I. Identity
Odin Haze is a native son of Valucre, known to the Gaian faithful as the Saint. According to scripture Odin is the prophesized "the Son", a hallmark of all that is good joined with the responsibilities of man and who will ultimately save the world. Odin's personal history parallels closely the birth and life of the Son.
Odin's origins are underwhelming. Born to a local tanner and shopkeep Odin spent the first few years of his life in the jovial fog common to children. There came a time however, as there comes a time in the lives of all heroes, where his life turned upside down. His parents either died or were killed, but nonetheless perished, and Odin was tossed to the wild. He was found by a semi-nomadic tribe just a few short days before Odin would have passed on.
The following years of his life were spent in mourning, learning intimately the pains of racism among the Sreya. There was his introduction to Gaia.
Odin has lead two holy campaigns of note. One against the Desecrators, who some suspect were also the source of his greatest pain (the death of his mother and father), some twenty odd years ago. The other in the strange lands of Aoyn, specifically against the man-god Thor, who claimed a bloodline by Gaia and, thus, entered into the world of blasphemy. Here, too, was where Odin first met the Desolator in flesh: Ziren Rhizae.
Through dying for the people of Terrenus, and through what must have accounted to thousands of other selfless and painful sacrifices, Odin stands as he is now. Both King to the lands and Saint to its people. Destined to either save the world or die in vain.
II. Appearance
In the flesh Odin commands an enviable form. His body is disciplined and robust, emblematic of noble strength and limitless stamina. However at a single glance it is clear that his body's purpose goes beyond mere show. His gait is practiced, his stance solid and his hands rough. His is a veteran's body forged in the crucible of warfare, and most certainly not the demure thing some might think of when calling to mind the image of a priest devoted to his faith.
Long, pliant hair hangs down around his ears; it moves with the slightest breeze and shines brilliant gold when light strikes at the right angle. This golden frame emphasizes well the varicolored nature of his eyes.
Though he goes through no great paints to maintain himself Odin is well groomed, his smile straight, white, and attractive. Something about his appearance, that is neither immediately noticeable nor readily apparent at later recollection, is inherently disarming. Not to any great sense of alarm but that he seems to perpetually exude a subtle sense of confidence, charisma, and serenity.
Odin's most peculiar trait is that he casts no shadow.
III. Equipment
He who preaches peace must be ready for war. Odin lacks proficiency in nearly all martial weapons with the exception of the bo staff, but being a pure heart born to a chaotic world knowing how to defend himself and others is a logical necessity. His fists are heavy and strong like stone. As deadly as any sword or mace, capable of twisting metal and denting steel or even acting as shield.
Aside from this he wears a necklace that anchors him to this plane, a circlet that protects his mind, and the durable robes of his faith.
IV. Skills
Necromancy
Death, and in particular necromancy, has earned notoriety by way of a few mislead souls. Necromancy is often treated as an abomination that needs to be avoided at all costs. True necromancy does not concern itself with zombies and blight and darkness. It is the study, and respect, of life and death.
Acts such as preparing bodies for last rites, communing with spirits from beyond the grave, curing disease, and any manner of true resurrection require a respectable level necromancy as a bare requisite for even marginal levels of success. Odin has mastered necromancy through the needs of his vocation.
Odin commands a comprehensive understanding of vital and animating forces, spiritual energy, and souls in general. This knowledge is not limited to the essence of individuals, but spans from the lowest level of living organisms to the highest, most expansive and all encompassing "deities". At a glance, he can determine the nature of an individual and the base energies that individual has recently been in contact with. Deeper understanding requires intrusive scanning, which can reveal anything from innate to learned abilities, recent history to ancient lineage, and other constituents of the soul.
Odin is not a skilled conjurer in regards to necromancy; his forte lies in abjuration, divination and evocation. Though he can reanimate the dead and drag spirits from across the netherworld, Odin sees this as a perversion of life and of his art, and so is loath to touch upon such practices. With regards to the arcane Odin is a skilled practitioner of magic, as opposed to direct energy attacks favored by the common practitioner.
As a patron Saint, Odin projects a powerful aura of peace and calm. As patron Saint of Gaianism, Odin gains strength through the faith of his people just as they gain strength through the worship of Gaia through Odin.
As a master of the soul, Odin is unaffected by spiritual influences save for the most exceptional cases. With his body functioning as more a vehicle for his faith than the sole purpose life, the properties of his soul affect and augment his physical abilities (the most obvious and useful is an abjuratory effect that is similar to stoneskin, but also applies to minor spells), and he never tires (though, like any creature, the supply of power to his spells is finite and necromancy has a much greater cost than his other skills with diminishing returns).
Geomancy
Spells and abilities stemming from the earth.
The manner in which Odin (and most Gaians though not all) utilizes the earth is distinct from the standard class of geomancer in that the non-faith based manipulate the earth through tertiary means. That is through some third-party intervention be it some manner of enchantment, spell, or ritual. But to faith-based geomancers, to call to the earth is as much art as it is discipline. And so like any discipline it is a skill that is learned, and perfected through constant, repetitious use. The skill itself cannot affect magic and cannot be affected by magic (or anti-magic) but as the skill controls a physical object, the earth itself can.
To Odin the earth is not just a spit of land to be used and built upon but a living entity to be treated with respect and reverence. Odin’s ascetic life, with a fair amount of his years revolving around deifying the earth, lends credence to his tremendous skill level. His connection to the earth is constant and nearly salient, as to even watch him walk on the earth seems to make it tremble in acceptance.
This ability is not limited solely to the earth, but all of its subsidiaries. Odin is capable of phase shifting the earth, manipulating minerals with equal levels of control, and even creating or destroying crystals at his discretion. Odin draws magic from the planet itself and from the laws of nature at play. He can collect from ambient energy, tap directly into ley-lines, or draw from natural instances of power (volcano, thunderstorm, forests) and these are just examples.
Echoing certain aspects of the earth, Odin is capable of exercising a tremendous level of physical strength and can at will, become immobile. In exemplary cases where the situation demanded this level of control, Odin has displayed the capability of self-transmutation.
Gnosis
Summarily described as "the power of his faith". Odin has transcended the canonical hierarchy of magic as is practiced by the common class of mage and sorcerer, delving into a level of the supernatural that can only be classified as 'divine'. His spells are non sequitur, unfamiliar to the common eye, and usually very powerful. Spells often revolve around the "law" or "good" archetype and, as such, have a very limited audience that they can affect properly.
V. Learned
- Rhythm of Combat
Spend enough years surrounded by combat and something just happens; a button you didn’t even know existed inside of you gets flipped. It's weak at first but with experience the sounds get louder, clearer, sharper. One becomes tuned to the broadcast of the world, ill-will especially, to the point where this sixth sense becomes as reliable as sight. Intent is conveyed as any number of interests to the right pair of ears, capable of hearing a sword before it's swung as a string quartet, or a malignant hex as a low, sustained note.
- Conjure Elemental
Odin, through a binding ritual, can summon two spirits of the elements, both related to his skillfulness in geomancy. The conjuration requires a sample element from which the elemental enters the realm of man and composes itself. After the initial summoning, the nature of the binding allows Odin to call the elemental to him at any time, from any place, regardless of distance. This ability functions as a part of his soul and is not affected by antimagic. When the elementals are slain, since they are spirits themselves molded with mundane elements, they are vanquished permanently.
The first of these is the monolithic entity known as an earth elemental, a mighty stone mammoth that can reach towering heights. When the elemental is summoned, earth material around it is used as the base for its flesh, including the soil, minerals, and metals all wrenched from the ground or surrounding and collected into a terrifying and powerful amalgamation. The earth elemental is difficult to injure; it defies permanence of damage by incorporating more material into its body. Although it is slow to walk, it can tunnel through the ground with ease and is unaffected by difficulties posed by terrain except where water is present. It represents unbridled strength.
The plant elemental, a derivation of earth, is conjured through flora; its spirit overflows the vegetation and causes it to grow into a hulking, vine laden facsimile of a giant humanoid. Its hide is tough, but flexible, and more easily rent than the earth elemental's, however, where it bleeds an exotic and massive field of plant life erupts from the scene; humans and animals simply explode in a shower of geraniums, for example, when its blood is spilled on them. It can control vegetation in its surroundings and, given a sample of its essence, can create miniature versions of itself. Unlike its basis, it possesses several breath weapons, among them a variety of gasses and spores that can cause paralysis, sleep, and other nasty effects.
Saint Qualities
- Darkvision.
- Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
- Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects.
- Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
- Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
- Not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, is immediately destroyed.
- Breathes, but does not eat or sleep.
- Does not have a dual nature; soul and body form one unit. When slain, no soul is set loose. Spells that restore souls to their bodies, such as raise dead, reincarnate, and resurrection, do not function. It takes a different magical effect, such as limited wish, wish, miracle, or true resurrection to restore him to life.
VI. Quotes
"The coward wretch whose hand and heart
Can bear to torture aught below,
Is ever first to quail and start
From the slightest pain or equal foe."
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