"I am not evil by choice...I am not this...monster of my own will...I was once a man of virtue and honour! But now I am a twisted shadow of what I once was. I serve the dark forces, forever spellbound by a vile curse. I work with the monsters I once fought so hard to slay, the monsters who took my home, my universe, my family, my very humanity from me. Mine is a life of woe and misery. But I also hope...I hope that one day, I can break the curse, bring vengeance upon the Black Hand, and die like a man, so that at least I can rest in peace."
Kargoth
Called the lord of war for a good reason, he is the military head of the Black Hand, whereas Vrakmul is the political and Nexatos is the religious. Whenever a threat must be dispatched physically and the black hand feels that no other method will ensure success; they send forth Kargoth, their mightiest warrior. He is such a dreadful threat on the battlefield that merely surviving combat with him is considered an epic feat of martial prowess, actually defeating him is something very few have ever accomplished across countless universes.
He was born in the same universe Vrakmul was, into a family of Nobles. As the youngest member of the family, Kargoth was sent to become a Paladin, a task that he excelled at. He served his gods faithfully and trained hard, soon rising to full Paladin Status, a holy warrior in shining armour, a champion of good and order. He slew many villains and brought justice throughout his lands, seeming to have clambered his way to the pinnacle of life. His deeds and adventures were spoken of in gushing song by bards around the world, it seemed that there was no obstacle he could not overcome.
He kept on accumulating more power and prestige, but thought nothing of it, so committed he was to the vows of the paladin, and as a young man, he fell in love with and married Elena, a sorceress whom he often adventured with. The two would soon wed even as they continued to delve into dungeons, foil sinister plots, and battle monsters from the world and beyond. Soon enough, the two would sire children, whom Kargoth and Elena would raise to the same high standard they set for themselves. But even child rearing would not distract them from their adventuring.
And on they went, balancing the duties to family and nation with their lust for adventure and exploration, their thirst to do heroic deeds never faltered as they went from party to party, sometimes forming adventuring groups, other times simply joining them over the scope of epic campaigns. As they climbed higher and higher through the ladder of power, they discovered such things as immortality, artefact weaponry of amazing power, armour forged by the gods, plots made by the foulest of demonic and lovecraftian entities, and ancient hoards of treasure.
Soon, Duke Kargoth would become a highly respected man, with a large and loving family, great lands provided to him by a grateful monarch, more wealth than he knew what to do with, and amazing personal power. But there was one thing he could not stop. His nation would soon become the target of the nefarious Vrakmul and his ally Nexatos, the former having by now become a Necromancer of incredible power and twisting his powers as the Lord of Doom and Primalborn towards evil. Kargoth fought valiantly, as did all the adventurers, warriors, sorcerers, clerics, and indebted creatures the Kingdom could provide, and they nearly drove Vrakmul back into the shadows with their superior tactics and righteous wrath, all but shattering Vrakmul's armies before their holy fury, but when Kargoth cast Vrakmul down and prepared to strike Giacomo down, he hesitated, he was still but a boy. But it was this hesitation that allowed Vrakmul to slay Kargoth and turn the tide of the battle.
Like a tidal wave, Vrakmul and Nexatos' hordes of the unliving swept into the land, and the malevolent sorcerer had the entire kingdom slaughtered to the last living thing, even down to the frightened mice hiding in the ditches. Then he had them raised as undead perversions of what they were in life. Elena herself had fallen trying to protect their children from the tides of undeath, but the profane Vrakmul and Nexatos had both of them reanimated. Kargoth was brought into the form of a death knight, an undead martial champion of great power, and Elena was made into a Deathlock, a spell wielding form of undead. Their children were still alive, but Vrakmul, in his cruelty, commanded Kargoth and Elena to eat their children, alive. This incident has forever scarred and haunted him, and it has left a mark of guilt that he has never gotten over.
Kargoth's once inviolable morals were twisted by undeath, and though he struggled against his nature, he eventually succumbed to the darkness that was now animating his form. Once Vrakmul and Nexatos were confident that Kargoth's fall was complete, he surprised the Death Knight and let him be free of his control, offering him an alliance as equals. Kargoth, hoping to use this offer to bring forth the downfall of Vrakmul and Nexatos , accepted. But once again, Vrakmul and Nexatos were too canny for Kargoth. As Kargoth tried to fake the totality of his fall while plotting to defeat Vrakmul and Nexatos, he was gradually becoming the mask he had crafted for himself. And even as he plotted, schemed and hoped to defeat Vrakmul and Nexatos, he was still consumed by shame and grief.
He tried making excuses for the evil deeds he committed, he attempted to justify them, but they all rang hollow. He fell deeper and deeper into his corruption, until finally he stopped making excuses. When he had finally come to terms with what he was, Nexatos was there and laughed, stating he had finally achieved the glory he was always seeking. Vrakmul said nothing, but somehow, Kargoth could see that his skeletal rictus grin was wider than usual. And though he once would have railed in holy vengeance for such an act, he did nothing but join their Laughter, even as he felt himself die on the inside.
He became part of the Dark Triad, the lords of the Dominion of the Black Hand, which grew to become a mighty empire in that universe, conquering countless worlds and invading the other planes of reality. But once the Icon came, all their power availed them nothing against the universe that hungers. When Nexatos, awed by the Icon's power, brokered a deal with the Icon, the triad and their followers were cast to the space between spaces, forever bound to hunt out and prepare more universes to satiate the Icon. Whereas Vrakmul was born to evil and Nexatos was an inhuman being from beyond the stars, Kargoth was a great hero, corrupted by outside forces until he fell into a hole that he could never bring himself out of. He hates what he has become, but knows there is nothing he can do about it.
Now, Kargoth is a seeker of death and redemption. He hopes that one day, he can regain his honor and finally die so that he will no longer have to stand as a monument to all that is wrong with mankind. He seeks foes that can cfhallenge him, hopefully to break the curse of Death Knighthood, to finally restore his pride and allow him to die as a man of virtue, rather than as a dark monster. But so far, no one has ever even come close. He has become too powerful to achieve the death he seeks, and so his misery filled existence continues. He bears no love for the Icon or the Black Hand and it's ideals, but he is still fatherly towards his soldiers, treating them with honour and respect rather than callously disposing of them like Vrakmul and Nexatos do. He still engages in honourable duels, showing a hint of the man he once was, before he became the monster.
He blames himself for Vrakmul's ascendency, as if he had broken his code against killing those under the age of majority just once; there would be no Black Hand or Vrakmul plaguing the multiverse to this day, he and his Elena would be alive rather than monsters, and he would have been able to see his children grow up rather than being forced to devour them.
Powers:
Immense strength: Whether Kargoth even has limits to his strength in or out of his artifact level suit of armor is unknown. He has punched through a sun sized mass of Primary adamantium with the same ease the hulk would go through a nanometer of rice paper. He has never been physically overpowered. He is considered to have infinite strength, easily capable of smashing apart planets with his fists. Once, he even destroyed an entire galactic supercluster with a single thunder clap and has punched apart entire realities.
Durable: Though it is unknown how durable he is outside of his armor as he has never been seen outside of it, the Undead Death Knight is fantastically durable and resistant to damage. Kilogalactic implosion devices have done little more than make him radioactive. Massive barrages of Planet shattering blows delivered at the speed of light over the course of several minutes have been unleashed on him, only to accomplish precisely nothing.
Inertia control: Kargoth has an incredibly strange power to manipulate his own inertia. He can make it infinite and thus make it impossible to divert him from his path or move him against his will, or he can eliminate it entirely; allowing him to accelerate to any speed he wishes.
Flight: Through likely magical means, Kargoth is capable of flying at tremendous speeds with great grace and control. He is capable of flying vastly faster than the speed of light, even in combat, allowing him to unleash flying barrages of his reality breaking blows.
Hellfire: Kargoth is a master of the mysterious energy known as hellfire; supernaturally hot flames that burn both body and soul, bypassing immunity to regular heat. He can generate the force in tremendous amounts and control any source of it he encounters. His mastery of hellfire is such that he can even create animate beings and constructs made of hellfire to provide more soldiers.
Magic: While nowhere near Vrakmul or Nexatos in magical capability, Kargoth has a surprising amount of mystic talent that allows him to deal with threats through non-physical means.
Blackguard powers: The paladin abilities Kargoth wielded in life have become twisted into evil, commanding and rebuking rather than turning undead with negative rather than positive energy, wielding evil divine magic, smiting the good rather than the evil, commanding a demonic mount and an undead companion of immense power, the power to inflict harm and maladies upon others with but a touch or heal the evil, the power to summon the minions of evil with a thought, and is protected by a supernatural grace and aura tied to the force of his personality.
Reflexes: Kargoth has uncanny reaction times that should be impossible for humans, but he manages them anyway. His reflexes are easily faster than light. His running speed is similarly vast, which when factored in with his inertia control and colossal strength and durability means that when he wants to move, nothing can hope to stop him.
Undead: Kargoth is undead and has all the strengths and weaknesses that comes with such a status.
True form: Kargoth, like virtually all other long time servants of the icon, has been twisted by his service into something distinctly more horrific. In this form he is significantly more powerful, but is loathe to use it as he prefers to keep it hidden as a surprise trump card.
Master of war: Kargoth is a master of combat, he has seen and bested virtually every tactic, every strategy, every fighting style, every combination of abilities, every enemy mindset. He is himself a master of countless methods of combat, though he prefers to get in close to use slashing weapons in combination with a shield, which he accomplishes through two items that can transform into any implement of war.
Truenaming: Kargoth knows the very language of the multiverse itself, speaking in this cosmic tongue allows what he says to become reality, though his vocabulary is not quite as advanced as Vrakmul's.
Spell resistance: Kargoth is so resistant to magic that to all but the most powerful users of it, he's practically immune to spells. And even then, no amount of magic can alter his shape or sap his strength against his will. This applies to psionics as well.
Blackguard powers: See Xaraghoul
Power supreme: Any attempts at lessening, removing, or altering in a negative fashion; Kargoth's powers or skills are futile and will instead result in a massive backlash that can instantly kill anything short of a primalborn.
Immunities: Kargoth is outright immune to heat, electricity, and cold.
Equipment ((All are solid to incorporeal enemies and are indestructible to known means))
The shifting pair: A pair of weapons that can take the shape of any weapon or shield, these items bolster Kargoth's speed, strength, and durability, and are the pinnacle of whatever weapon they take the shape of. A scythe for example, would cut and pierce better than virtually any other scythe, while tearing away the souls of those they strike to bring about instant though resistable death. A shield would be impenetrable and perfectly reflect attacks directed at it and unleash devastating outpourings of energy when used for shield bashing.
Cloak of misery: Once blazing red to embody courage, Kargoth's cape has now become an icy purple to symbolize the depths that the once proud Paladin has sunk to. This provides a shield that perfectly deflects 95% of all incoming strikes, reduces incoming damage by 95%, and provides a shield with the standard "Hit point" system, and allows him to become incorporeal at will.
Helm of woe: Once a symbol of hope, this helmet has now become a supernatural focii of fear. Those who gaze upon it are presented with the images of their worst fears and scenes of despair and defeat, while his allies are bolstered with images of victory and triumph.
Armour of hate: This armour is forged of metals not found in our universe, utterly indestructible, once it was emblazoned and embellish with scenes promoting just morals and hope, but now it bears the imagery of death. This armour greatly increases Kargoth's durability, grants him an increased healing factor, and renders him immune to teleportation against his will.
Gauntlets of tyranny: Mighty clawed gauntlets, these metallic maniples vastly increase Kargoth's strength and allow him to interact with any intangilable object as if they were solid if he so wills it. They can also form spikes on their knuckles, lengthen their claw blades, or drain the life out of those they touch.
Boots of despair: These ebony boots grant kargoth the ability to teleport at will, not only within, but between universes, and enhance his speed and agility to tremendous levels, all the while allowing him to manipulate sound to become silent if he so wishes. These boots end in clawed toes, and spikes protrude from the heel and ankles.
Belt of doom: This belt not only allows Kargoth to access an infinite storage dimension at will, but it also enhances the powers granted by his other items tenfold, further increasing his power. Additionally, they give him the power to manipulate shadow energy and matter to form dark constructs according to his black will.
Rings of suffering: The ring on his left hand was his signet ring in life, marking his noble house and family lineage, and the ring on his right hand was his marriage ring. These mark the losses Kargoth has suffered, showing him what he has lost in his transformation. These rings further enhance his knowledge, giving him access to a mystic database of vast proportions. They are also capable of unleashing blasts and constructs formed of negative energy, the force that animates the undead.
Shroud of loss: Forever hiding his now skeletal face is this chainmail shroud, the shroud defends him from mental attacks that can affect the undead, shielding his mind from intruders by presenting them with his vast history of evil, showing them his life from innocent childhood to the unreasoning monster he is now.
Medallion of the Fallen: This final artefact, a medallion that his wife Elena forged for him in life, is the last and most powerful of his artefacts, increasing his personal power by a vast amount, much like Vrakmul's masque does. The heart shaped medallion shows the two as young lovers, locked in Embrace, a scene that had passed long before the Prime Vine universe was formed.
Traits
Height: Towers over most others, ranging from three to six meters tall.
Mass: Unknown, likely at least a ton given his equipment, size, and petrified body.
Eye colour: Blue in life, piercing glowing cyan in unlife.
Hair colour: Blond in life, none in undeath.
Sexuality: Heterosexual.
Relatives: All deceased.
Affiliations: The Black hand, the Dark Triad.
Real name: Kargoth Jarvik Trodenstoff.
Age: Older than the universe.
Alignment: Born lawful good: curse causes him to be lawful evil.
Power level: High Celestial (multi-million galaxy buster)
Personality
For the potentially most powerful member of the Black hand's triad, Kargoth is surprisingly defined not by his ambition or fanaticism, but by despair. He still remembers every thing he has lost. He is wracked by never ending guilt and anguish that no matter what he does, no matter how hard he tries, he is cursed to forever do the very evil he swore to fight against in life. His life is one of pain, knowing that he is the kind of monster that he once vowed to rid his world of, but also fully aware that there is nothing in his power that can change the curse of Death Knighthood. He above all else, wishes to redeem himself and finally die so that he can escape his nightmarish existence. But nothing he has ever met can or will kill him, and he is unable to act against his curse. He still acts with a dark form of honour, treating his soldiers like a father would with their children, forbidding those under his direct command from committing needless atrocities, and engaging his opponents in honourable duels.
Kargoth's code.
Never kill a child, even if they are capable of putting up a fight, one is to never slay those who have not reached the age of majority (age twenty five for humans in his eyes)
Never slay pregnant or egg rearing parents, this is a dishonourable and shameful act.
Always accept challenges to single combat.
Always recompense those you have widowed or orphaned.
Treat your men as a firm but fair father would.
Never indulge in rape.
Torture is beneath a chivalrous warrior.
Never target innocents in preference to military targets.
Always accept a foe's surrender.
Never dole out overly harsh surrender terms.
Show respect to all, even your foes, unless they are dishonourable.
Never attack those who are unable to fight back.
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