Abraxas: App

[leitstern]

⌈ PLAYER ⌉

Name: Lisa
Contact: Plurk or PM





⌈ CANON INFO ⌉

Name: Jasper
Canon: Dragon Quest XI
Point: Heliodor Ruins



Background:

Jasper was born in the Kingdom of Heliodor. He stood together with Hendrik, his childhood friend, as one of two great knights who protected the realm. Once they were so united they resembled the double eagle on the national flag. Jasper was admired as a shrewd and ingenious tactician and revered with his friend as a national hero. But their king had been possessed by a demon responsible for reducing ancient kingdoms to ruins.

Mordegon, realising Jasper was vulnerable to manipulation, belittled his efforts and systematically isolated him from the important people in his life. Hendrik was showered with praise while Jasper was ignored and ostracised. Their friendship crumbled into rivalry. Mordegon began keeping Jasper by his side. The lure of evil grew and when he learned the truth he was too broken to care.

This gaslighting and abuse saw Jasper mature into an arrogant and unhinged man willing to betray his kingdom and renounce humanity. People became tools for his agenda. Their willingness to follow his lead was turned against the Luminary: a young man said to be the reincarnation of an ancient hero destined to save the world. He persuaded citizens this hero would doom the world. His influence led his regiment to massacre the village who raised the boy. Hendrik arrived in time and commanded him to spare their lives. They had a furious argument following which he demolished the village.

Jasper tracked the Luminary across the globe. His propaganda made puppets of strangers who believed his lies. He blockaded opposing countries and occupied the bustling city of Gondolia. When he was seen conspiring with monsters he hexed the witness and lied about the culprit. He employed brutal measures against Sniflheim by unleashing an ice witch sealed in a grimoire. People were frozen solid and the land blanketed in a howling snowstorm. Hendrik came to investigate but had no clue the witch had struck a bargain: the price for her freedom being his murder.

Sniflheim was freed from eternal winter by the Luminary. Jasper followed him to Yggdrasil: an immense tree worshipped as the wellspring of life. He ambushed the hero from behind and crushed him in battle. Hendrik arrived to see him in thrall to darkness. But Mordegon, disguised as the king, had been brought to witness his corruption with his own eyes. He abandoned his host - revealing himself - and claimed the power of Yggdrasil.

Jasper was rewarded for his success. Mordegon granted him dominion over his forces and bestowed him the power of darkness, facilitating his rebirth into a demon. He besieged his homeland but his campaign was opposed by Hendrik. His nemesis foiled his plans and escorted the Luminary into Heliodor by infiltrating the sewers beneath the castle. Jasper awaited him in the throne room and won their bitter confrontation. He then departed to deliver news of their survival.




Personality:



Describe an important event in your character's life and how it impacted them.

The day Jasper met Hendrik as a young boy was the most important moment of his life. Hendrik comforted him through the heartbreaking loss of his mother and became his friend. They fought like cats and dogs but trusted each other with their lives. Mordegon attacks this bond and Jasper is broken. His hubris and inability to express his emotions made him vulnerable and he became dependent on his master for his emotional needs. The abuse fractured his sense of love and belonging. He spiralled into despair and became a cold and bitter man full of anger.



Does your character have a moral code or other set of standards they try to live by?

Jasper is a hero and his shining reputation draws people to the kingdom. Tourists want to see him though they are unable to enter the castle. Books are written about him and public opinion lauds his dedication. The country respects his ambition. People admire his intelligence and find him inspiring. Hendrik follows in his wake and emulates his success.

But this gallant and commendable reputation is a myth. Jasper is admired for his wisdom and heroism but he conspires with monsters and sells his soul. He deviously and ruthlessly seizes foreign cities and imposes economic blockades. Hendrik endures forceful and bitter diatribes against his character. His meteoric rise makes Jasper feel abandoned but he hides his distress by lashing out. He abandons his kingdom and inflicts mental and psychological pain on the population. Soldiers lament his absence but the greatest pain is reserved for Hendrik - forced to hide the secret of his betrayal.

Jasper likewise endures pain he refuses to share because of his personal code: those without power should disappear. Villagers who snivel and beg for their lives are sentenced to death. He views them as pitiful and ignores their cries because they mirror his weakness. This reveals his unstable sense of self. He lives with a fear of being overshadowed - particularly by Hendrik - and believes only those who respect his worth deserve loyalty. He admires those who acknowledge his power and serves their cause.



What quality or qualities do they admire most?

Jasper values strength and bravery. Both are important to his twisted moral code and are the epitome of what it means to be a knight. Strength is the power to overcome challenges. It measures your worth and commands respect and admiration. Physical prowess is not just a means of defence but a symbol of might and authority. He respects bravery and admires those willing to face any obstacle or danger. Courage reveals the resolve and determination to defend your ideals.

Mordegon twists his ideals and corrupts him into shedding his humanity. His admiration of strength and bravery is perverted into pursuing power despite the cost, even if it means sacrificing his own morality and humanity.



Do they have a part of themselves they dislike?

Jasper has such low esteem that he cannot value his own worth. He looks in the mirror and sees the hero his kingdom admires. But the admiration provokes feelings of inadequacy. He recognizes his strengths - his intelligence and determination - but feels worthless. Hendrik becomes a celebrated figure and earns recognition for his bravery and strength. Jasper feels he cannot embody these qualities. He masks his anxiety with his anger and calls people provincial nobodies and vermin, reflecting how he sees himself.

Hendrik sets impossible standards. Jasper loses his identity in chasing his example instead of accepting his own. He feels pressured to endure and find purpose. But his dreams vanish and - unlike Hendrik who presses on - he loses hope. His bonds with friends and family become something to escape. This drives him to discard his humanity. Eclipsing Hendrik becomes his only ambition. But this feels hopeless and divulges his true motivation - trying to prove his resentment has meaning.





⌈ GAME INFO ⌉


Powers:

Spectral Sentinel: Jasper is regarded as a talented knight and sorcerer and under the tutelage of his master his power flourished. His sharp intellect matches his inventiveness as a tactician. He was lauded as a child prodigy and became a guiding light for his country. Mordegon saw his value and corrupted him into his right hand.

Unbound Form: Jasper masquerades as a human but in reality is a demon: a towering monster almost nine feet tall. This unlocks diabolic physiology adapted to his new existence.

Physiology: Flexible wings let him weave and dive in the air with a degree of mobility. Dense muscles bolster his strength and his skin becomes a protective hide.

Demonic Breath: Dyre Pyre lets him harness darkness that he can ignite and spew as magical flames.

Energy Shaping: Javelin of Judgement enables him to shape lances of pure darkness that are highly explosive.

Hallucinations: His gaze can trigger overwhelming hallucinations. Effects are purely opt-in and ineffective against NPCs.

Dispelling: Disruptive Wave evaporates enhancements and positive attributes. Limited to buffs and illusions. Can fail against NPCs.

Sorcery: Jasper comes from a world where magic is judged good or evil according to motive and intent. He learned to harness it from famous scholars in his youth. This broadened into black magic under the tutelage of his master.

Dark Flames: Jasper can focus magic in his hand as a spherical mass of violet flame; one he can hurl a short distance or float on his palm. Burning sparks can be looped around a target and tightened into a magical rope to restrain movement.

Blinking: Jasper can vanish and materialise between one visible position and another. He can phase through opponents and emerge behind them. He becomes invisible while leaving trails of flame that dissipate quickly.

Levitation: Jasper can levitate through magic. He can glide or float above the ground but cannot fly.

Illusions: The ability to distort the senses and create false perceptions. Jasper summoned a phantom to haunt his enemies but it was exposed and dispelled. Effects are opt-in and can fail or be defended against by PCs and NPCs

Conjuration: Jasper can summon his weapon from an unseen dimension. The staff appears out of nowhere during his exchanges. It disappears when he transforms and emerges with his reappearance.

Illumination: The ability to snuff and ignite light sources. Jasper ignites braziers within the fortress after the banishment of his illusion.

Malediction: Jasper inflicts curses that require rare ingredients for a cure. This reveals his sinister nature.

Explosions: Jasper can harness magic and detonate its energy. In other media he conjures immense explosions to pulverise opponents.

Lightning: Zam and Zammle conjure powerful blasts of umbral energy. These range from small barrages to electrostatic discharges of black lightning.

Sealing: Fizzle is an incantation that prevents enemies from using abilities and magic. Completely ineffective and noted for posterity.

Glamour: Jasper can masquerade as a human. His spell masks his demonic form but there are visible changes: one person worries he looks unhealthy and white as a ghost. This will be at player discretion.

Swordsman: Jasper wields matched swords in battle, indicating high levels of ambidexterity, coordination and endurance.


Sign:

Judgement. Jasper is a national hero lionised by his regiment. He manipulates a city enduring occupation into believing propaganda. His master entrusts him with national affairs and slums proliferate and flourish under his governance. Hendrik calls him his guiding light and admits without him he would never have become himself. The country mourns his disappearance. People under this sign tend to be awe-inspiring? That description is literally in the script.


Suitability:

Jasper has experience with strategy and warfare and meshes nicely with the overarching themes of war and political intrigue. There are multiple ways he can participate: seeding discontent, disseminating propaganda and inciting riots. Deception is not the only road available. Diplomacy is a science he will invoke if needed. His militarism conflicts with pacifism and I am keen to explore clashes of opinion.

Being resummoned will bestow old memories. He will meet people who know his name and see him as a friend, leading him to feel the world is unreal. The experience will provoke cognitive dissonance - the knowledge that his memories are real but knowing they cannot be. He will recall Hendrik was here and relive their conversations. Being alone once more will trigger an existential crisis: one he might attempt to solve by meeting new friends and helping the community.