Title: God of the Sleep, Dreams and Nightmares. The Eternal Slumber, The Cursing Philosopher, Chaser of Stars, The Sleeping Balance, Keeper of Memories Long Forgotten, Watcher of Illusions, Guard between the Dreamstate of Mortals and Gods
Gender: Doesn't normally appear as a human, but shows himself as a Man.
Alignment: Forced Neutral: Choosing sides would make mortals upset.
God Appearance: In his mortal form, Seriosis takes on the form of sleep: an ever changing, surreal experience with some normalcy. He appears in his early twenties as, his long, blonde hair is unkempt and never styled, which will change with every visit. Surprisingly, he has bags under his eyes as if he has a lack of sleep. His eyes shine an oxymoron of radiant grey, and will change to any color depending on his attitude or dream. He has pearly white teeth, but they come off as rotten at the same time. Very refined cheekbones, small cheek, and cleanly shaven completes his face. His body language is quite reserved, and would rather stick to the sidelines and watch than be apart of human society, and yet he is always present. On his left arm, there is a black tattoo with various slash markings surrounding a single letter: D for Delkanir, or Dream. On his right, it is the same tattoo, only a red in color, and with a A for Axolis (Nightmare)
Personality: Seriosis is a complicated, yet simple minded entity. His thought pattern is completely random, from being extremely practical in thinking to creative and bold on another day. This makes him probably the worst leader of all time, as he doesn't understand the concept of leadership. He would rather them run freely to do as they please, which doesn't allow for very good leadership. He is a free spirit of sorts, floating from place to place, realm to realm, not really caring. Yet, at the same time, he is immensely engrossed in the every nightly lives of the mortals, the avatars, anybody. Seriosis is also extremely nosy, finding out things about many people that he probably shouldn't know. People that talk in their sleep make it so much easier than if they snore, which he believes to be the only part of mortals that he is disgusted with. That is their fatal flaw to him.
Seriosis rarely leaves his domain, which has made him into a puzzling, introvert-like god. But, as he is a pure oxymoron, he interacts with mortals and gods on a nightly basis through their dreams and nightmares. This has lead him to also being a very psychologically based style of anything: Seriosis is very good at dissecting a mortal's or even god's minds, thinking and wondering what makes them tick. This usually leads nowhere, as he is too busy sleeping, meddling with somebody or preoccupied by other studies to care. However, since he must also guard the barrier between the mortals and the Gods - many mortals have tried to exploit the gateway through their sleep - Seriosis has to shrug his laziness and introvert-style personality to actually pay attention during the night. This leads him to sometimes having to wake up, which highly annoys him.
Serisis is a very paranoid style of god. While he is normally laid back, relaxed, calming, and civil, Seriosis is known for his cursing. He will often curse mortals who try to breach the barrier to his realm and theirs with insomnia, nightmares, and other disorders. This has lead to the misconception that he is the God of Curses as well. In reality, he is simply an easily aggravated God. He hates mortals who hate sleeping, and he hates those who love it too much - unless they are his priests or avatar/heroes.
At the end of the mortal day, Seriosis is an oxymoron that would rather sit on the sidelines and yell curses at those he is annoyed with. Kind of like a mortal at a sporting event.
Opinion of mortals: "They come, they go. But their dreams... their nightmares... Pure ecstasy right under their noses."
God’s Domain: To call it a domain would be laughable. In reality, it is more like a room, which spans endlessly, and yet is extremely confined. Since his domain is connected to nearly every other god, there are many doors to enter his Domain of control, and yet they are never able to be seen from the outside or inside, unless they are shown to the God wanting to enter his space.
Upon entry, all that can be seen is a starry sky, full of planets that don't exist and constellations that don't make sense. The room is a massive loop, so going really far only means going in circles. The ground is a deep purple, with little shrubs that are incomprehencible and the physical embodiment of ideas floating around. In truth, his room makes no sense. At the center of it all is a single tree, which is lush and green and at the same time, withered and dying. This is where Seriosis spends most of his time, either sleeping with his mind awake, or awake with his mind annoyed. He rarely ever moves from this spot, or even speaks. He normally uses telepathy.
Avatar Name: Markel Des Telkin, The DreamWeaver
Avatar Appearance: Markel is a fairly large man, standing at least 6'6 and weighing about 200 pounds. Most of it is all in his height, as he rarely eats anything. Because of this lack of nourishment, he is quite lanky, and he doesn't work out. Never the less, he still retains enough muscle to continue his research and fight off enemies. He is best known for wearing a wide brimmed hat and cloak, and hair that reaches his shoulders. His eyes are a deep brown, which look fairly normal, until one looks at his pupils. They are distorted, as they never match in size. Every Avatar of Seriosis has had this condition, which is one of the ways to prove to his community that he is the avatar. When it comes to ceremonies of sorts - they are few and far between - or going into battle, he puts on his formal wear, which is what is known as DreamCatcher's Doubt. This attire enhances the power of the Avatar and him alone, strengthening his mind. The Staff is simply called Dreamare.
Name of Item: Delkolis - mortals call it the Dreamare
Type: Staff
Advancement: 7
Power: The Dreamare has the ability to harness the mind power of the sleeping. This staff acts as a focal point, channeling the sleeping mind powers of any mortal in the vicinity of 300 meters. If they are wearing the Amulet of Seriosis, this vicinity is infinity larger, but only the Sleepers wear them. Watchers may as well, but most of them cannot sleep. The great thing about this weapon is that only the Avatar of Sleep may use it.
Weakness: This staff is by no means a weapon. It may channel energy, but this mind power must be cast by the Avatar himself to be of any use. Aiming and shouting will only channel the energy towards the target, which will either make them sleep or make them stronger willed. Also, if the staff is undercharged, it will begin to eat away at the mind of the Avatar, hence the need for Sleepers.
History: Long, Long, REAAAAALLLY long ago, Seriosis chose his first Avatar. He went by the name of Alexio the DreamWatcher. A former Watcher, Alexio used his new found abilities to establish the Qualkavir, or The Land of Dreamers. However, many factions felt appalled that a God, whom either annoyed them by barring the doors to the God realm or caused them to have insomnia, could have followers. So many nations ruthlessly attacked the small little Dominion. And so began the Age of the Restless for the Serisies. Many of Seriosis' followers were butchered by followers of any kind, and they were thought to be a plague that needed to be vanquished.
As their numbers dwindled, so did their resolve. Some began to defect, give up on Seriosis. All but a few, including the Avatar, left Seriosis. With his powers growing weaker, The God of Slumber forged a Staff from the sleeping Avatar, who hadn't slept in 8 years. With his dreams, his nightmares, his sleep came forth a Staff like none other. Its shape was confusing, yet simple, its features intruiging and repulsive. The Avatar, with the staff gripped between his hands, called upon the powers of his God to give him the wills, dreams, nightmares, and slumbers of all in the area, and he cast What is now known as the Eternal Sleep. It could only be used once, as it 'murdered' the caster. This spell would cause all; the caster and those who were asleep and had their wills fed to the staff, to never awaken. And they never did.
A coffin containing the body of Alexio still sits on the Plains of Eternal Sleep, hoping that one day he shall be allowed to awaken.
Name of Item: Robes of the Weary
Type: Armor/Ceremonial Robes (See Formal Robes)
Advancement: Without the Headdress? 4 With? 8
Power: These robes allow the Avatar to enter a sleeper's dreams and distort them, or merely send a message. It will cloak the wearer in an illusion, causing him to appear different if need be. Finally, it does wonders if the Avatar is weary, as it will rejuvenate him for a while.
Weakness: Markel cannot enter a sleeping person's dreams if he isn't wearing the Headdress. He also runs the risk of getting himself lost in a person's sleep, which takes quite some time to get his mind out of anothers. Short of killing the other, of course. To cloak himself in an illusion, he must allow the spirit of Seriosis to enter his body, which is very treaturous. Even though he is the Avatar, even the tiny bit of Seriosis' essence will run him mad if he isn't completely focused. He normally uses the Sleepers to strengthen his resolve. Finally, to revitalize himself, he must use quite a bit of life force from a Sleeper. If he is dead tired, the Sleeper he chooses will most likely die.
Self Defense If worn by another, the Robes will swallow the person slowly, eating their life force, draining their body until they become nothing but one with the Robes. This normally happens to the Avatar near the end of life, if he isn't consumed by Dreamare.
History: These robes were worn by the 4 Avatar, whose name will always be forgotten. He had a lust for power, and demanded that Seriosis make him something, as the Staff wasn't enough. As is with the God of Slumber, he cursed the very robes he was wearing with immense power, but slowly ate away at his body. When the Avatar finally achieved enough power to storm the Gods, he was consumed.
Name of Item: Headdress of Woe.
Type: Helmet/Ceremonial Headdress
Advancement: Without Robes? 4 With? Combined 8.
Power: Telepathy by the Avatar is strengthened immensely, allowing him to send messages far and wide. It also allows the ability of Cursing, with actual results. Finally, Markel can infiltrate the mind of another, and possess them with terribly visions and nightmares, either driving him insane or causing him to attack his comrades.
Weakness: Without the Robes, The ability to infiltrate the mind becomes non existent. Telepathy also drains the Avatar quite quickly, causing him to become tired much quicker. Sleepers cannot help him with Telepathy with the Headdress on. Cursing has a random effect. Whatever curse is used has a 45/35/20 odds. (45% is that the target will be cursed, 35 is that the USER will be cursed, and 20 is that both will be.) The infiltration of a mind is also very tricky, as with the Robes, Markel could either get lost, or succumb to the targets mind.
Self Defense: The Headdress will cause the unwanted user to hallucinate until death.
History: This Headdress is the most recent (but still a long time ago) of the Weapons of Legacy, as it was created by the 19th Avatar (Seriosis goes through a loooot). Seriosis was realizing that his people was getting killed quite a bit recently, and that his Avatar wasn't the smartest choice. His name was Wakeln, whom many called Wakeln of the Woe. Many underestimated the soft spoken, pessimistic and subdued Avatar of the God of Sleep. Now, Seriosis was getting quite mad now, so he forged a Headdress to match the Robes, one that was made from the laughter and dreams of Wakeln's bullys, and so the Headdress of Illusions was born. Walkeln, unsure of what to do with the Helmet, destroyed many of his own before he drove his suppressors insane. However, he accidentally destroyed the mind of his toddler son, and he committed suicide because of it. The name was changed in memory of Wakeln, to the Headdress of Woe.
Personality: Completely opposite of his God, Markel is very headstrong, focused and determined. He runs a tight ship, which is one of the reasons that Seriosis chose him: He can lead the people. He leads by example, being justice and religiously based. However, he lacks mercy for many, and that leads to many of Seriosis' people being afraid of their own avatar. He is known for being exceptionally relentless and harsh towards outsiders, while Seriosis doesn't mind them at all. If being the opposite of an oxymoron was possible, Markel would be it. He is extremely bold, hard to understand, but will always do what he believes is best for his people, as he is the Head Priest as well. Markel is very thorough, and will do things by the book at all times. He is a very religious man, and will fight for his God, regardless of the circumstances.
Magic Abilities: Each Avatar of Seriosis is gifted with the ability of foresight (which is usually so riddled that is completely useless) and telepathy, along with a talent unique to each one. Markel's talent is known as the Spider's Web, which casts an illusion onto the intended target. The ore people, the weaker the illusion. These recipients experience a nightmare of any sorts, which is usually extremely surreal and unexplainable. The length depends on the number of people, and the time of day. During the day, these nightmares are quite weak, and vice versa. These Dreams, if they work completely, will completely obliterate the target's psyche, rendering them as babbling fools until they regain their mind.
Hero(es): Kellepo, The Mare of Mortals
Rank/Reason: Guardian of the DreamWeaver (High Priest). He made it by ruthlessly murdering a Dragon that was attacking Markel (this didn't make Strach very happy with his people...)
Personality: Kellepo is very blunt and to the point, but makes one too many wise cracks to be taken seriously. He will defend Markel to the end of his mortal life, but he enjoys it along the way. In a sick sense, he has a bit of sadism running through his blood, as he takes pleasure in watching those who oppose Seriosis burn, or be tortured of the mind. But Kellepo keeps this under check with most civillians, coming off as a goofy, silly guardian. Of all the high authorities, he is the most interactive with the followers of Seriosis, caring to the needs of all those who ask of it. He is very giving and generous, unless they follow a God that Markel has had despuits with - and that list is longer than it probably should.
Rank/Reason: Leader of the Sleeping Death, an elite group of only 100 or so members. They serve Seriosis and him alone.
Personality: Cold, unaffected, merciless. He is one of the top hired assassins for a reason. His only loyalties are to his God and his own men, nothing more. He has a soft spot for Seriosis' followers, but will still kill one if the money is enough. He is a former Watcher, which has helped him master the art of defense. However, he is very restless, always moving somewhere. He never has really cared much for the Sleepers, who are what the Watchers are appointed to guard. He hated watching and waiting for somebody to attack, much more so when they were all moved to the capital. He is a hands on learner, and shrouded in mystery. Untrustworthy, sinister, plotting, but is the best friend of Kellepo.
Terrain Preference: To be completely honest, a follower of Seriosis can be found virtually anywhere. To their god, sleep is needed everywhere, regardless of the terrain. But Most of them prefer wide, open plains and small towns to big cities. Valleys are a favourite of most.
Name of Kingdom/Empire: The Qualkavir Dominion, the people however call themselves Serisies.
Capital: Serzkana, the City of Eternal Rest. (Military + Mining + Farming)
The capital city of the Serisies, it was built on the side of a mountain for one purpose: seclusion. Many of the Sleepers now live in the capital, and their many garrison - which isn't very large - is stationed in the city. It is very self sufficient, using the mine that is to the left of the city AND the natural farm land at the bottom as their means of survival. The Starry Path is the main entrance to the city, which leads straight to the main gate. Now, the city looks extremely small, as most of it is also deep inside the mountain itself, where the Sleepers and Garrison are stored. This gives the Sleepers eternal Night time, and a fortress to keep them safe. The mine runs below the city.
Major Cities:
Hraskela, the City to the North. Only port in the entire Dominion.
Yllion, the Farming Metropolis to the South. Name gives it away. They export most of their food to the Capital. (Pronounced EEl-eeon)
Gakmon, the Dreamer of the East. Small mining city
The Ruins of Slingna (Pronounced Slin - eea). Used to be a major city to the west. Destroyed. By invaders.
Society:
[People]
The people that follow Seriosis are quite varied. Civillians greet most travellers with open arms, accepting nearly anybody. Except maybe the Orcs. The People of Seriosis live as carefree spirits, just as he does, and because of their care free nature, no police force is needed. People seem to get along all the time, having disputes dealt by peers on a regular basis. However, they are extremely strict about a few things, and the main rule is to NEVER speak out against Seriosis. As he curses, so will they. His followers are very devoted to the God of Slumber, and will curse at any who dare rude mouth him. They may not fight - brawls are rare - but they will yell obscenities at unwelcome travellers. Seriosis likes to think of his people as a cult, only without the side effects.
Although many different people are followers, many travellers complain about the emptiness of the cities. But what most will find is that there aren't that many followers of Seriosis. That is because many of them - about 1 in every 3 - have become or will become Sleepers. They are like scholars, only they follow a different set of rules. They only are awake for about 1 hour a day, and that is to eat. They sleep for many reasons: to become closer to Seriosis, to meditate with each other as they can link their minds, to fuel the Avatar and the other soldiers in battle and so forth. It is extremely hard for one outside of the Serisies to understand the wanting of becoming a Sleeper, as to most it looks like a form of punishment. Sleepers do not interact with the outside world, rarely ever move, begin to lose their own identity after 5 years of service have even been known to lose their own selves to the surrealism of Seriosis. That is the burden they carry, and many do it with honor.
However, travellers are never allowed to get anywhere near the Sleepers, and instead interact with the normal civillians, or a Watcher. These are the backbone of the Serisies army, the protectors of the Sleepers. They watch over every section of the quarters, guarding them at all costs. The ratio of Watchers to Sleeprs is about 1 : 1.5 roughly, as a Watcher may be entitled to 2 Sleepers. They act as any other garrison would, and they normally protect the Capital from any danger. The warriors outside of the Capital are still considered Watchers, but do not watch over Sleepers, and are not part of the ratio above.
[Economy]
The economy of the Serisies is based off of self sufficiency. This means they mostly trade amongst each other, and not really daring to go out into the world. Only Hraskela imports and exports goods to other nations. This set up has had its many problems. If one city suffers a drawback, most of the rest do as well. If crops don't go well in Yllion, then there isn't much food. Self sufficiency works wonders, but not if it isn't efficient unto itself. And this shows quite well. When Sligna, a major city of trade, was destroyed, many Serisies had to move to the capital in order to fend for themselves. More still left for better lands, but still followed Seriosis. Over time, they have built a better way of making money: Art. Many famous artists in the land are followers of Seriosis, who paint in surreal and abstract ways. This also attracts many tourists to the area, since many artists and musicians set up shop in Qualkavir.
[Politics]
Seriosis doesn't believe in government, per say. In truth, he wouldn't care if his followers were simple barbarians. But the people came up with their own way, which became a religious style democracy. The Avatar, whenever a new one is found, becomes the leader of the people. The 'Heroes' of the people, who are elected due to some for of valor, are assigned as advisers and guides to the Avatar, who will most likely take heed to their words. Along with the Advisors, a Representative of each City and Town (As stated before, Qualkavir Dominion is not very big.) will converse with the Avatar and Advisers monthly to give their report on the situation. This leads the Avatar with a massive responsibility, dealing with the people and invaders at the same time. In each of the 4 cities, and the numerous small towns, a similar style is set up. The people converge, and will voice their concerns to the Representative. He/She can either take action or discuss it with the Avatar at the end of the month. Each Representative holds some power, such as a mayor does. However, they are still simply members.
The hierarchy goes as such from top down: Avatar, Advisors, Heroes, Representatives and Common folk. There aren't many nobles amongst the Serisies, as the Qualkavir Dominion is more like a ragtag group of surrealist lovers.
Other: What else do you want to tell us?