Mathias Attano — Tomorrow War Bio 

Age: 530

Specie: Necromancer

Role: Master/Councilman of Germany

Mathias stayed in the village, keeping an eye on the slow changes that began to happen in the world. Because he had only been around a handful of vampires in the village, he wasn’t completely aware of the weakening of their powers, until the witches declared war.

Not wanting to fight on either side, because he had people he cared about on both, (and also due to a helpful hint from a friend) Mathias fled with his loved ones close by. There was only one place he knew he could find safety in, and that was Germany. Being the slave of the former Councilman of that country, he was welcomed in as an ally to the vampires.

Mathias stayed there for decades, watching as the vampires around him were killed and witches came into power. Because of this, he realized that he needed to side with the witches, or at least pretend to until he knew what to do. It was fairly easy for him to establish himself in Germany. Creating undead armies to help fight, but at the same time secretly helping any vampire he could.

With age, his powers grew, and Mathias became a skilled necromancer. He even used the resources left from his former master to become skilled war general. He garnered a reputation of being cold, and no nonsense. His body carried the scars and proof of his centuries of fighting,

Due to his involvement, Mathias was asked to be the Councilman of Germany, which he accepted. He stayed away from Illuminatum though, opting to work remotely unless necessary for years. When it became apparent that he needed to go back, Mathias did but with great hesitancy.

During the Event

As a master, he is very quiet, keeping to himself and not really going out of his way to  exact any revenge on the vampires. He continued to work in the shadows though, trying to find a way to help vampires.

Seeing all the power go to the other witches heads made him realize that they were no different than the vampires they had enslaved. He doesn’t speak his thoughts though, only letting them come out around people he trusts.

Although he is quiet and does come off as kind at times, he is not afraid to show his power to both vampire and other species alike. He is someone people can go to when it comes to planning battles or wars, but Mathias does it with great exhaustion.

Connections

Other councilmen who may or may not agree with what he’s doing, thus leading to potential conflict or allyship.

Vampires who are aware that he wants to keep them safe and help them.

A real shame, that information was. Someone had told him physical exertion would clear his mind. He deflated with that information and sighed. “I tried forcing it on myself but it didn’t work.” He murmured as he looked down at the floor, trying to think of more ways to get to sleep. “Any advice?”

-

Every once in a while, Taryn could remember things. Things that were repressed or had been lost when he first woke up. It was the middle of the night and the other woke up in a cold sweat. Instead of making much noise, he found himself quietly pacing through the undercroft. He settled himself into a common room, running a hand through his hair with eyes closed while the memory of a woman grabbing his shirt front, shaking him, appeared vividly. ‘You need to go. You need to run.’ Hearing footsteps approach, eyes opened. “Sorry…. Trying to tire myself out. Enough to sleep or…. thereabouts.”

@krovscastlestarters​

-

“It’s good only for those who do not abuse it,” Matthew hummed. “But it also corrupts much too easily…” A wry smile played on his lips as he looked back at his son. 

That smile soon turned into a softer one with Mathias’ next words. While Matthew was a demon and that he would never become a good and pious celestial again, those words still meant a lot because to him it meant that if he could change then perhaps people were worth saving. But his own thoughts were very different to the younger man’s after all these years and after what the war had put Mathias through. 

“Is it? Thirty years out of the five hundred that you’ve lived is hardly a long time…” he chuckled lightly as he looked Mathias’ tired form over. “Have you ever thought about stepping away from the Council?” Matthew asked because someone had to.

-

“Yeah, I don’t think I like it very much. I think I liked my life more when I didn’t have any power. It was quieter”.

Living for five hundred years changed Mathias’ outlook on his life. It was such a long time, and he didn’t want to spend all of it hating people or only seeing the bad in them. T him, Matthew was a good man, a troubled one at times, but still a good man. He did his best and that was all that mattered to the necromancer now. 

“Missed you too,” Seth said, sipping at his drink. He raised a single brow at Matty, quietly processing what he claimed about the council. “They actually say this to you in person or is this all your own assumption?” he inquired calmly. “Do you think these things have been said about you or have they happened?” The older witch pursed his lips together. “I’m not trying to invalidate how you feel but there is a difference between having a feeling about others’ opinions of yourself and having legitimate knowledge of it.” 

-

Vouyer

“Is that…” really necessary? Barry wanted to say but he bit his tongue. This world was a strange one. Entirely different to what he remembered but there were still elements of it that were exactly the same. He did not need to make enemies when he was still trying to figure things out. The spirit actually recognised the man before him, though it looked like he had been through a lot and aged.

“Mathias, right? Vampires are immortal, aren’t they? But does that.. whatever you were doing… Can it kill them?”

-

Was it necessary? Absolutely not, and it made Mathias very sick to his stomach. This was how he formed alliances though. He played a part in order to show his allegiance, even if it was fake. He frowned at the other man, realizing that he did know him. Memories of the past flooded his mind. Things were a lot easier back then, weren’t they? Why did they ever decide to change things.

“You know, the vampires were like that back in the day as well,” Matthew hummed, having been privy to a number of those council meetings in the past. They amused the fallen angel for the most part, but rehashing the good old days when it came to war mongering men was par for the course. 

“It’s always quiet in church,” the fallen angel chuckled. “Not many are after salvation after the war, especially not from someone like me.” Matthew knew that a lot of them remembered him from his time as the demon to ran things in Krovs Castle after all. “The rest of the village on the other hand… They seem pretty excited for the celebrations. What about you? It’s been thirty years…”

-

“Yeah, I guess power just isn’t good for anyone, huh?” What was the point in being powerful, when everyone had the same fate in the end. He played his part in the war, but was no expected to celebrate a win he didn’t agree with. 

Balerion was unclaimed for seven years before Jacen arrived at the castle and rescued him but the former master was a former shell of himself, his playfulness was gone and replaced with coldness and silence. Although the aswang no longer lived in the undercroft, he still returned to visit the others down there and brought them food from Jacen’s suite since the food in the undercroft was nothing like the food that the masters got. When Balerion finished slipping food to some of the slaves, he decided to walk the halls of the castle to clear his head, Jacen was busy working and Benji didn’t want to bother him.

The aswang walked outside the castle with a number of guards watching the man like a hawk, he didn’t like how they looked at him but there was nothing that he could do to stop them. As the man walked the grounds, his boots crunched under the snow and when he rounded the corner in the garden, he ran into someone and stumbled backwards, nearly falling in the snow. Before the witches took over, Balerion would’ve gotten angry when someone ran into him, even if it was his fault but no longer, now he was a different person. “Sorry sir.” he says quietly, moving to walk past them.

@krovscastlestarters

-

Mathias always tried to take time to himself anf wander the castle grounds. It was something he did when he was a slave, and a villager. Surprisingly, it brought him peace and he was able to sort through his thoughts while doing so. The snow fell in specks, littering Mathias’ hair. He wasn’t really paying attention until he felt someone bump into him. Oh instinct he reached out to make sure they didn’t stumble, “It’s alright. You should be careful, it’s kinda slippery out here. Are you alright?”

Mathias was by no means a hero. As much as he wanted to help people, he couldn’t deny that he had hurt just as much. Even now as a master and a councilman, he found himself struggling with being morally right. If he didn’t have to play a part, then maybe he could help others more freely. He kept thinking about the advice he was given, but it gave him a lot of pause. He could mingle with the other councilmen, and even pretend he agreed with them on their stances. But when it came to proving it, he struggled. That was where he was right now. 

He was proving it to another master that he wasn’t soft. Which meant showing off his power on a vampire. Shadows and rot crawled down the walls around him. He stood over the slave, his eyes glowing green and indifferent. In this moment, he really did feel like the war general he became in Germany. The way he made the vampire shriek in pain as they coughed up black ichor and mold. It hurt him on the inside, but he couldn’t show weakness. 

Mathias stepped over the vampire, turning his head slowly to whoever was watching him, “Is there a problem, or do you just like to watch?”. He had a facade to maintain and a reputation to keep. The necromancer ran his hand through his white and black hair and sighed, “Don’t worry, he won’t die yet”.

“You’re missing my point,” Leon responded softly, picking at the mouse skull for a moment before discarding it on the ground. He knew at the rate the witches were headed he wasn’t long for the world. None of them were.

“How a necromancer is made doesn’t matter, Mathias. My point is you’re among powerful individuals. You’d be a fool to underestimate a single one of them or think yourself better than them… And better off proving your loyalty than isolating yourself.” He glanced up at Mathias as he spoke, continuing, ”Trust me. I tried taking a position not unlike yours.” Leon had hated the council and found most of them lazy, if not overly violent and stubborn. Resistant to change. The years he spent trying to free slaves was but a grain of sand in the chaos still unfolding around him. Leon often wondered if he’d gotten to know more of them better, perhaps he could have found another like mind.. Swayed someone else in power who might have helped him free even more. Who could have helped prevent their current fate. He knew of the vampires plan in hopes of preventing their current situation, but lacked much faith in it working, nor was he sure he actually supported it. 

“You might be helping some but you’re not enacting the change necessary to actually stop any of this, Mathias… Heinrich and I both learned the hard way that political warfare is harder than actual warfare. He was all for councils, but a single person working alone can’t stop something this large. If you actually want to better the world like Heinrich had, you’d be upstairs conversing with council and trying to sway minds… Finding allies… Not down here taking pity on a vampire who’s already accepted his fate.”

-

Matty frowned as the skull was discarded. He never thought Leon would be the type to give in like this. The necromancer wasn’t sure what to say. “Why would I be loyal to people who have never been loyal to me? I’ve fought on the vampire side before,..” They were all so power hungry, something Mathias never had really been. 

Matthew looked up when Mathias entered the church. He had been using his shadows to do some final dusting and cleaning up before he finally moved to where the necromancer was seated. 

“I would avoid those if I were you. Blessings from Heaven are overrated,” he smiled a small smile. “What brings you down from the castle, Mathias? I thought there was a Council meeting today.”

-

Mathias chuckled, “Yeah, I figured they were”. He looked around the church and sighed. The place was nice, and tranquil. How he wished he could have just lived his life in blissful ignorance. Then maybe he could have found a quiet place like this. Although, would he really be able to live knowing full and well what was happening to people? Probably not. 

Fitting. Hah! Leon wanted to laugh, thinking back on Heinrich and how there wasn’t much about any of it being fitting in Leon’s eyes. Heinrich hadn’t approved of anything they’d done. He’d flat out fucking bailed. And Leon had quit council not long after, realizing unless the council collapsed that change would not happen, and that it could not simply be swayed with a few opposing views. 

“If you wanted to change things, perhaps you should have used those armies for your own intentions instead of picking a side,” Leon offered, voice soft as he tried to think of how Heinrich would have handled the situation. “The fact your council even exists… My kind may deserve our fate, but history is doomed to repeat itself so long as witches effectively follows in our steps, castles and all. I’ve heard your fellow council members talk… It won’t matter what you do, Mathias… You’re still soft. Naive if you think your games won’t eventually backfire and someone else finds out.” Leon paused long enough for an individual walking by to pass without easily being in earshot before he continued. “I’ve heard a good chunk of the council are necromancers… And I saw Raiden even wormed his way onto it…” Fucking spineless coward. “Others in power won’t give it up easily. The entire thing needs to collapse if you actually want to change things.”

-

He didn’t expect immediate understanding, nor acceptance. Mathias could only imagine what he sounded like. He was offering help, as if he wasn’t apart of the group the formed after enslaving the vampires. He built their armies, and killed those that ran into him. But behind the scenes, he worked hard to help vampires escape. Now with the writings his master had left in Germany, Mathias tried to follow in his footsteps and use his teachings to maybe better the world. 

“I’m not on anyone’s side, Leon. If I had tried to turn against them early on, then I wouldn’t be here...and instead of me, someone much worse could be in my spot. Would that have been better?” He asked. There was a frown on his face that didn’t seem to go away now. Leon was right, he was putting himself at risk with what he was doing. But he wasn’t soft. That softness left decades ago. “Between you and I, I don’t really count them as necromancers. I was born like this without choice, they were just witches who longed for more and made deals. No one makes deals with death that doesn’t end horribly”. He started to rummage through his pockets and pulled out a small mouse skull. Mathias extended his hand towards Leon, offering the skull. “It’s a good thing I know nothing but chaos and destruction then, huh? Like I said, I have no loyalty. If fates calls for their collapse, then so be it. If you ever need help, use the skull. You just gotta talk to it, and I’ll come”.

It’d been almost a year today since the last time Seth stepped foot in the Illuminatum. Even though he served as councilman for New Zealand, he’d adopted a strict work from home policy for the last 30 years. He’d worked for centuries at improving and maintaining some decent mental health, finding happiness with Todd and Shade away from this castle. Even under a new name and new regime, it still ran the same fucking bullshit as it did when the vampires had been in charge. That was his second reason for staying as far away from the Illuminatum as possible – he’d noticed how the council seemed split in view, one side wanting to govern justly and peacefully while the other half wanted to rule with an iron fist over the other species. Again, different name, same bullshit as the witches in charge proved no better than the vampires had been. 

The witch always came for the anniversary party, strictly out of requirement for a council presence, not because he found anything worthy of celebrating. And he figured a few days would give him time to catch up properly with some of the council folk he enjoyed – few of whom he’d called friends long before the shift in power. Mathias happened to be one of them, the necromancer his former roommate and someone he considered family. The years had certainly changed both of them, new lines appearing in their faces that hadn’t been there 500 years prior. Matty especially had physically and mentally changed from the youthful and spirited kid Seth vaguely remembered in Heinrich’s suite. 

“What makes you say that?” he asked, taking a seat across from the necromancer and graciously accepting the drink. 

-

“It’s just a feeling I guess”. Mathias felt so out of place in the council, and in this new world. He never wanted power nor responsibility. He just wanted to live out the rest of his life in peace. Unfortunately it wasn’t that easy. The witches were veering towards a dangerous path, that would probably end in more bloodshed and violence. No matter what, it seemed that the people in power just kept craving more and more of it. Mathias thought that inserting himself within their ranks would maybe help sway them the other way, but so far nothing was working. 

Whatever chance Mathias got to leave the castle, he took. Sure there was a lot of work to be done, but he didn’t want to think about it nor do it. So he opted to just sneak away to the village. There he could walk around and not think about his new responsibilities or whatever bothered him. He could just enjoy the Russian air and walk along the streets of the place he once lived. 

It helped greatly that Matthew had taken up residence there too. When he found out his father was in charge of the church, Mathias had a very good laugh. There was something funny about a fallen angel being in charge of a church, and if you had told Mathias this would happen way back then, he would have called bullshit. Things were different now though. He was a councilman in a world ruled by witches, and Matthew was a priest (or something close to that). 

He stepped into the church and sat down in the pews at the front. It was quiet and peaceful there. The necromancer could see why people would come to places like this often. Since there didn’t look like there was anyone around, Mathias spoke freely, “Should I say bless me father for I have sinned? Or does the demon blood in me make me exempt from blessings?”

“I suppose.. in a way I’m relieved to see you still alive,” Leon commented with a curl of his lips. The smile didn’t reach his eyes however though. “Rumor has it you’re on that witch’s council now. I must admit… I was a bit shocked when I heard. Can I ask why?”

-

“Yeah, likewise”. Mathias ran his hand through his hair and sighed, “Yes, that rumor is correct. I’m in charge of Germany now. I’m sure you can see how fitting that is for me”. The question wasn’t surprising in the slightest for him, and he should have expected it. The necromancer looked around, making sure no one was nearby or within earshot, “It’s easier to hide in plain sight, is it not? They never suspect councilmen, especially not one who makes armies. Also, I hoped that becoming one would give me a higher chance of trying to change things”.

Mathias sat in his office, looking over every document he had brought with him to the castle. No matter how hard he stared, the answers he wanted wouldn’t show up on the page. It was frustrating, and he really wished reality would just turn in his favor for once. Who would have thought all this power would still bring him down. There was no way that either side could win this, even if Mathias wished it so. One side wanted revenge, and he was sure the other would feel the same way if they were ever freed. He really wished he never left Germany. 

There was a knock on his door, and Mathias mumbled a quiet, “Come in”. When he picked up his head and saw Seth there, he sighed. The other witch was always a welcomed sight, and Mathias really didn’t think he’d come back to the castle if Seth wasn’t there either. Seth looked a little older, and with ink on his skin now. The necromancer’s memories flashed back to a time where he felt they were too young. He hadn’t been covered in scars, and his hair hadn’t been peppered with white. What a strange life they lived. 

He gestured for Seth to sit, and poured him a glass of booze, “I thought this would be a good hiding place. I didn’t want to talk to the other councilmen. I don’t think they like me much”. 

Leon certainly didn’t enjoy being enslaved, no, but the vampire had accepted his fate, and found little point in trying to change matters. The witches had proved to be just as ruthless when provoked. Any efforts to escape would simply speed up his remaining days, surprised he hadn’t been killed yet like so many before him. 

A shadow fell over the vampire’s frame and Leon glanced up from where he sat in the Undercroft to see who had approached. He gave a weak grin in response to the familiar face, nodding in acknowledgement. “Been a while, hasn’t it?”

@krovscastlestarters​

-

The world was a lot different now, and Mathias found himself less impressed with it everyday. 500 years passed, and they weighed heavily on the necromancer’s shoulders. Coming back to Illuminatum didn’t help much either. When he saw the now enslaved vampires, he felt even worse. He didn’t want that fate for them, or anyone for that matter, but the other witches believed they were in the right to do so. No matter how many times he tried to speak up about during council meetings, he was never able to ask for a stop. It didn’t matter though. He would continue to work in the shadows as best as he could. 

The best way for him to do so was to walk the Undercroft and take note of who was there. Mathias saw many familiar faces, relieved that so many survived, but guilty that they were enslaved. He came to a stop in front of one vampire that he knew. Leon had known Heinrich, and Mathias did have some respect for him because of that. He sighed and nodded his head back, “It has. Although last time, I think we were just slightly different”.