Description
Sekhmette deviates most significantly from Galadonian style in that he has
traded in the pale skin tones for the darker, stonier hues of a desert
bedouin. Accordingly, he has dark hair that is a disheveled shroud around
his features, covering the ears and only occasionally reaching his
shoulders. This offsets his rather effete features, whose most notable
qualities are the dark sapphire colour of his irises and a thin-lipped mouth
within an understated chin and slender jaw. Few would get an especially good
look at these features, though, considering that they are usually averted
from other observers, with Sekhmette preferring instead to turn his
attention to waists and shoes, head generally kept at a polite incline in
the company of others. His garments, unlike his hair, are kept neatly
straight and flat, obviously the result of obsessive maintenance.
Role
Initial Role
Added Mon Dec 6 17:34:18 2021 at level 11:
Sekhmette never knew the love of a mother. And for that, perhaps he was
fortunate - at least, from what he saw, from his point of view, such a thing
was more liability than asset, judging by his father's tortured grief after
the death in childbirth of the man's mother.
But rage and abuse, now -- those he knew in spades, having received no small
share of each, mostly by dint of being the nearest convenient outlet for such
from the grief-stricken Maran that had sired him. Bearing resentment, for his
mother was supposed to take care of the child while he was out fighting evil,
his forced retirement brought out the darkest side of his father possible.
Succor and comfort were, predictably, in short supply, and where those failed
to be sown, weeds of neurotic obsequiousness soon took root instead, because
the only times when his father treated him well were when he was doing
Absolutely Everything expected of him - chores, servitude, and showing great
repentance for crime of being alive. The number one lesson, of course, was to
never look father in the face - for in Sekhmette's face were the features of
his mother, and that would drive his wrath to the fore immediately.
Bargains, greed, mutual self-serving gain -- ah, these, he understood. Being
bereft of love and lacking the experience of receiving it, these concepts
replaced the affection he longed for. The morality of the Maran was lost on
him, but the much more sensible appeals to greed and lust and envy: these, he
knew. Viewing any 'unjustified' expression of affection with suspicion, he
grew enamored with the transactional nature of conjuration, he joined the
guild and set his sights to join the Theran Empire, to become a tool too sharp
and valuable to be thrown away - to finally be valuable despite his deeply
ingrained sense of worthlessness.
His father once took him on a vacation to Ayr'Trinil, to drink with his old
friends. In one of the myriad bars, he was exposed to a conjurer of the Light.
In telling old war stories, they all laughed about the time the conjurer had
'lost control' of their angel, which proceeded to slaughter an entire
cell-block of evil Arial prisoners. Why was that just, he wondered? They were
all sitting, serving their sentences, in their proper places. The angel was
viewed as a 'funny story,' not a horror. To the Maran, the prisoners all
deserved death regardless of their crimes.. In this way, he became convinced
that the followers of Light were just as murderous as the evil his father
warned him against - two sides of a war, that was all. He would rather not
hide behind hypocrisy, but the story of bargaining with the outsiders had
grasped his imagination - he slipped a book from the elf's bag and began to
study in secret, at home, before setting out one day when he felt he was ready
to join the conjurer's guild, dreams of diabolic pacts in mind.
Initial Role 2
Added Mon Dec 6 17:34:57 2021 at level 11:
Viewing the consumption of meat as a luxury far beyond him, he feeds on
vegetation to avoid the guilt that comes with taking what 'isn't his' - which
is generally everything. It is not his place in the Order to grasp for what he
does not deserve to take, so the idea that he will never be able to 'join a
sect' in the Empire does not bother him. He will obey the Empire, his
conjurations will obey him, and he will find a place in Darkness and Order
that brings him, hopefully, peace of mind. But more than that, he wishes
others to find that peace - to serve in their place, free from the threat of
bloodshed as long as they do Exactly What They Are Told. The Empire promises
peace in duty, and if there's anything Sekhmette now believes, it's that the
ends justify the means.
To this end he wishes to worship Destuvius and find his place in social Order.
Growth
Added Sun Jan 30 04:12:14 2022 at level 22:
Raising in power and knowledge, Sekhmette was surprised to learn his familiar
was a raven. This gives him mild concern - was he flighty, disorderly as a
bird? He'd expected something like a viper - his betrayal of his father's
legacy like a serpent -or an ifrit - his desert heritage. Nevertheless, he has
named the raven Pinions - or Pini for short.
Sekhmette attempted to leave a fire giant ranger alone while hunting the
desert marauders. This proved to be a mistake, since Vuorog slew his familiar-
and nearly Sekhmette - on sight, altering his view of the natural peoples from
'incomprehensible' to 'actively as bad as bandits', which explains to him why
the Empire employs none. Since he is not strong enough to fight the ranger by
himself yet, he decided to finally go on pilgrimage and find the temple of
Destuvius.
Successful, after much scouring of the ruins, he read and observed much in
the Divine Asylum and was glad to find many examples on how to live, including
etiquette on how to act even when defeated - a balm to his sore spirit after
Pini got destroyed by the fire giant. What was most inspirational, however,
was the great sculpture of the Palace in the shrine's entryway.
Sekhmette decided it was time to fully oath himself to the Empire,
consqeuences be damned, and let the entire world know his convictions.
First Victory
Added Sun Feb 6 00:29:40 2022 at level 24:
Lowering his head, he puts it back to the grindstone. He is clearly still too
dull.
After many days full of struggle in the futile attempt to gain in title alone,
full of rejection from every Theran asked, Sekhmette finally hit upon a
companion in Jacrae, a drow assassin that intended - and later did - take the
Oath as well. Unfortunately, an elven bard named Lyrien interrupted them.
Barely escaping with his life, the elf taunted him about how he could never be
a sharp tool if he never pressed himself against the knife.
Seeing an opportunity, he asked Lyrien what his life was worth. To Sekhmette,
his life was worthless, but if he could get something out of the death...
A wager of twenty-five gold later saw Lyrien's corpse dead in the Imperial
City streets, burned to death by his conjured fire elemental. Sekhmette felt a
hint of raging pride and swiftly squashed it, blaming his victory on the
myriad preparations he'd taken in order to survive the bards' songs.
The Empress briefly popped in, and Sekhmette told her of his triumphs -
donating over 150k copper, slaying Lyrien in the name of the Empire, drawing
Jacrae to the Codex - and was met with a resounding 'Who? So? Do not beg for
citizenship."
Lowering his head, he puts it back to the grindstone. He is clearly still too
dull.
A Frenzy of Violence
Added Sun Feb 6 13:07:41 2022 at level 27:
Scraping his way up through his guild, Sekhmette finally attains mastery of
the thaumaturgic circle. Having travelled briefly with two orcs - one far more
reasonable than he'd expected, apparantly an aspiring mage themselves, in that
savage sort of way, named something that ended in Zaal - it prepared him quite
well for the similarly distasteful task of binding challegha demons.
Sekhmette knew he needed to build a reputation, both in the Outer Planes and
in the Empire, to take his place as a Citizen and as a conjurer.
He began to hunt and to kill. The demons tended to turn on him afterwards, but
after glutting them with enough bodies even that started to cease.
He was promoted off a cunning trick that threatened to bring pride to his
heart once again. He cloaked his entire entourage in invisbiility, and stalked
two Outlanders through Voralian City where they were slaughtering peacekeepers
to learn. One of them was a bard, and when they sang the battaglia against a
lone peacekeeper...
Sekhmette's entire entourage found themselves under attack and quite within
Imperial Law to retaliate. The new High Priestess, Melaissa, seemed to be far
less choosy than the Empress and granted him citizenship. He shed tears
openly, quietly, to himself at the top of a Hamsan tower alone of happiness.
Now was his time to show them they hadn't made a mistake. That he hadn't made
any mistakes.
Araktahl, Memati, Gwarzog, Jhea. Productive day.
More corpses to come.
A certain Black word
Added Mon Feb 21 10:28:01 2022 at level 40:
In the course of his slaughter, the victims dried up, although he lost count
exactly of how many he'd slain. About ten. Unfortunately in the process of
perfecting 'how to not get killed by your servitors' he got killed by his
servitors. A lot.
Vashnalar, a blood-oath, convinced him that he'd have a better time reaching
his goal by advancing to the fourtieth title and learning how to summon
nightgaunts. While it was clear the anti-paladin just wanted help with
acquiring souls for her weapon, Sekhmette found himself more than a little
flattered by the blunt fire giant's words of praise and respect for him. So
tall and strong! He gave most of his treasury to her, earning her citizenship,
and set to work.
Someone specific to be useful for...and it didn't hurt that she seemed
practically Destuvian herself judging by the flawless state of her armour and
apparel. While her words were terse and laconic, they were always
intelligible, so Sekhmette finds himself more than a little fond of the new
Black Servant and hopes, now that the High Priestess has aided him in
acquiring the secrets of the nightgaunts, to feed her.
Maybe in more ways than one.
PK Wins
Feb 5, 2022 |Lv 24|The Imperial Lands|Lyrien vs 1: [24] Sekhmette (100%, flaming bite)
Feb 6, 2022 |Lv 27|Amaranthian Forest|Jhea vs 1: [27] Sekhmette (100%, frigid chop)
Feb 6, 2022 |Lv 27|Voralian City|Memati vs 1: [27] Sekhmette (100%, stream of acid)
Feb 6, 2022 |Lv 27|Voralian City|Araktahl vs 1: [27] Sekhmette (100%, suction)
Feb 6, 2022 |Lv 27|Hillcrest|Gwarzog vs 1: [27] Sekhmette (100%, blast)
Feb 7, 2022 |Lv 27|Hamsah Mu'tazz|Lubibozorg vs 1: [27] Sekhmette (100%, crushing hand)
Feb 7, 2022 |Lv 27|Moudrilar's Monastery|Memati vs 1: [27] Sekhmette (100%, crushing hand)
Feb 8, 2022 |Lv 27|The Vale of Arendyl|Ruktun vs 1: [27] Sekhmette (100%, stream of acid)
Feb 8, 2022 |Lv 27|Balator|Glaf vs 1: [27] Sekhmette (100%, caustic slime)
Feb 9, 2022 |Lv 27|Galadonian Settlement|Kolpacino vs 1: [27] Sekhmette (100%, suction)
Feb 16, 2022|Lv 27|Hamsah Mu'tazz|Dichael vs 1: [27] Sekhmette (100%, slash)