One of the greatest defenses you can carry on you in this world is caution. While there are many wonders to enjoy in these lands, there are also plenty of dangers, and not all of them are apparent. Creatures that lurk in the shadows, illusory magic and folks who are not what they claim to be. Of course, this does not mean one has to be completely paranoid, fearing the worst at every moment, but a healthy dose of caution is required. Because not only do these dangers exist, there are those who thrive entirely on deceiving and exploiting the gullible. Falling for these beings is a quick way to be beaten and robbed, and that is if you are lucky. If you come across the likes of Myna, you might be losing a whole lot more than coin.
Myna is a mimic, though folks rarely see her in her true state. As natural shapeshifters, they tend to wear many guises and hide themselves in plain sight. Myna is no exception, spending a good chunk of her life masquerading as someone or something else. It is the way of the mimic, to keep your identity a secret and use deception to get what you want. Their needs are quite similar to any other creature: food, water, shelter and enrichment. All of this is gained by duping other species, using disguises to sneak into homes or to hunt prey. Ambushing is their game, and they are masters of it, pretending to be a piece of furniture or a potential suitor before revealing a snaring tongue and a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. This is the simplest way to live life, hiding in castles and feeding on random passerbys, but Myna is one of those mimics that wants more than that. Tasty meat is fine and all, but such skills can be used to obtain some real good stuff! And one of those "good stuffs" is gold, as Myna loves those shiny riches! Perhaps a bit too much...
It probably doesn't sound too weird that Myna has an obsession and severe want for gold, as such greed is a common affliction for many. However, Myna's addiction is a bit more than filling one's pockets with shiny coin. She has developed a literal taste for the stuff, enjoying the flavor of the precious metal. When not playing a deceptive role, one can see her sucking on a coin or two as if it were candy, spitting it out once "all the flavor is gone." No one is really sure why she has such a taste, but the best guess is that it arose from a common mimic tactic. One of the classic tricks a mimic can pull to catch prey is to disguise themselves as a chest filled with gold. Such a sight is sure to lure in eager victims, and all it takes is a swift bite to enjoy a meal of greedy hands. While some mimics may use their flesh to make the false appearance of gold coins, such tactic requires a lot of experience and fine tuning to make it look real enough to deceive. This can be easy for older mimics, but the younger ones may struggle to make false coins that don't look like dull, somewhat round discs. Thus, one would just stuff their mouth with the real deal and wait for prey. Perhaps years of doing this has caused Myna to develop a taste for this metal, as mimic tongues do have a unique and varied palate to them. Unfortunately, this enjoyment is not subtle, as she will literally drool at the sight of a treasure hoard and require restraint to keep her from diving in with mouth wide open.
Thankfully, Myna doesn't actually eat the stuff, she more so chews and sucks on the stuff to get all the "good flavor" out of it. Then she spits the gnawed on, spit covered riches back out, and it won't be long before she starts eyeing another fix. With this unique taste of hers, Myna needs to get her hands on more and more gold, and she does so like any other mimic. Myna is always on the prowl for coin purses, trading caravans, treasure vaults and rich nobles, using her disguises to get access to the tasty gold within each. Her common target are wealthy loners, as many are susceptible to a charming lover. Outside of being a treasure chest, the guise of a gorgeous woman is probably Myna's most common form. In fact, it is probably why she identifies as female, as she has been one so many times that it just kinda felt right after a while. Whenever she spots a rich man walking about, she is quick to shift her form and approach with that lady charm. The key is to seduce the target, get them to take her home and then promptly bite their head off once she has access to the treasure. Such a tactic ensures she gets both gold and a nice meal out of it too!
With the adaptability of a mimic, Myna does pretty much anything she can to get her hands on the next fix. She will do these deadly ambushes on her own, but is also known to take jobs that require espionage, assassination or impersonation. As long as it pays in gold, she is willing to consider it. As it turns out, that hunger for a payday is what led her to the Knights of the Wrong Table. However, she didn't approach as an adversary, as she actually came to them to join the team!
Having a mimic join up with them was exciting for the order, as here was a recruit that had incredible powers and a lot of potential! While it is true that every member of the Wrong Table brings a unique talent to the party, one cannot deny that having a shapeshifter on the roster is kind of a big thing. So the order was thrilled to have her join, but sadly, that feeling didn't last long.
As it would unfortunately turn out, Myna hadn't signed on for noble reasons. While the others (or most of them) had joined the order to help people and make things a little better, Myna had hopped aboard for the cover and access to other people's riches. When the Wrong Table strolled into town on a mission, all eyes would be staring at them, which meant she could slink away and start stealing. As the order was facing the distrust and skepticism of the public, she would be emptying their pockets, which in turn meant the Wrong Table was blamed for everything. When the knights noticed she kept ditching them in the middle of the mission, sometimes in the middle of a battle itself, the upsetting truth would soon be discovered. Her antics dealt a mighty blow to the Wrong Table's image, which was already shaky as is. Even to this day, some folk place a firm grip on their purses whenever the order arrives. Myna would be confronted about this, the order appalled that she would pull these stunts and tarnish their efforts so. They demanded an end to these crimes and for her to take responsibility for them, which Myna was sure to scoff at. A scuffle would soon occur, as the order tried to arrest her, but the mimic was too slippery. But before she left the Wrong Table in the dust, they gave her the official announcement that she was expelled from their group, making Myna the first ever member to be kicked out of the Wrong Table.
The mimic honestly didn't care all that much about being fired, as her stint with the Wrong Table was just another job to get her hands on gold. But these feelings would soon change as word began to spread about her expulsion. The Wrong Table was seen as a joke by many, a desperate little band of losers and freaks, which meant anyone kicked out by them had to have been even more pathetic. After all, this is the group that employs a snail and a coat rack! How bad do you have to be to be worse then them?! Thus, Myna became a laughingstock, with even employers taking a hearty jab at her for this embarrassing detail. This turn made her angry, specifically at the order that tarnished her name. And thus her grudge against the Wrong Table was born.
Myna would go on to be a reoccurring thorn in the order's side, either attempting to attack them, wearing their faces to cause more bad publicity or teaming up with other villains to try and take the Wrong Table out. Even when she isn't directly fighting them, the order may run into her when trying to stop an assassination or robbery. Fights with her are chaotic, as she uses her shapeshifting abilities to constantly alter her form or grow new weapons. She has a fondness for copying the knights, either fully or just certain pieces. Her mimicry of them causes confusion, and the use of their limbs and parts lets her have a varied arsenal. Whenever Myna is around, chaos, distrust and larceny is sure to happen.
Though her adaptability is incredible, Myna does have weaknesses the order can exploit. The obvious ones are those that all mimics possess, like how they cannot alter their long tongues. Spotting this slobbering tendril easily ruins any guise she may wear, though she has learned various ways to better hide it. Then comes the fact that while she can copy appearances and physical traits, she cannot replicate magic or certain abilities that aren't tied to biology. As a demon, Osryx can summon flame in an instant, which Myna cannot do if she does copy him. However, she may use other shapeshifting tricks and her adaptable biology to give off the appearance that she can, but it won't be the same. Her shifting powers are also restricted by her body mass, meaning she can only change her size to a certain point. Some members, like Reknir, are simply too big for her to fully mimic, while smaller ones like Otis are too small for her to condense all her flesh into. But once again, clever shapeshifting techniques can help her pull off these ruses, so nothing is absolute. Thankfully, there is one weakness the order can always rely on...
If one were to watch Myna shift her body, they would see how easily she takes on new forms and with incredible speed and detail to boot. This would lead one to believe that she is an excellent mimic, able to con anyone or anything. But in truth, Myna doesn't have all the proper qualities of a top tier mimic, as there is a crucial one she lacks: patience. As a member of a species that is practically the embodiment of "ambush" and "the long game," Myna is very easily bored and quick to anger. Her impatience and frustration is one of the reasons she hunts more through stalking rather than laying in wait, as long periods of down time bore her to tears. Her disguises may look flawless, but when she starts getting fidgety and annoyed after hiding for a few hours, the ruse quickly falls apart. Prey that spend too long falling for her trap may hear their bed let out a "screw this!" before it launches itself at them with jaws agape. Even when she is impersonating another knight, and the order has to figure out which is the real one, she is susceptible to getting frustrated and flustered, which typically leads to a flub. The Wrong Table has learned this weakness of hers and are sure to draw out the game to get her irritated and sloppy. Like the time they started listing off incorrect mimic facts until the insulted copy butted in to correct them. It is a good way to break through her disguise, but remember that the fight isn't over when her illusion is spoiled. That just means a whole lot of claws, fangs and tongue are about to come charging at you.
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Got another villain redone here! Myna, the incredibly impatient mimic!
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If there is one thing surface folk associate demons with, it is fire. To outsiders, they would think that this element rules the entire Underworld, believing in the false idea that the realm down below is perpetually burning. Fire, brimstone and all that nonsense. Indeed, there is lava to be found in portions of the Underworld, but the majority of it is free of such fiery substance. However, the idea that demons are eternally linked to flame is not wrong, as their race is truly devoted to it. It is the element of one of the four Gods Below, and its spark is said to have given rise to their entire kind. So much so, that demons believe they have "internal flames" over "souls," the fire of life burning within their very flesh. It is supposedly what gives them their immunity to fire and their high body heat. And though demons can learn other types of magic, the summoning of fire is a skill pretty much all can do from a young age. It comes naturally to them, which fits well since fire is so ingrained in their culture. Fire brings light, it fuels their famous forges and it creates the warmth that allows life to flourish. With all this, it should be no surprise that there are demons who specialize in the art of flame. However, many surface dwellers were quite shocked to see it wielded in this form.
While some races view flame in a more blunt and deadly sense, demons see elegance and beauty within it. This is easily shown in their beloved fire goddess, Pyrogohna, whose lithe form eternally dances to keep the world spinning and the fires burning. Her movements strengthen flame, and it was that belief that led to the creation of the Fire Dancers. These are demon magic users who specialize in fire magic, and they wield this art through the power of dance. One must wonder what the first surface dwellers thought when they witnessed a Fire Dancer in battle. A big gruff, horned demon spinning about to some unheard rhythm? They may have found it comical, until a wall of flame incinerated them. Do not make the ignorant mistake in thinking this never ending dance is purely for show, as it is these moves that make Fire Dancers the most powerful flame wielders in the world.
The art of the Fire Dancer lays within the creation and sustaining of an intricate dance. What one aims to do is feel the ebb and flow of the internal flame, and inspire your moves and rhythm to it. Let the fire guide you, and your body becomes the vessel for its music and power. Let it show in grand sweeping movements, in undulations and graceful spins. Like how flame burns and spreads, your form must follow in its elegance. By following this rhythm and aligning one's very being to this flame, the power over fire begins to strengthen. As the dance grows more intricate and grand, their mastery over this element seemingly multiples, until their very movements summon burning waves and flaming twisters. This is their literal fiery passion given form, and it lets them channel its power with their hypnotic moves. But this mastery hinges all upon their dance, which cannot stop or else that magic will fade. Much like how Pyrogohna cannot cease in her duty, a Fire Dancer in battle must never falter, or their power will reset to the lowest strength.
The might of a Fire Dancer is seen in the spells they cast with their very bodies, weaving great fire storms and unleashing incinerating waves. The way they wield it is far from the crude fireballs lowly mages like to fling, as it almost moves like water in their hands. They can shape it and strengthen it with their moves, the longer their dance goes on, the hotter it burns. A blacksmith's forge would seem like a warm summer's day compared to the intense heat that a Fire Dancer can produce. And that isn't even them at full strength! Because, as everyone knows, a dance is better with two...
The ultimate power of a Fire Dancer is only unleashed when they have a dance partner, another wielder of the art that can match their rhythm. This pairing is a dream for any Dancer, but it is rare, as it calls for perfect connection and coordination to pull off. One could say that two Fire Dancers coming together into a single dance is akin to the surface's idea of "soulmates," that there is only one out there that can truly bond with them. However, it is not as simple as meeting them, as properly forming that bond calls for lots of practice and lots of dancing. Because the power of the Fire Dancer still applies when two are involved, as they must follow the rhythm of their internal flames. But now, the two flames must match and their dance must combine and flow perfectly. It calls for an incredible amount of coordination and understanding, to know your dance partner inside and out. For when the dance begins, there can be no pauses, no hesitation in what comes next. They must be in perfect unison, flowing in flawless harmony. It is when these two dance as one, that their power multiples to an insane degree. Two feverish bodies whipping up an inferno that can reduce armies to ash.
Of course Fire Dancers are utilized best when on the battlefield, especially against non-demon foes. Their mastery over the element knows no equals, putting human pyromancers to shame. In fact, some believe they are so in tune with the flame, that late stage pyromancers may straight up abandon their human compatriots to bask in the wondrous flames of passion. Fire Dancers unleash fire storms upon their enemies, incinerating waves and rivers that melt armor and reduce flesh to charcoal. And since demons are naturally immune to such heat, it makes it the perfect weapon, as one can frighten and fry foes with zero worry of collateral damage, the demon troops marching through the burning sea with ease. Those who have the misfortune of fighting a Fire Dancer must have as much fire resistant gear as they can muster, and focus on trying to interrupt their dance. If one can make them falter, fall or fail, then their power will be extinguished until they can get another dance going. This is easier said than done, because these dances are obviously graceful and fast. They can dodge arrows and blades as if this was all rehearsed, swiftly flowing and spinning away from danger. And fire is not their only weapon, as they typically carry armaments that enhance their moves and aid them in close combat. These tools are elegant, almost as if they were meant for theater over battle, like curved swords, bladed fans and searing whips. Though not nearly as big and bulky as other demon weapons, they are aided by the flames around them, giving them burning edges and bites that can cleave through armor and turn limbs into charred stumps.
Such beauty, however, is not restricted to the battlefield, as Fire Dancers are used in other parts of Underworld culture. Their moves are utilized in performance and theater, using their bodies and flames to weave tales and create stunning displays. Fire Dancers are famous in war and on the stage, with cavernous theaters packed with eager watchers who wish to witness flame given life. It is advised, though, that surface dwellers avoid getting seats in the first couple rows, as the fire from their performance will splash out onto the audience. This is no mistake or danger, as demons are immune and shades can shift their forms to let it pass through them harmlessly. In fact, there are many enthusiasts of this art that claim this is the only way to truly appreciate the performance, as you can feel the passion and emotion within the fire that envelopes your body. Fire Dancers are also seen in the temples dedicated to Pyrogohna, where the masses come to worship through feverish dance. Attending a session here means partaking in one long dance, as it is believed that doing so helps strengthen the fiery God Below and also ease some of her burden. The Fire Dancers lead the performance and create the dazzling displays of fire that show the Underworlds love for their goddess. Do not come to these temples when tired, for this is a very taxing form of worship.
Fire Dancers also have an impact in the realm of romance, as the bonding of two is seen as one of the truest forms of love. Like a "soulmate," those who find one another and can partake in a singular dance are said to be destined and forever bound in internal flame. The image of two Fire Dancers in unison is a symbol of undying love and perfect harmony. Tales of romance performed by one of these duos is said to reduce even the hardest of demon warriors to tears. The two are said to be inseparable, even if one were to perish. If one of the pair is to die, the other will shortly follow them, unable to bear being apart. For enemies looking to slay these incinerating fiends, it may sound like a good thing, as killing one takes out both. But one should know that a mourning Fire Dancer in battle will let their internal flame fully ignite and lead them into a suicidal dance of frenzy. The end result is a massive explosion that will reunite the lovers and also obliterate anything around them. So if your aim is to kill them, you better take both out at the same time, lest you and your and half the kingdom turn into a smoldering crater.
On the note of love, Fire Dancers are credited with being responsible for the acceptance of same sex marriage within the Underworld. This is because when two Fire Dancers bond, trivial things like gender are not taken into consideration. There can be dance duos of any combination, and when they master the dance together, the love between them is undeniable. However, a long time ago, such unions were frowned upon, and certain couples were denied the right. To have their undying love scorned was the ultimate insult, and it resulted in all Fire Dancers walking out from their duties. Their flames would be taken away from the battlefield and the temples would grow cold and still. When the major commanders of the Underworld forces saw one of their strongest troops leave, suddenly the tune began to change. Thus, their unions were quickly approved, and it got the ball rolling for all others in the Underworld.
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Whoops! Here is a real old drawing that got shoved so back in my posting folder I plum forgot about it! At last let the poor fella out!
When you ask the common folk what they think about magic users, you usually get one of two answers. There are those who see the benefits that come from the likes of mages and witches, where magic grants incredible blessings and abilities to make life easier. Some may cite the magical barriers that protect cities during a siege, or the wielding of elements to tame nature and destroy evil, and of course one cannot forget the incredible healing that can come from it. There is no denying that magic brings many a boon to the people, but that doesn't mean folks have to like those who wield it. The other answer you will get is that magic users are a dangerous and insufferable lot. Folks will point to mages and grumble about their smugness and sense of superiority, recalling how such groups use these powers for their own benefit. To them, magic gives one an inflated ego and the permission to do whatever they want, as kings and authorities will happily give leniency as long as it means having a magic wielder on their side. Of course, both of these opinions are highly generalized, as magic can do both good and bad. While there are indeed prominent examples of mages and the like using their powers for selfish reasons, there are plenty of good folk out there that let this blessing benefit all. Fine upstanding citizens that realize their power and talent should be used for the betterment of mankind. Unfortunately, Englorian Shaid is not one of those people.
Ever since Englorian Shaid awakened his ties to magic, he has viewed it as a power that inherently made him better than everyone else. It didn't help that this connection to these arts came from his bloodline, passed down from powerful ancestors to him. Being a descendant of such potent mages and sorcerers, like Cavarious Shaid, gave Englorian this sense of superiority. Thus, he was (and still is) a smug condescending sorcerer that feels that magical might gives divine right. His powers are that of a master, so who would dare to tell him no? If he can blast his way through his enemies and silence anyone detractors, then why should he bother to abide by their useless words and laws? This belief made Englorian very few friends and a ton of enemies, yet they could not stop him. His bloodline gave him staggering control over various types of magic, and on top of all that was the beloved collection that he inherited. The Shaid family was filled with rabid collectors of magical artifacts, weapons and trinkets, gathering a horde that makes entire guilds envious. With access to all this, Englorian proved to be a menace that was difficult to defeat. Not only that, but it infected him with the same need as his ancestors: to expand the great Shaid collection.
Englorian Shaid will do just about anything to add a new addition to the massive collection, and it was this that made him such a menace. Any magical bauble that caught his eye would cause problems for those who owned it. It didn't matter if this artifact had a different master, Englorian wouldn't stop til he had it in his hands. Be it an academy, museum or temple, he would happily blast his way through walls, guards and lock boxes to obtain his prize. He robbed many and fried even more, as he often needed to be sure this new toy was the real deal. Commoners who lived near his manor would be given the honor of being target practice, and any who gave him lip would be added to the shooting range. Englorian didn't see anything wrong with this, as it wasn't like they were important or anything. Cripes, they breed like rabbits, there will always be more of them. But of course, such actions could not be ignored, and he faced quite a few warriors, mages and assassins that wished to bring his reign of terror to an end. Most of them perished in spectacular ways, but Englorian's streak would not last forever. Sometimes, all it takes is for one lucky move to bring it all crumbling down.
One fateful day, Englorian Shaid found his manor besieged by a team of heroes. This didn't bother him much, as he had killed plenty just like them. When they challenged him, he wasted no time in unleashing his power. The battle that ensued was great, with his incredible magic crashing against the warriors and threatening to vaporize them. To Englorian, victory was assured, it was only a matter of time before their defenses finally failed. However, the team had a trick up their sleeve, and unveiled a magical crystal that Englorian had not seen before. This battle had been nothing more than an attempt to get close enough to the sorcerer to activate it, and when it was awakened, he could do nothing to stop what was coming. The crystal was a hungry container for magic, and the boastful sorcerer whose body was steeped in it was a prime meal. Englorian found his very essence torn from his body and sucked into the artifact, where it would be locked away. As his body crumbled to dust, his soul was alive and conscious within this crystalline prison. This would be the end of the greedy sorcerer, befalling an ironic fate of becoming a fine addition to someone else's collection. Or that was what should have happened...
For years, Shaid was trapped in this crystal and held as a trophy, but luck would eventually free him. His automaton assistant, Kree-Tal, would at last pull off a plan to break into the collection and swipe his master from his pedestal. This prison would be carried back to a secret safehouse, where Kree-Tal and Englorian's mind would work to free him from the crystal. He still was a potent magic user, and this safehouse contained a chunk of the family's collection. No doubt this would solve the riddle of this wretched crystal and free his soul! Many attempts were made, but none succeeded in truly breaking him free. To Englorian's frustration and misery, he could not fully escape this artifact. Whatever magic they had used to bind him, it was far more archaic and ancient than he could manage. The only thing their efforts succeeded in was cracking the crystal just enough for a part of his essence to leak out. It wasn't true freedom, but it did allow him to create a shadowy form that could act has a crude body. In a way, Englorian was back, just not in the flesh.
Shaid's return would have been a triumphant one, if anyone cared. As it turns out, being sealed away in a crystal for decades and stored in a dusty trophy room caused most people to forget you even existed. Enough time had passed that his legacy had faded, and many of his possessions had been absconded with. To Englorian's horror, much of the family's collection had been seized and scattered, his defeat opening the vaults to collectors and looters alike. The hideaway tower Kree-Tal had carried him to was one of the few pieces that had been missed. He still retained many artifacts and weapons, but it hardly mattered compared to what had been lost. Once Englorian gained this shadowy form, he made it his priority to reclaim what had been stolen from him, and rebuild the collection back to its former glory.
Though his flesh is gone, Englorian still retained his magical prowess, wielding it now with his shadowy limbs. This ethereal nature turned out to have some benefits, as he is no longer restricted by the human body. He can summon forth multiple hands to unleash spells with, and most other magic passes harmlessly through his darkness. Since the crystal still contains his soul, he cannot truly part from it, but some clever tinkering has granted a moveable pedestal that can cart this prison around. With this, he can travel about on his quest to reclaim the stolen heritage that his family so rightfully hoarded, using spells and artifacts to enact his vengeance. With how adaptable his new body is, Englorian was pretty thrilled with the possibilities. See how he can summon as many limbs as he needs, and how his foes cower at his phantom visage! Plus, since he is no longer bound by flesh, he has no need for eat, drink or sleep! No reason to stop, no reason to slow down! His pursuit for his heirlooms never has to cease, his painstaking curation of his remaining collection can continue without pause! It is great! Freeing! Limitless! Well, until the luster of it all started to fade...
While Englorian originally found this new form to have perks, the novelty of it started to wear off with time. Yes, his form could take any shape and he no longer needed the necessities of life, but there were parts of that he began to miss. He was no longer bothered by hunger or thirst, but what about the taste of his favorite meals? What about the beautiful aroma of a fine wine? Even when in this shadowy form, focused on his mission of retrieval, he couldn't shake away these wants. Eating food was great, drinking wine was wonderful! Even the peace of sleep was eventually missed, as Englorian started to feel bored with the nonstop nature of it all. While he had the basic senses needed to interact with the world around him, frivolous things like smell, taste and touch were lost with his ethereal nature. They didn't seem like much then, but now their absence gnaws at him. To the point where he has started to get a little desperate.
If one were to watch Englorian in his home, they may wonder if he has truly lost these senses. While he meticulously maintains and cleans his collection, he will sneeze at the dust and even give out heavy sighs of hard work done. Kree-Tal will be in the kitchen cooking dinner, and Shaid will be sure to comment on how it is smelling great. And at the end of the day, a meal shall be presented with a bottle of wine, which the shadowy sorcerer will relish. He savors his food as he talks about the flavor and texture, making sure to note the aroma and hints found within his favorite drink. Once that is done, he heads to bed so that he may rest for the next day. How can this be, when he claims to not have these needs or senses? The reason is simple, and a bit worrying: he's making it all up. Though he doesn't breath, he does pretend to, faking the sound of being winded after heavy lifting and letting out a clearly staged sneeze when he notes a cloud of dust. He cannot smell or taste, but he calls upon memories of the sensations and uses that to act it out. Even if he could smell, there is no odor to enjoy, as Kree-Tal's "cooking" is also an illusion. Since Englorian cannot eat food or drink fluids, using actual ingredients would be a useless waste, thus props are used. His "dinner" is nothing more than wood shavings, wax and clay, all shaped to look like a proper meal. His "wine" is just dyed water, yet he acts as if it is a fine vintage. Eating is actually just dropping the false morsels into his shadow form, approximately where a mouth would be. Though he "chews" and "savors," the stuff really just falls through him and onto the floor. Kree-Tal then simply cleans up the mess as Englorian heads to his room to "power down." What he gets from all this is nothing, just the illusion that he is still somewhat human, even if it makes him look crazy. Especially when people learn that his form cannot do things like clap or snap his fingers, so Englorian makes up for it by just making the noise himself as he does the gesture. It's...kinda weird...
These simple wants have slowly built up over time into something very obvious to him and everyone else. One just needs to look at the disguises he puts on over his shadow form and crystal podium to see that he wants a new body. For now, he uses cloaks and gauntlets to drape over a bandaged silhouette, creating the illusion of a person. But to get the desired sensations back, he needs new flesh and blood. To do so, he needs two things: the right magic to free him from the crystal and a proper body for him to take over. The spell needed to destroy this prison is still a struggle to find, but he imagines that sooner or later his pursuit for magical relics will reveal the answer. Thus, the other thing to worry about is finding a good body to make his own. Now that he doesn't have to rely on what he was born with, he can afford to be picky. For a infamous sorcerer like himself, not just any meager flesh will do! In fact, Englorian is starting to wonder if he has to settle for a mere human at this point. This thought has arisen in his mind ever since he ran into a weird little group of freaks, a bizarre collection of creatures who call themselves "knights" for some reason...
Englorian Shaid crossed paths with the Knights of the Wrong Table during his quest to steal back his relics, the pesky do-gooders barging into his business whenever he was sacking a museum or sacred temple. After the fools somehow managed to deny him his prize on a few occasions, he started to develop a grudge against them. But then, after taking a closer look at their roster, he started to get some ideas. Yes, they needed to be destroyed so they would stop bothering him, but perhaps something of use could be salvaged from these fools. A human body is fine and all for him to steal, but what about a demon, or a dryad, or a fairy? Hells, what about a DRAGON?! Now Shaid is looking at the Wrong Table like how one would eye a sampler platter, trying to figure out a favorite to take from the group. Of course, it is so hard to choose sometimes, the sorcerer constantly changing his mind on which body he would like to steal. Some days he might think a slime could make a good host, while others has him considering the form and strength of a giant ant. This results in Shaid's conflicts with the Wrong Table sometimes veering into kidnapping and possession, looking to try out one of these bodies as if they were a new shirt. Thankfully, since Shaid has yet to discover a way to sever his bonds to his crystal, such possessions are temporary and can be disrupted. Typically, it calls for targeting his crystal, as it is the one part of his form that can take damage. One would think that hitting his crystalline prison would free him, but he's already tried that. In fact, he worries that destroying this relic would wind up shattering his essence as well, essentially killing him. Thus, he has to begrudgingly protect the very thing that shackles him.
Battles against Englorian are tough ones for the Knights of the Wrong Table, mainly due to his magical prowess and the fact the knights have zero of that stuff. Thus, they have to try and fight an annoyed sorcerer with nothing but their blades and wits. Shaid's ability to summon different elemental magic lets him take advantage of each member's weakness, and crafty use of his collected artifacts lets him unleash new and terrible spells. Yet, the order has learned ways to take on this shadowy figure. One is his crystal heart, which is the main way to damage him or interrupt his spells. While blades and arrows phase right through his dark limbs, a solid hit to the crystal seems to frazzle his essence for a few moments, causing magic to fail and his hands to lose consistency. The second weakness of his is his precious collection, as it is his pride, joy and inheritance. While he may use some of the weapons within, he is loath for any harm to come to them. In many cases, he will put himself into danger to prevent a valuable piece from getting damaged, so targeting his beloved artifacts are a good way to upset him. One must be careful, though, as if his anger grows too much, he may abandon his false humanoid form in a rage and transform into a terrible shadowy fury, unleashing hell like a dark magic wielding spider.
But sometimes the biggest weakness of all is Englorian's partnership with King Olaf the Seventh. Though the shadow sorcerer thinks the puppet king is an absolute idiot, the tempting secrets of his Stitched Manuscript are too good to pass up. By siding with Olaf, Shaid gets access to the enigmatic tome in hopes of translating it and figuring out the spells within. He feels confident that the magic needed to free his soul and transfer his essence can be found within, he just needs to crack the code. And also suffer Olaf's irritating presence and obnoxious attitude. The blithering king constantly demands the use of Shaid's magic, as well as access to his collection of magical weapons. He thinks he knows how to handle them, but Englorian would rather give these precious relics to crazed toddler than hand them over to that patchwork fool. But he must aid Olaf if he wants access to that tome, so he must find ways to placate the puppet while also keeping his collection safe. And even if they do work as a (somewhat) team, you can be sure that there will be constant bickering between the two, as each one accuses the other of being an unbearable and egotistical moron.
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Remember waaaaay back when when I said i was going to update the Knights of the Wrong Table roster? I was speaking truth, but it just so happened to be very very delayed! Old watchers may recognize this fellow but be puzzled by the name. Indeed, I did change his name a bit, because the old one was stupid. Is this new one still stupid? Probably, but I like it better.
