Grade-A-Character: Math, Warlock of Darkness (4E)

[Leliel]

Anyway, I was playing Shadow of the Colossus, and after finishing it-again, after all, it's a short game-I realized, "Wouldn't Dormin be a great patron for a 4E Warlock? After all, he's a pretty dark being, but none of his actions seem to suggest him being evil, just amoral-a natural force, if you would." And lo and behold, this character popped into my head, just waiting to be played:

Math, Templar of Shadow, aka, the Servant of Dormin.

Background: The story of Math starts long before his parents were born, in a far-off world. There, Dormin, an ancient primordial prince, was sealed in a strange valley for fear of his powers. Though his imprisonment was not to last, it was long enough for his priests to die out, and as he was not privy to the destruction of the universe, he dared not show his true form within it.

So, Dormin wandered the universe, looking for a champion, one that would serve as his tool to bring about a new faith in his name. He found it, in the form of Math, an adolescent human desperately looking for a purpose.

As a child, Math never really fit in his home village. Indeed, he was an outcast, divined at birth to have a cursed fate, to be an enemy of the gods. Although his parents did not believe it, most of the town blamed him for their ills, from simple crop failures to monster attacks. He became an exile within his own home, a pariah lost in darkness. It was there that Dormin found him, wallowing in his own misery at his fate. And so, Dormin came to Math, and said:

"We are the guardians of the unknown, the lost and angry. Accept our patronage, and we will give you a measure of our power." And Math accepted.

And so, Math became the Templar of Shadows, a warrior of the night...

Personality: Math embraces his sinister image as an infernal pact warlock. Since he is an enemy of the gods, he might as well enjoy being one. Anyone who knows him realizes the "irredemably evil" part is simply not true. Math embodies the darkness, true, but in it's kind, protective aspect: He would rather be the nebula that life-giving suns are born in rather then the abyss of death. This is not to say he doesn't have a, pardon the expression "dark" side. He seems to believe his own suffering gives him a right to self-pity, and he can be a bit extreme in his methods of protecting others. That said, he is a kind and gentle soul who would willingly die if that would protect the lives of others. All in all, the perfect priest of the Cult of Dormin.

So do you think this guy would fit in a D&D game?

EDIT: Uh, yeah, this is 4th edition. Sorry about not tagging that earlier.

[The_Werebear]

I am assuming 4th Edition here-

I think you could pull it off, though Star pact could be a good representation too. I like the way you found to include a dark side without having your character wallow in evil. Just watch the angst when you are playing to make sure it doesn't get to the point where it bothers other players. Done right, it is a delightful seasoning. Overdone, it provokes allergic reaction that end with painful choking deaths.

[Tengu_temp]

Very interesting - and it seems you included some elements of Ico, too. Just don't group with paladins or clerics.

[Colmarr]

I think you could pull it off, though Star pact could be a good representation too.

I second this.

I haven't played Shadow of the Colossus, but if your description of Dormin is accurate (an amoral entity with overarching themes of darkness), I think Star pact is a better fit for the character.

Heck, even Fey pact might be a better fit than Infernal. It strikes me as the most evil of the pacts (although they all have some wriggle room).

[ghost_warlock]

I second this.

I haven't played Shadow of the Colossus, but if your description of Dormin is accurate (an amoral entity with overarching themes of darkness), I think Star pact is a better fit for the character.

Heck, even Fey pact might be a better fit than Infernal. It strikes me as the most evil of the pacts (although they all have some wriggle room).

So far as evil, I'd vote Infernal > Fey > Star.

Demons want nothing so much as the absolute destruction of everything, that's about as evil as you can get. Infernal pacts with devils are slightly less evil - simply since devils desire enslavement and power more than destruction. Fey pacts with unseelie probably focus on the enslavement of minds, so that's fairly evil but not as evil as annihilation. Fey pacts with seelie aren't evil at all - although they could certainly be mischievious! I see star pacts as not really evil so much as amoral and unconcerned for the plight of puny, brief mortals. Forging a star pact is no more evil than accidentally stepping on an ant as you travel from one place to anther.

[kjones]

Silly question, maybe, but why is he called "Math"? That name kind of makes me think of, well, math, and not a warlock.

[Tengu_temp]

Because protagonists in anime-like fantasy settings are always named after things. The main character in Shadow of the Colossus is named Wander.

[nagora]

Silly question, maybe, but why is he called "Math"? That name kind of makes me think of, well, math, and not a warlock.

In real world myth, Math was an ancient Celtic wizard along the lines of Merlin or Taliesin.

[Leliel]

In real world myth, Math was an ancient Celtic wizard along the lines of Merlin or Taliesin.

Most correct.

In Celtic myth, Math was the uncle of the sorcerer Gwydion.

Since I had my fill of old Ravenloft netbooks during the time I made this guy, I took inspiration from the Darklord also named Gwydion and gave this guy power over shadows, sort of like the Socerer-Fiend for ironic effect.