| Affiliations | Abecedarian Phalanx |
|---|---|
| Place of Birth | Ancient History |
| Place of Death | Unknown |
| Species | Human |
Ignacious Phonimus and his Terrible Fate is a story of shadow and pain, of pride and its fall, of secret conflicts and awesome powers. Let it be a lesson to the reader to be watchful, and heed the reverberating calls across the universe, for they whisper warnings against acting as Ignacious once did.
Chapter 1: An Anomaly Born Under a Fell Sky[edit | edit source]
Flashes of lightning illuminate the pained face of a young woman in childbirth. The howl of the winds and pattering of rain on a thatched roof cover her pained moans and the reassurance of her midwife. It was a storm to end all storms battering Isonhound's coastline, and the poor maid struggled in her birthing pains. A prayer, not so much spoken as screamed, rose above the noise of thunder to finish her agonies. Did one of Isonhound's many fey creatures or a tempestuous spirit hear the call? Perhaps, for within minutes the girl heard the cries of her newborn child. Then, a most peculiar moment; before the midwife could say, "It's a boy", the babe's cries quieted, and he made a sound almost in surprise. The new mother asked for her child quickly, to let her hold him close amid the driving storm. But as her hands reached around him, her boy made another sound of surprise and he recoiled in her arms. When she awoke the next morning, Ignacious Phonimus' mother saw her one-day-old had opened his eyes and was looking at her with a strange stare - one of deep understanding.
This was the strange circumstance of Ignacious Phonimus' birth, and its strange side effect. It is not a gift, what he was born with, but a power that defied all knowledge of magic before or since with devastating simplicity. When Ignacious makes contact with another being of any sort whatsoever, he learns the sum total of their memories and experiences, even those that the being itself has forgotten. It does not work on the dead, but that is small potatoes. His mind is a vast catalog of experiences, and it is a wonder the jar does not crack from being filled beyond bursting, but it holds.
It is no wonder that with this "blessing", Ignacious was doomed to be strange. Imagine the strangeness, being but minutes old, having the memories of your own conception and birth implanted in your consciousness. To feel a profound shame as a baby, understanding the pain you have caused your mother, and knowing her most intimate secrets and wishes and dreams and fears on top of it. And your midwife's entire life as well! It was mere months before the boy started talking, and his first words were the name of a secret lover of one of his neighbors, and the location where she would rendezvous with the man in question. It was too late - Ignacious had been held by every woman in the village at that point, and even his mother feared what he might know or say. It was her trepidation that broke him, I think.
Regardless, Ignacious did not grow up kindly, and it did not take many years to him to become selfish and manipulative, abusing his power. He had no talent for battle, but one hand on the shoulder of a weary fighter gave him knowledge beyond his years. Why try to learn magic when you could trip against a passing wizard, and let your hands touch as you help him gather his components? And in social circles, Ignacious held no equal; all secrets laid bare with but a kiss on a lady's proffered hand. And his power applied to more than just humans: bears, fey creatures, dragons gods forbid could, and did, add to the hoard of knowledge locked between his temples. Quickly drunk on power, Ignacious fashioned himself a Knight-Explorer, and through manipulation secured a title and funds to seek out other lands and races, to learn even more about how the world of Quelmar worked.
He likely would have become a great and terrible lord, had a magical rip in the fabric of time whisked him away to a destiny far away. Quelmar breathed a sigh of relief at his disappearance.
Chapter 2: An Opportunity Waiting Outside Time[edit | edit source]
One moment, Ignacious was walking down a forest path dappled in sunlight. The next, his foot hit solid stone. The Archmage's knowledge told Ignacious that magic was being performed, the Duelist's knowledge drew his longsword, and the Hunter's knowledge kept his eyes trained for a target. The Bat's knowledge made him click his tongue and measure the space: a hall of some sort, with a high ceiling and solid walls. The air smelled of old dust and forgotten mildew, and the Dragon's knowldge told Ignacious the place was built by magic. A dry chuckle from fifteen away caused him to turn, blade raised.
"Lower your weapon, Phonimus. I wish to converse." The ancient voice rippled across Ignacious' stores of memory; most of them said "RUN". The voice was in a whisper that issues up from a black crevice in the earth. Each syllable separately would make children cry and normal men sweat. Ignacious stood his ground. "Who are you?" he said.
A snap of bony fingers, and torches blazed to life. Ignacious' eyes were greeted by a horrifying sight. A near-skeletal figure floated just above the stone floor. It was hairless, and its sallow skin was yellowed with age. No eyes rested in the sockets, but instead cut and polished onyx orbs. It wore a cloak of purple worm skin and a diadem inlaid with a king's ransom in jewels. Ignacious broke out into another layer of sweat, for he knew what he faced. "You're a li-lich." Yes, a lich - one of the great practitioners of magic that haunt evil spaces and hoard secrets beyond mortal comprehension. Impossibly dangerous and equally inscruitable. Each breath he took might be his last. "What have you done with me?"
"Settle yourself, Phonimus, and do not be obvious. I am not seeking your demise," the voice issued from the lich's mouth. "Have a seat." It gestured to a table Ignacious had missed, bedecked with food and wine. Knowing better than to refuse, Ignacious sat and began to dine. The lich continued, "I have watched you your entire life, Phonimus. I have observed the circumstances of your birth and the progression of your life for an untold age. You are a unique being among the planes as far as I understand, and I understand much indeed. I seek to make use of your talents to win a devastating war that has dragged on far too long."
"A war? I wasn't aware of any war going on in Quelmar while I was traveling. And if you want something from me, it would be proper to introduce yourself." It was no memories of Ignacious' that led him to speak brazenly. It was the fact that if this lich wanted him dead, he would be. The lich chuckled once more. "I suppose you are correct. I am Abecedarus, and I have plucked you from the time you were born in. You now sit centuries ahead in your own future, when Quelmar is on the brink of apocalypse. I aim to put an end to the conflict with your assistance as well as others. Their talents align with yours nicely, I promise you. You will be part of my Phalanx, and you will be the spear that pierces the hearts of the gods themselves."
Ignacious' mind was reeling. A war? The gods? Abecedarus? He exhausted his stores of gathered memory, and his conclusions were few. It was clear Abecedarus was ancient, possibly older than Quelmar itself. Its control over space and, by its own admission, time indicated great skill with Chronomancy, the highest form of magic. Piercing the hearts of the gods themselves was a ludicrous sentence, but if a being could make such a claim and not be lying, a lich was one who would. He wasn't sold, though. "What is the point of me obeying you, Abecedarus? Your words are foolhardy, and I will not be part of any suicidal mission for you." His words were braver than me was, and his heart pounded in his chest.
"Silly mortal," Abcedarus replied. The lich drifted away from the table, beckoning Ignacious to follow. "I have laid plans for eons, and all you need do is trust. And if you cannot trust, then I shall provide sufficient reward." The lich turned its head to Ignacious, sounding almost amused. "What do you think you might learn if you were to touch me?"
Chapter 3: The Grim Vault is Found[edit | edit source]
A brief history of your character's life.
Chapter 4: An Old War, a New Battle[edit | edit source]
Examples include Common, Elvish, TwitchTalk, Thieves Cant, or French
Chapter 5: Faced with Death[edit | edit source]
You don't have to give it all away. Just let us know what you're known to do in battle.
Conclusion: Ignacious' Terrible Fate[edit | edit source]
Your favorite weapons.
