APPLICATION ( KENOS ).

[dawnlord]

PLAYER INFO

NAME: Pax
CONTACT: PAX#8074
OVER 18?: Y!

CHARACTER INFO

NAME: Bondrewd, the Novel, the Lord of the Dawn
SERIES: Made in Abyss
CANON POINT: Chapter 38, after seeing the protagonists off as they enter the 6th Layer of the Abyss.
AGE: Unknown. He's between 40-60 years of age, though.

CHARACTER SUMMARY:

As one of the legendary White Whistle delvers, Bondrewd is a scientist and researcher who has made many great, and terrible, discovers about the secrets of the Abyss. Despite that his methodology has long since crossed the boundaries of legality and ethics, his contributions to the understanding of the Abyss far outweigh his dark deeds; known for his black market Artifact and information dealing, his development of dangerous drugs and his experimentation on living humans, he is an annihilator revered by storytellers and Abyssal affiliates alike.

Ten years prior to the story, he established the Ido Front -- a large base that sits at the entrance of the 6th Layer of the Abyss, from which no delvers return unscathed. Descent into the Abyss comes with unique challenges, and attempting to ascend past a certain point results in the triggering of the "Curse of the Abyss", an event that causes illness, then pain, then injury and eventually death the deeper one has explored. Anyone ascending from the 6th Layer also runs the risk of extreme mutation, called "loss of Humanity" or, as Bondrewd has labeled it "the Abyss's Blessing". When he ascended from the depths of the Abyss, his body was unscathed -- and his humanity was sacrificed in its stead.

POWERS: As a White Whistle delver, Bondrewd is considered to be a man whose achievements have changed the world. He is a widely-known historical figure, titled after his unique persona ( Sovereign of the Dawn ) that exists as a combat-ready and highly intelligent forward operative in the continuing quest to understand the Abyss. Bondrewd is a considerable enemy and ally, who values knowledge above all else, including morality and ethics, in his pursuit of preparing for the approach of the next 2,000 year mark -- wherein the Abyss will, once again, change.

Authority. Because of their status, any information that is officially passed by a White Whistle is considered a fact, no matter how absurd. The same information provided by anyone other than a White Whistle would be declared inconclusive. The sheer authority that Bondrewd has is associated with his skill, his ability and his intelligence; while in Kenos it might not amount to much, it is worth being mentioned that while he is used to being the authority and thus, having a certain weight to his words and deeds, he will not struggle too much with being regulated to the bottom once more.

White Whistle. That being said, Bondrewd's White Whistle is an Artifact made from a Life Reverberating Stone. The raw material required to create one of those stones is, quite literally, a human being; the person who is to create the stone/whistle must have the resolve to sacrifice everything for the one who is to use it, thus making the Whistle intended for only one individual and useable only by them. Bondrewd is the only known Delver who used himself as his own Whistle's material; sacrificing his humanity to obtain it means that he no longer counts as a human being.

Artifacts. Also known as "Relics", they are items that are found in the Abyss and ranked by class, from First to Fourth, with Special Grade relics able to affect reality itself and change the world. Regardless of grade, two things are theorized: they all have limited uses, and they are believed to be leftovers from an ancient civilization, unreplicable and incomprehensible. Bondrewd has a number of them, of all ranks and styles, that assist in turning him into a walking arsenal.

LIMITATIONS: In order to prevent him from immediately using what amounts to outside resources, rather than innate power, I'd simply suggest having his artifact arsenal useable only when Harmonized with one of the factions. Having them limited in number of uses and intensity of usage by Harmonization level could be a further way to regulate his overall ability and readiness.

— Zoaholic, the Soul-Slave Machine, allows the user to transplant their mind into other living beings, spreading the consciousness throughout multiple bodies. All minds that the user's mind has been transplanted into are also able to share thoughts with each other, and the user is also able to exchange their consciousness fully from one body to the next. This is a form of immortality that has allowed Bondrewd to survive multiple situations that resulted in his death.

LIMITATIONS: Humans are incapable of enduring the division of their consciousness and thus, after a short while of using Zoaholic, abnormalities begin to surface; including the subjects going insane. Eventually, their consciousness disperses and they become invalid. Also, the Zoaholic is extremely large and would not arrive with Bondrewd at all. Reclamation at a later time might be possible, with additional adjustments and limitations attached, such as a limited number of uses, as the Kenos' Shards have supplanted the need for Zoaholic.

Amending/adjusting Zoaholic just for the hivemind capability might be the only thing it needs, if permitted. And people would have to agree to becoming part of his shared consciousness, which COULD be fun. I would definitely say this is not an item he arrives with, but would instead request from Yima, with great caveats in place, due to the Literal Name of it. The SOUL-SLAVE MACHINE. Would she even allow it? It could have some VERY interesting uses for players, though. Rubs my hands together like a fly.

— An unknown artifact that allows him to share the eyesight of others and view events (actively happening, not memories) through their senses. It does not allow him to know their intent, however. ( Always would ask permission before using this. )

— Gangway, Ascending to the Morning Star, is an artifact fitted into Bondrewd's mask. It is an attack-oriented artifact that emits a reflective band of light that has the capability to hit whatever object its user concentrates on, reflecting off objects and individuals around Bondrewd. Laser tag, but murderous!

— Shaker, Cursed Needle, is an artifact styled to shoot darts that were crafted from another artifact known as the Cursed Steel, which inflicts the Curse of the 3rd Layer of the Abyss -- vertigo, and visual/auditory hallucinations. Enjoy your fucked up drug trip, please don't bite your tongue off.

— Far Caress, or Touching the Moon, is not technically an Artifact, but an item processed from a living creature that cannot be collected outside of the abyss. It takes the form of innumerably tentacles that are exceedingly strong and elastic. Bondrewd primarily uses this Artifact to create a constricting net around his target or to enhance his agility by using it as a grappling hook. NNNNNYOOOM.

— Canopy Unto Dawn is Bondrewd's armor and clothing! It is a custom made set of armor made from several Artifacts, processed together with bio-fibers derived from living creatures, and built in weapons to increase combat efficiency. It also contributes towards easing the strain of Bondrewd's divided consciousness. Comes with a very elegant cravat!

— Sparagmos, the Origin-Guiding Light is another processed artifact that generates a mysterious blade of light. Whatever it hits is permanently disintegrated as it is an artifact that literally re-writes the laws of reality (e.g. destroying something that isn't capable of being destroyed; causing unhealable damage).

LIMITATIONS: Easy, don't let it rewrite the laws of reality. It's just a laserbeam and if he has an inkling to regain any of its powers, spend tokens and ask permission.

— And Third Works, which was an artifact that took the form of a psychokinetic skeletal arm, was used to make Bondrewd's lizard-like tail! I'm sorry he's so ridiculously kitted out.

Intellectual Inhumanity. Bondrewd gave up his humanity, becoming an unknowably eldritch manifestation of scientific research and progress. He is perfectly capable of performing horrific acts, including the illegal and immoral acquisition of funding through the sale of items/information that could threaten the balance of the civilized world, the development of dangerous illicit drugs that cause agony, and extensive, varied experimentation on living humans, including numerous children.

The creation of the Cartridges is one such horror; in order to sustain his energy by combating the Curse of the Abyss, Bondrewd creates specialized packages made from the flesh and essence of humans who are the easiest to transport and won't be missed. For portability, only the brain and vital organs of children are used. The Curse is deflected away from Bondrewd and onto the child in the cartridge instead. A cocktail of drugs is also used to induce a state of ecstasy and terror in the cartridge to boost the Curse-combating efficiency.

However, despite his horrific acts, he genuinely and passionately loves the children, and remembers each and every individual he has ever subjected to his experiments. Ultimately, the purpose of his research is to minimize the human suffering necessary to explore the Abyss by refining and industrializing the necessary sacrifices. He has absolutely zero empathy left, nor does his psyche resemble a human's at all anymore.

Blessing of the Abyss. The Abyss is a location known for its "Curse", that is — going down is perilous, but ascending is lethal. The deeper one goes into the Abyss, the more strain it places on their physical body and mental acumen while coming up. From a certain point at the bottom of the 5th Layer, any descent into the Abyss is called "the Last Dive", for no Delvers ever return from it. The Blessing is a phenomenon that Bondrewd discovered while experimenting with the impact and effects of the Curse, and it requires two people: one to bear the Curse, and the other to receive the Blessing. The effects of the Blessing include a change in appearance ( the fluffification! ), as well as the ability to observe the force field of the Abyss, something that only the predators of the deep are able to see, and is an incredibly useful ability for delving in the pit. It also appears to increase their physical fortitude to some extent Another side-effect of the blessing appears to be the fulfillment of a desire ( Nanachi obtained a body that smells good?? weird ).

LIMITATIONS: I actually don't want him to arrive with this form, but have to work towards "regaining" the fluffification. I'd love to tie it into some exploration of Kenos's land, as the Blessing is intrinsically tied to the Abyss — and there's no Abyss here. That we know of. :think: I just think it'd be a really fun transformative ability, and who wouldn't want to pet a fluffy cat-rabbit-dragon furry man.

General Superhuman Abilities. Strength, agility, durability. He's very, very efficient with all of these things. They'll be nerfed to in-game requirements, of course!

GAME INFO

ASPECTS: In no order of preference.

I. Harbinger. Likely the lesser of the two aspects that could be applicable to Bondrewd, he represents the Harbinger aspect with unique intensity. As a researcher and scientist who has devoted his life, his humanity and his future to the exploration of the Abyss, he has a defined focus that relates back to ensuring future explorers are not as heavily threatened or influenced by the effects of the Abyss. To this end, he has sacrificed both his humanity as well as countless others, adults and children alike, to the point where he exists in juxtaposition: he is both a well-respected and beloved semi-mythical figure for all those who's lives revolve around the Abyss, as well as a known criminal who, likely once his work is completed or replicable, will be put on trial for intense crimes against humanity and executed. Also, he is literally known as the Sovereign of the Dawn.

II. Stargazer. There's no doubt that Bondrewd also could represent the Stargazer aspects without having to stretch at all. He is a man who has come to experience and exist in a quasi-immortal state, where he feels no urgency to complete his work and instead exists to methodically approach problems and experience them to their fullest, before burning them to the ground. Unaffected by ethical considerations, Bondrewd has an extreme sense of curiosity that has lead him to become who he is today, entering the deadly Abyss as an unknown fresh-faced delver, only to become one of the mythical White Whistles known for his contributions to the understanding of the Abyss; he has no interest in being seen as anything other than a researcher and scientist, having shed any personal attachment to notoriety or fame in favor of the unending pursuit of knowledge. He seems only to desire new experiences, new knowledge and does not shed tears when his goals are unattained -- he only adjusts those goals, and looks upon them in a new way.

ANTICIPATED FACTION: I'm taking him to Zenith, definitely. While I feel that Bondrewd could lean to Meridian because his life's work is back on his world, he is driven by sheer, inhuman curiosity for the future. As an individual who has thrown aside his humanity for the pursuit of knowledge, and that knowledge is on behalf of the "whole" of all those who explore the Abyss, there's no way he would settle for anything less than everything. Most certainly he is an unswayable, insatiably curious researcher who has devoted himself to reprehensible experiments for the betterment of all. He would consider Zenith's offer primarily, for he is an authority who will save everything, explore everything and pursue all things -- and he would sacrifice anyone, anything and every other world to ensure his goals are met, especially for the promise of new things to explore and learn of. Woe be anyone who might stand against him and his insatiable spirit!

SUITABILITY: Bondrewd is driven by his commitment to scientific advances, and served his canon as the figure that did not simply espouse his ideals — he became the living representation of them. As an antagonist that will have a proper conversation, despite actively trying to kill or mutilate someone, he is highly suitable for Kenos's seedier practices, increasingly divisive factional allegiances and, especially at higher Tiers, comfort in the hivemind-like tendencies of Shardbearers. He is affable, cooperative and amiably challenging in a way that seeks to break others down to their rawest beliefs.

Reprehensible transhumanist experimentation, a passionate drive for scientific progression and a lack of humanity will make him a fun foil to some of the impassioned Shardbearers with nobler goals. His ambitions are noble — but his methods are not, he would be well-suited to dabble in Kenosian sciences, medical facilities, biological warfare and Discord effects, as well as generally being a strangely paternal, supportive figure for more vulnerable or neutral figures. If he opens an orphanage, don't be surprised! Also don't be surprised if the kids start disappearing, uh oh! He's definitely the living embodiment of 'for the greater good'.