Kaphla Mesala

Summary

Kaphla Mesala is a name that few know, but a man that many fear. They say he strikes in darkness, hiding in the depths of the shadows. You won't hear him, you won't smell him, and you won't see him. Not until it's too late. For most mages, he'll act quickly. A shadow will rip your throat open and you'll be dead before you hit the ground.

Unfortunately, others aren't as lucky.

Personality

At his core, Kaphla is angry. He is deeply frustrated with the world and its people, seeing all intalli as inherently cruel and stupid. All intalli except himself. Kaphla believes himself to be Reshwal's wrath incarnate and the only person worthy of life. He has no sympathy for other intalli and relishes in seeing the pain and agony on the faces of his prey. He will almost always resort to violence and is incredibly sadistic towards those who have angered him. He has a poor understanding of social norms and has poor communication skills.

Due to his consumption of pulsars, his personality may change on a whim. These shifts are temporary but may last for several months depending on the amount of magic he has absorbed. Recently, Kaphla has become far kinder. But only to a single intalli.

History

Early Life

Kaphla was born on the outskirts of small, snowy village in the far east of Reinao. He was born with a severe magic deficiency, which left him unable to cast magic of any form, be it instinctive or learned. His mother, Solaris, kept them both largely isolated from the rest of the village, fearing that his condition would leave him weak and vulnerable to disease. Despite her immense love and affection for Kaphla, Solaris never quite knew how to handle a child. He was rarely disciplined and was given far more independence than was reasonable at his age.

From the start, Kaphla was deeply frustrated by his lack of magic. While his wyrir ancestors could burst into flame on a whim, he could do absolutely nothing. He quickly developed a wild and violent temperament, keen to take out his rage on anything he could find. The few times he had interacted with the other calves of his village had often ended in a sobbing child and his own bloodied hooves.

In his late childhood, Kaphla grew deeply fixated on the patron deity of his home, Reshwal. Solaris often prayed to him in the depths of winter, imploring him to bring about an early spring. Kaphla had shared in his mother's prayers for many years, but his devotion would soon develop into utter obsession in his adolescence. He would pray day in and day out, begging for god's favor. Deep down, he knew that Reshwal would bring about his deliverance. He knew that one day, Reshwal would give him his magic.

On one fateful spring day, a blizzard would strike his town. The snow came down with a vengeance, with winds so powerful it would have deafened him. His mother had only just come down with an unknown illness and refused to allow Kaphla to help her even as her condition worsened. He was forced to sit by and watch as his mother drifted in and out of consciousness. Kaphla's prayers grew louder as their house grew colder. If only he had his mother's magic, if only he could do something, if only Reshwal would finally hear his call. Fearful for his mother's life and enraged over his magic, Kaphla focused every last part of his mind and body into a prayer.

Then, it happened. The heat burned for a moment before he ripped his hands away from his face. But within them laid a miracle. A small but growing flame had been summoned into his hands. It grew and grew and before he knew it, his hands were engulfed in flame. He didn't give himself time to think before he barged out the door, the fire in his arms burning his flesh but keeping him warm for just long enough to reach the village. With the warmth of his fire and the medicine he had sought out, Solaris slowly recovered. Within the next few days, the snow had begun to melt away. And Kaphla knew. He knew, that after all this time and devotion, that Reshwal finally had given him his blessing.

And he wasn't about to waste it. His obsession would spiral further than it ever had before, with Kaphla spending every waking moment committed to enhancing his magic. Reshwal's grace had only been the start, he needed to find a way to strengthen his pulsar. The magic of the gods was everywhere, he just had to find somewhere to tap into. His first taste was an accident. Just one of the many animals he had hunted for him and his mother. But this time he could sense it, the magic that filled its body. On instinct, he reached in, and pulled. The feeling was intoxicating and indescribable. He needed more.

The next few years of his life were dedicated to honing his craft. Through sheer brute force and sheer luck, Kaphla taught himself spells that even the strongest casters would struggle to grasp. But he was oblivious to the dangers that his miracle had brought to him. He knew of mages, intalli who deemed themselves the only ones worthy of magic, but he knew he was different. He wasn't just any old intalli, he had Reshwal's blessing. They'd understand.

Unfortunately, there is little mercy to be found in mages. Rumors of his magic had been circulating in his village, some too convincing to be ignored. A mage must keep their territory clean. In the depths of the woods, Kaphla was ambushed by a single, ruthless mage. At only fifteen years old, he could do little more than run for his life. The pursuit felt endless, with each and every escape route cut off by his assailant. With all the will in his heart, Kaphla begged the gods for a way to hide, and it worked. Kaphla watched with astonishment as he melted into the shadows of the woods, the enraged howls of the mage behind him dissolving into nothing.

Then, pure instinct kicked in. Ripping himself from the darkness, Kaphla turned back to charge at his hunter. Before the mage could do a thing, Kaphla slammed his horn into their chest- and struck them directly in the heart. With one last wheeze of hatred, the mage grew still.

For a few moments, Kaphla didn't quite know what to do. Blood drenched his face and filled his gaze as he looked to the corpse at his feet. But, like always, he could sense it. The magic pooling within the mage's body. This time, stronger and more potent than ever. Driven by instinct, Kaphla did the only thing he could think of. As easily as one eats or drinks, he lapped up the pulsar of an intalli.

And it was exhilarating.

Path of a Pariah

After decades of work, Kaphla has made a name for himself as a mage killer. He has traveled all across the east of Suiran and Reinao in search of new victims, always looking for another heathen to slaughter. When he heard of the mage city of Orenomos, Kaphla knew he had a perfect selection of prey. Kaphla had long since grown an especially deep hatred for the most powerful and influential of mages, and he knew that Sukozen Avda would make wonderful prey. His attack was brutal and drawn out, with Kaphla reveling in the magister's mutilation before finally slaughtering him. But his brutality came at the cost of alerting a certain apprentice. Tupao, Sukozen's son.

The rest is yet to to be told.

Abilities

Pyrokinesis

Owing to his wyrir blood, Kaphla is able to summon fire on instinct. However, unlike his ancestors, he lacks any real ability in controlling it. He is incapable of creating anything stronger than an ember or weaker than a wildfire. His flames are extremely hot and always burn blue. While resistant to fire, he isn't quite immune. If used for too long, his own flames can and will burn him. Kaphla is deeply frustrated by his fire casting and tries his best to keep it under control. Typically, he will only burst into flame during fits of rage or passion.

Spellcasting

Kaphla has an extremely abnormal grasp on spellcasting. While other intalli may take years of practice and studying, Kaphla is able to cast and learn spells at an extraordinary pace.

  • His most important and dangerous skill is soul stealing. Kaphla is able to rip the magic from an intalli's pulsar and use it for his own casting. While he stores the majority of the pulsars he steals, he may also consume them right from the body. Consuming the magic of a pulsar gives him an exceptional boost in magic and a temporary euphoric high. Depending on the amount of magic consumed, Kaphla may take on any number of traits, memories, or beliefs that the intalli which once owned the pulsar had. This change in personality may only last for a few hours but, depending on the circumstances, could last weeks, months, or potentially years. He is completely oblivious to this side-effect.
  • However, Kaphla also relies on a second spell to achieve his killings in the first place. Kaphla is capable of de-materializing into and traveling through shadows. This allows him to travel in plain sight and gives him remarkable evasiveness in battle. While still feasible, this ability is more difficult to use in bright environments.

    • Physical Combat

    Along with spellcasting capabilities, Kaphla is an immensely skilled fighter. He is immensely strong and relies on his ability to overpower others before they have the opportunity to fight back. Despite this, he often prefers to strike with stealth. With the power of his shadows, Kaphla may kill a mage before they even have the chance to see him.

    Kaphla carries a hunting knife for use in dispatching both animals and intalli alike. He prefers to slice the throats of the majority of his quarries. Although, for some, Kaphla will happily draw out their deaths, brutalizing and torturing them until he's had his fill. Despite the thrill it brings, it also leaves him quite distracted.

    Relationships

    Tupao Avda

    He should have killed him when he first saw him, but he didn't. He couldn't. He didn't understand why or how, but he just couldn't bring himself to kill this pesky apprentice. He's still unsure now. But what he does know is that Tupao... is different. He sees someone who's been victimized by mages just like he was. He sees someone that could continue Reshwal's will even after Kaphla is gone.

    Tupao will bring hell to Orenomos. Whether he wants to or not.

    Aster Starfall

    Kaphla wants him dead. No, he needs him dead. He wants to rip and tear him apart until he's been reduced to nothing. He will not let him, a mage, of all intalli claim to be an acolyte of Reshwal. He doesn't care how much Tupao adores him, because he knows that Aster is just like the rest of them. One day, he'll show Tupao how much of a monster Aster is. Then, maybe, just maybe, Tupao will solve the problem himself.

    Sukozen Avda

    He expected more. But he can't deny that it was fun.

    Nyarav Tulanseg

    Like any other powerful mage, Kaphla despises her. She thinks herself as wise and scheming, hiding behind that pathetic thing Orenomos calls an acolyte. But he'll get her next time. He just needs to take care of Aster first.

    Stellos Khenbish

    Kaphla almost wishes that he had been the one to kill him, if only to see that smarmy look on his face disappear. But he's glad his death was useful.

    Solaris Mesala

    His mother and his dearest friend. Even after decades apart, Kaphla still adores her. She's the only intalli he's ever been truly bonded to. The extent to which Solaris is aware of her son's crimes is unknown.