The Origins of Phrenik

Phrenik is a Dungeons and Dragons (henceforth abbreviated to DnD) character I have been creating for a while now. I wanted to create a Wizard. Now, most people have a preconceived notion of what a Wizard should look like: Long robes, carrying a wooden staff with either a pointed hat with star patterns everywhere or a large hood. Big grey beard. Like Tolkien's Gandalf the Grey (or White) or J. K. Rowling's Albus Dumbledore.

When I designed this character, I wanted to pick that notion by the seat of the pants and the scruff of the neck and toss it out the window. So I searched within multiple genres while looking for inspiration, from Manga to fantasy to SciFi. I was actually quite delighted with what I gathered.

I had four major characters from my past experiences that I wanted to incorporate a small feel of. The first is Jace Beleren, a powerful mind-mage from the world of Magic: The Gathering.

"You should try to clear your mind of idle thoughts. And if you can't, I will."

Jace specializes in Blue magic and deals mainly with magic that manipulates the mind and memories. (Wow, there were a lot of Ms in that sentence.) His outfit is what I really wanted to emulate in designing Phrenik, because I really like the style of his sleeves, cape, pants, tunic, and especially his hood.

The next I thought about seemed at first to me like an odd choice. I honestly couldn't explain to myself why I wanted my character to emulate him: Doctor Who's 11th Incarnation of The Doctor, played by Matt Smith.

"I wear bow ties now. Bow ties are cool."

The Doctor has a police box that can move through space and time at will. He's lived for hundreds of years, and when he is grievously injured he simple "regenerates" which grants him not only a new look but a new personality. The 11th incarnation has a bit of a quick temper, but it's juxtaposed strangely with his old soul view of the world. I really wanted Phrenik to capture The Doctor's "Next Stop, Everywhere" attitude while being able to relate to the Doctor's shadowy past.

I thought for a while before deciding who next to capture aspects of, but when I thought of Rave Master's Sieg Hart, I was sold.

"Even one who masters the sword must bow to the power of magic."

Sieg Hart is an Elementalist. He wields the arcane power of the elements in order to protect the continuum of time. He and Jace are both where I got the idea for Phrenik's tattoos from, though I took it to a greater extent than these characters have. Again, we see the obvious no-robe, no-staff, nothing but badassery happening. I wanted Phrenik to answer to a deeper call than personal revenge, and though the short story below doesn't show it, it's something he takes very seriously.

I had these characters chosen out, and I really liked them, but something seemed missing... A certain neutrality. Jace and Sieg are both technically neutral, but they both end up serving the greater good in the end. I wanted Phrenik to be more morally grey than that. Then I thought of World of Warcraft's Aspect of Magic, the Blue Dragon, Malygos the Spellweaver.

"What could you hope to accomplish, to storm brassily into my domain? To employ MAGIC? Against ME?"

Malygos is the Aspect of Magic and the leader of the Blue Dragonflight , the family of dragons that have domain over all Arcane Magic (the kind of magic that mages or wizards use). He sadly went insane and eventually led what was dubbed the Azure Crusade to destroy all other creatures that use magic, because the thought the Blue Dragons were the only creatures powerful enough to use it responsibly. In the online game, players are required to slay him. I wanted Phrenik to embody his thirst for knowledge, his aristocratic view of the Arcane, and the ultimate moral neutrality and grey area that no one can actually prove isn't correct.

A bit of backstory: The campaign that Phrenik will be appearing in is the longest one I've ever written, and the main villain is actually an old PC (player character) that belonged to a former player in our group. He went mad for power, and while the other PCs were charged with destroying the people who had absorbed the essences of the 7 deadly sins, Immerall decided to absorb them for his own power. He became a demigod with black raven's wings, with a sword forged in the fires of the 9th hell. He killed most of the other player characters (with my full foreknowledge, as I decided I wanted to use him as a villain).

Without much further ado, I might as well just jump into the final profile that I devised for Phrenik.

Phrenik

“Immerall is one of many who would misuse magic. I will see to it that his taint will stain the spells of this world’s Magi no more.”

“If you remember only one thing you hear me say, let it be this: This world is an illusion. It is not real. And the only way I am able to do the things I do is because I have seen past it. Do not ever forget that.”

Titles: Phrenik (Taken Name), The Riddlesmith, The Eye, The Seeker, The Blue

Alignment: Neutral Good (With True Neutral Tendencies)

Race: Appears to be Human.

Age: Late 20s, Early 30s—Unclear.

Appearance: Phrenik is about 188 cm (about 6’2”) tall. His skin color deceives his ethnicity, and it is therefore impossible to tell what ethnicity he is. It is a very unique shade of brown, like coffee with far, far too much creamer. He has long caramel hair done up in natural dreadlocks, a result of many hours spent unwashed while studying and planning. He has a short Bob Marley-esque goatee the same color as his hair.  His icy blue eyes set against his other darker, mellow features stand out peculiarly. He has tattoos from under and above his left eye that sprawl over his lean back, chest, and wiry arms of eyes, inscriptions, glyphs, and other arcane symbology, but one in particular stands out on his right forearm: a name, “Melodia” . His left ear and lip are both pierced with simple silver hoops. He wears a highly detailed cloth tunic that covers his biceps, strongly-threaded pants, shoes, and spaulders, with a very deep hood large enough to obstruct vision of his eyes.

Quirks: Seems unable to make eye contact. Is constantly looking through small notebooks he keeps on his person in pockets of his outfit.  Smokes cigarettes. Normally has his hood up, but when it is not he wears black-rimmed glasses. Speaks with an unplaceable accent.

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When the demon came, I heard the towers that I had once guarded from all danger collapse onto their people.  A laugh still hung in the air—Though I’m not sure how I could tell it was even a mortal voice. It was a sound, that’s for sure. A hideously arrogant, agonizingly powerful sound.  Then I saw him. White hair, red eyes, long ears and black wings. 

Those black wings.        

                                                         

A man I had known for half my life ran out of the house we had been visiting and shouted, “Immerall, the Arcane Consortium will not abide your presence here! Arrakum Eyya Shin Feiuru-“

I was not aware that someone could die that quickly. The sound he made as the final syllable of his spell was gurgled from his lifeless neck is something I will never forget. 

When the demon came, I had done whatever I could for her. I had always been skilled in teleportation magic, so I formed the thoughts and spat out the words and drew the circle in midair as fast as I could. The portal opened, and I forcefully shoved her through, then closed the portal with all of my might, placing as many words of power I could to lock it shut so no one, not even myself, could follow.

“You’re very brave, young wizard. What is your name? And who was that pretty young thing?” the black-winged fiend inquired, showing his pointed teeth in a cold, mirthless smile I will never forget. He was looking at me like some hellish wolf gazes upon a rabbit that was misfortunate enough to jump into his den. 

He did not kill me, as I expected. He left me alive and forced me with some chthonian magic to watch as he slaughtered everyone I had grown up with—the whole city of Raviuk, gone. 

It was only until he left that I realized I couldn’t remember what I had answered his questions with.

I remembered everything else—My age, my abilities, my only family, the tragedy, everything… except the names that that beast had taken from me. I have the name of the girl I sent off branded into my skin, so although he tried to take her from me, I at least have her name… I now know I must find her to remember who she is to me and what name I used to go by.

Today I received a distress signal from the last few remaining members of the Arcane Consortium, my clandestine guild, who were thankfully away on their own missions that I was not of proper clearance to know the details of. 

“Immerall the Sevenfold is fast approaching demigod-level power. All available Magi are advised to flee and go into hiding, using any aliases previously unused in order to protect what few resources we yet have. The destruction of Raviuk was a fatal error, something we did not foresee. Beings of many races, creeds, regions, and powers now understand the true depth of Immerall’s power and the havoc  he can wreak. Make no mistake; we are now at war.”

Naturally, for security purposes, no names were used. But at least I have a heading. I’ll find this girl named Melodia, and I will find the others of my guild. I’ll find others who are able and willing to assist me in ending this fiend’s black-feathered curtain he has drawn over the skies of this world.