NPCs · Minor · Religious

Raziel of the Crimson Storm

"Oh, yes, I know of him. That half-mad disciple of the Storm, you'd never think he was dangerous to look at him - until he pulls out those twin blades of his and screams in his high voice 'Blood for the Storm God!' - you wouldn't think a pixie could make your blood go cold like that." -Anatos One-Eye, speaking of Raziel of the Crimson Storm

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Appearance
Raziel is, at first glance, nothing more than a seemingly harmless pixie; only about a foot and a half in height, he hardly stands out from others of his race. Large, expressive scarlet eyes dominate his face, the irises so large as to nearly make the whites invisible, while large butterfly-like wings extend from his back, covered in swirling patterns of red, violet, and blue. He often dresses in simple pants and a tunic cut to accommodate his wings, with a belt at his waist through which are stuck a pair of long needle-like blades.
When he loses his calm, the impression of a harmless pixie is blown away on a storm wind of rage and bloodlust; his scarlet eyes seem to glow with an inner fire, and the langourous movements common to pixies is subsumed by furious energy as he darts around whatever field of battle he has found for himself, the comical-seeming blades in his hands flashing as they spill blood in his god's name. Those who see him in action and live to tell the tale often have nightmares afterwards of his luminous eyes and his high, childlike voice screaming in delight as he calls out his battlecry - "Blood for the Storm God!"
History/Background
Raziel is a strange creature among his own people; where most live in a relative harmony with the natural world, Raziel has been an oddity all his life, fascinated with death, destruction, and the violent aspect of nature. An ardent student of destructive magic, he was an outcast long before he discovered his patron deity, shunned by his more pacifistic kin.
The Storm God is worshipped in two forms; the benevolent bringer of rain and quencher of thirst, lending his blessing to bring forth the bounty of the world, is the most popular and commonly worshipped aspect. There is, however, a darker side, a more primal and ancient force - even as a storm can bring life-giving rain, so too can it bring destructive forces far beyond mortal control. It is this Divine Storm that Raziel found true awe for one day, after surviving a freak tornado that savaged the arboreal village where he dwelled; in the display of Her savage fury he found the essence of his soul.
Now, he is an ardent worshipper of the Divine Storm, firmly believing that the natural cycle of death and destruction is Her sacred dominion. To this end, he is all too happy to commit blood sacrifice in his god's name, giving free reign to the murderous fury that he has developed as an outcast among his own people.
Special Equipment
Raziel has just three things he always carries on him; the first is the Storm Sigil, a simple holy symbol of the Divine Storm - a metal thunderbolt that courses with the power of the Storm. In truth, it is nothing less than a true Shard of the Storm, ironically worked into a sacred icon of the same. It amplifies the power of his magic, and feeds off his passionate bloodlust even as it drives it to a hurricane pitch. The latter two are his blades - small enough to be dirks in the hands of larger races, they're the functional equivalent of short swords in his hands, with blades as thin and sharp as a scalpel, carefully enchanted to prevent them from breaking.
He often wears clothing in dark colors, the better to hide the inevitable bloodstains that he collects as he passes through life offering his ardent worship to the Storm.
Roleplaying Notes
He is a fanatic; an utter, complete fanatic, convinced that shedding blood in the name of the Storm is his ordained duty. While he is quite capable with both arcane spells of destruction and chaos and the divine magic of the storm, he has discovered a passionate glee in the act of battle, spilling blood with his weapons. It takes very little to provoke him to a fight, although he is far from stupid and will refrain from hurling himself into a group by himself.

Now and then he can be found with other worshippers of the Divine Storm, either lending his magical powers to them, or occasionally leading them in fervent and bloody worship. He's never above sacrificing his fellows to preserve himself, however, as he hates the idea of dying himself and no longer being able to kill in his god's name.

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5 comments

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  1. Kassil

    Honestly, I have to share the credit/blame for this with Siren. The overall idea and development are mine, but he's the one who prodded me to actually post it, and provided a bit of feedback (and suggestion to include the Shard).

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  2. Moonlake

    A good concise counter-stereotype piece. A minor typo in History, 2nd paragraph, end of 2nd line- it should be "so too can it", not "so to".

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    1. Kassil reply

      Fixed; thank you for pointing it out.

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  3. Fallen Angel

    4/5

    Decent subversion of standard fantasy.

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  4. valadaar

    I love Mr. Psychopixie :)

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