Kar

Character Name: Kar
Age: 27
Sex: Male
Race: human

Class: Mage
Specializations: Necromancer/Blood Mage
Appearance:

Background: Born into a peasant family in Ferelden Kar's magical ability was first spotted at an early age of five. Having a hard time providing for the family, his father had no reservations about giving up his son to Chantry, to be taken to the Circle of Magi for the rest of his life. Yet fate had a different plan for young Kar, the Templars charged with transporting the child were attacked on the road, killed by a powerful apostate. The apostate's name was Voron, and he took Kar as his apprentice.

Voron practiced a forgotten and forbidden art of necromancy, which delved deeper into the magical bonds wrapped around the concepts of life and death than any orthodox school of magic. Voron's research opened up to him powers that were not limited merely by animating the dead for short periods of time. Spending centuries in the search for power the old apostate opened doors that were closed for a millennium. He could bleed a man dry by making old wounds reopen, he could animate the skeleton of a living being, making it rip apart the flesh surrounding it and become Voron's loyal soldier. He could go further still, getting the power to knit and bend the shape of flesh and bone with but a thought, forging horrific nightmares out of bodies of his fallen enemies. He discovered a way to gain power by taking life force not just from living creatures, but from the earth itself. Death was his tool, and he was its master. However for all his desire for power, he had few ambitions other than keeping his freedom, and protecting himself from the wrath of the Chantry. In fact Voron was more or less a kind man, occupying his time away from research by traveling Thedas and anonymously dealing with undead infestations.

Kar enjoyed the situation he found himself in, and learned well the knowledge that was given to him. For twenty years Kar remained an obedient student, traveling with his teacher, learning the ways of necromancy not knowing that all this time Voron shielded him from the whispers and influence of demons that reached out persistently from the fade. Then on one summer evening somewhere in Antivan wilderness, as the skies were torn with rain and thunder and the duo found themselves escaping the elements in a cave, Voron spoke to his apprentice.

"Do you know why I took you under my tutelage?"

"No, master."

"It is because I am so very tired of this life. I've walked these lands for more years than even I can count, I've seen much, I've achieved what most desire, a form of immortality. But you know what? The more I studied death, the more I understood the comfort it provides. It is time for me to rest, but I do not wish to let go of my earthly form before I pass on what I've learned. Knowledge must be passed on and preserved, no matter what the fools in the Chantry tell us. No magic is inherently evil, as long as its wielder is strong enough to not let it control him. For us mages it is a constant battle for control of our own minds, our souls. I have done my best to protect you, while I was instructing you, for you are by birth a mage of great power, and a desired meal for any demon. Now however, I must let you out of your shell, for I must know that you can win the battle for your own mind, so that I can leave this realm knowing that my knowledge will live on. I've taught you well, almost all I know, the rest you can discover on your own, with the books I've written as your guide. I believe you are ready, do you?"

"If the master thinks that I am, I will not question his wisdom."

"So it shall be then...stay strong, my son."

Voron lifted his staff, and struck the ground lifting a cloud of dust into the air. The cave began to tremble slightly, it was as if an invisible barrier has broken. Spirts, demons, swarmed into Kar's mind, promising favors in power, if he would only give in. The young mage was overwhelmed, he fell to his knees, grabbing his head, screaming in pain until suddenly the world went dark.

Once Kar woke up, he opened his eyes slowly and lifted his head. Something warm and sticky covered his entire body, most of his clothing torn to pieces. Sunlight was coming from the outside, the darkness was gone, he looked around for his master, but could not find him. He then spotted a trail of blood leading to the outside of the cave. He followed it and was horrified to find his master, impaled by his own staff. Kar approached Voron, and looked closer, the old apostate was laying in a pool of blood, the entire left side of his body was rotten flesh, caused by a spell only a necromancer would know. Suddenly Voron's eyes opened and he gazed at his apprentice in desperation, coughing up blood as he attempted to speak.

"What a fool I am....I could have killed you, should have killed you...but...I haven't. Forgive me, Kar, for I failed you."

"What do you mean master?"

"If you knew what you have become, you would have begged me for death. A beast, Kar, you are a beast now. I sealed them in you, that was the only way. You fought them, I could see it, but there was too many, two of them got in, rage and pride, took control of you. They made you attack me...so I sealed them, I merged your consciousness and theirs. Time will pass and I fear they will grow stronger in you, the process will take years, but the more you merge, the more of your humanity you will loose. Until....until you become something else, not a demon, not a human, but...a beast...a beast of great power. But maybe...maybe there is hope, remember what I taught you, in the world of magic anything is possible. Use my research, continue it, perhaps you can find something, perhaps all of this hasn't been in vain. That's all I can say or do...I didn't not want to leave like this, but, I am not in control of my own destiny any longer. Good luck, Necromancer, you will need it."

The light disappeared from Voron's eyes, as he became still. Kar was left alone in the world, with a darkness within him that he did not know how to fight.He ran, and ran, but could not escape. He could feel himself changing, he tried to keep away from the populated lands, while looking for a solution, but in two years found nothing. In desperation he traveled to Ferelden, hoping to find an answer in his homeland.