under Xorgath's sway fell behind Zakath, offering him their support. Zakath quickly dissuaded the Xalem, assuming they lent their support to him out of fear of his power now that he was—in their eyes—uncontrolled and so the remaining Xalem unified, keeping their presence strong until the day the race died.
His actions under Xorgath's influence shamed Zakath to the point that he felt he did not deserve to remain on Dirketh. Unable to be persuaded otherwise, Zakath exiled himself from his world, leaving behind everything he had ever known.
Related Information
Trivia
- Zakath's native language is called Ancient Dallian and is developed enough for him to actually speak it.
- Yes, Zakath looks like a demon. No, he isn't a demon.
- Zakath's jaw is squared, preventing him from speaking as smoothly as he can while he is in his true form.
- Zakath does not need to eat or drink, and in fact, prefers not to. He is able to 'feel' how consumables taste and feel and determine whether or not he enjoys them.
- Zakath is incapable of intimacy.
- Zakath wears no undergarments under his kilt or armour.
- His name is actually spelled with an X. The common language attaches a Z instead.
Personal Notes
Zakath the Soul Eater is a character that was created several years ago for a story I had written. He was originally conceived as a featureless shade and a slave to a demigod, constantly fighting to earn his freedom. The world of Dirketh was also created from this story, as were all events mentioned in it, and the Xalem race. He was an honourable being, even through the atrocities he was forced to commit during his enslavement. Zakath has undergone a very small change, only to simplify his reason for being on Earth, and his concept and design remain virtually unchanged.
He has two incarnations at this point: Zakath the Warrior (Brute) and Animus Voro the Shadowcaster (Warshade). He is one of the more difficult characters I have roleplayed, but he can be fun.
Most mentions made in this Wiki and all mentions concerning Zakath in related Wikis (Dirketh / Xalem) are elements of a story written many years ago, modified and fitted for the City of Heroes universe. All characters, mentions and creations (including art) regarding Zakath, the Xalem, Dirketh, etc. are the property of Alistara Theraslayne.
References
- ↑ This energy is usually either purple or black, depending on which incarnation is currently being played.
- ↑ Despite this, Zakath's body is solid. The dissipation only occurs with major movements. Visualised through the Prestige Power Rush power.
- ↑ His left-handed blade is inscribed with Gaardet var Solivs; the right, Kvapyr var Othalvs.
- ↑ Zakath is able to speak properly when he has shifted into a human, as the shape of his jaw rounds out.
