Valense
From Mizahar Lore
 The Parasite | |
| Race | Alvina |
|---|---|
| Title | The Unclean One |
| Domain | Pests and Parasites |
| Divine rank | 4 |
| Symbols | A large maggot |
| Cults | The Viztil |
Valense is the Alvina of Pests and Parasites, his father is Vayt, God of Sickness and Disease.
A century or so before the Valterrian, Vayt turned his attention to a small city that prided itself on its cleanliness and the health of its citizens. The city, named Rileth, its location since forgotten, had beautiful public and private bathhouses, an intricate aqueduct system, highly skilled healers and some of the most practiced philterer's ever to have lived. Lush gardens and a small lake fed by numerous mountain streams provided healthy food and clean water. Such a place was too tempting a target for the likes of Vayt.
When Vayt entered Rileth, he found a challenge unlike anything else he had encountered before. His divinely toxic aura had no affect upon the pristine condition of the city. In fact, upon stepping foot on the polished stones of the city streets, Vayt actually felt a tinge of sickness within himself. His passing did nothing to wither the gardens. His spittle was neutralized as it came in contact with the waters of the lake. His touch had no affect on the people he passed in the streets. The God of Sickness was stricken powerless by the purity of the city of Rileth. Known for his malignant tenacity, Vayt vowed to bring down Rileth for its offensive existence, no matter how long it took.
Unable to exert his direct divine influence over the city, Vayt decided to go a more infectiously subversive direction. Untouched by Rileth's purity was Vayt's poisonous charm and dripping allure. Zeroing in one of Rileth's citizens, Vayt approached a young, married woman. It started with a simple smile as they made eye contact in the city square. That smile led to an innocent handshake as Vayt introduced himself as, Vance, a newcomer to the city. From there, a friendship began, one where the woman eventually began to share her marriage difficulties. The woman wanted children yet her husband had difficulties with his side of conception. Vayt as Vance told the woman that he was somewhat experienced with treating such difficulties and offered his services. The woman agreed and convinced her embarrassed husband to meet with Vance and accept his help.
While meeting with Vance, the husband shared his thoughts and concerns and spoke of his mental hang-ups and problems. Of course Vance cared nothing for any of it but pretended he was quite interested in helping. He went so far as to prepare a special philter that he claimed would restore vitality and virility to the husband. This philter however was much more than that. With his divine mastery of poisons, Vayt mixed a philter infused with his own plagued essence. It would indeed restore function to the husband but at a cost. The husband accepted the philter without the knowledge of its actual purpose.
The next evening, the husband drank the entire philter and spent a night of blissful, unrivaled lovemaking with his wife. Soon after, his wife revealed that she was pregnant. By that time, Vance had since vanished from the city. Though her friend was gone, the woman was more than happy with the fact that she was going to finally have a child. As the pregnancy progressed, the husband became stricken with a strange ailment that sapped his strength, vitality and youth. Within a season, he had become as frail as a man 30 years his senior. None of Rileth's healers or philterers were able to identify or combat the sickness. On the other side, the woman grew healthier, physically stronger and felt half her actual age. This lasted until the final days of her pregnancy. The woman's enhanced health quickly faded. It was as if something was literally sucking the life out of her. The couple's home, a once immaculately clean domicile, had become infested with rats and plagued by fleas, ticks and flies. On the day of their child's birth, the husband succumbed to his sickness and died. He was only 30 years old but in the end looked as if he were 90. The wife successfully gave birth to a baby boy only to die seconds after, also looking as old and decrepit as her husband. The baby boy appeared quite healthy. In fact, he was so healthy that the people of Rileth believed him to be a miracle baby who conquered sickness and disease; a symbol of the city itself.
Before their deaths, the boy's parents had said that if the child was a boy, he would be named Valense in honor of the man who helped bring about his birth, Vance. As a boy, Valense discovered a unique affinity for the more despised creatures of the world, rats, mice and other animals perceived as pests. Oddly enough, Valense seemed to attract such creatures as a growing number of vermin began cropping up around the city. With the arrival of great numbers of rats and mice came various parasites such as fleas and ticks. The city itself, once able to withstand even the divine plague of Vayt himself, began to be eaten from the inside out by the creatures that once avoided its purity. On the anniversary of Valense's 25th year of life, the city experienced an uncontrolled wave of pests and parasites of the likes never before seen. The city was literally devoured overnight by countless hordes of vermin. As the last citizen fell to the horde, the sounds of laughter drifted through the air as did the overwhelming aroma of cheap aftershave and expensive rare cigars.
Contents |
Appearance and Personality
Valense appears as a human male in his mid-twenties. He has short black hair and a neatly trimmed black goatee. His appearance varies from that of immaculate health with well-defined muscles and perfect skin to times when he may look quite haggard with unkempt hair and pocked skin. Always, wherever Valense is, there is an oddly large amount of vermin present. The truth of it all is that Valense's health and beauty is maintained only by the vermin who are drawn to him. The aura of filth and disease that follows the vermin empowers Valense and provides him with great health and strength. In fact, if Valense is ever harmed or suffers any sort of ill health, he can absorb the essence of vermin to restore himself. For example, Valense can call upon a swarm of flies or rats who in turn engulf him. They are quickly absorbed into his body in turn healing and revitalizing him. Valense has a uniquely musky scent that is not all that enticing yet isn't all that repulsive either. It carries the slight taint of rotten fruit when the right wind blows by.
Valense is soft-spoken and often speaks in a loud whisper. His touch is extremely soft and soothing yet those who are touched by Valense find that they are suddenly more attractive to flies and an array of parasites.
Despite the strength, health and vitality that he often possesses, Valense has a strong distaste for anything clean. Although he is good at pretending, Valense will do anything he can to dirty something. Oddly enough, he is attracted to cleanliness and health yet revels in bringing to such things filth and refuse. Beneath Valence's humanoid flesh and within his blood and bone, are countless internal parasites. When cut, Valense spills not only blood but blood mixed with maggots, worms and parasitic beetles.
Although he is one to shy away from direct conflict, Valense is indeed a force to be reckoned with when angered. He can muster and call upon nearby vermin to swarm over his foes. He also can, at the expense of his own health and vitality, belch forth a horde of biting insects, rats, mice and all manner of filthy parasites upon his opponents. Such an onslaught is usually enough to turn an enemy into nothing more than a tooth-marked skeleton. In extreme situations, Valense can even break his body apart into a horde of vermin who may then flee and reconstitute later. In places where vermin accumulate in great numbers, Valence can use them to transport great distances; using the swarm to form him a new body in a new place.
The Viztil
The Viztil are a unique parasite bred by Valence from the countless other parasites who are drawn to him. From his own body is able to produce a small, beautiful looking blue slug-like creature. The Viztil is colored a silvery grey with dark and pale blue stripes and spots all over its body. It has strange, finger-like appendages and a tapering body. Viztil start out no bigger than an average human fingernail but can grow much bigger once they have found a host body. Although exotically beautiful, the Viztil is a deadly parasite with unnatural abilities.
Viztil secrete a potent toxin from their bodies that possesses a numbing effect on any living being who touches it. Oddly enough, the numbing only relates to feeling the presence of the Viztil on one's body. This allows the Viztil to slide its way across the body of a potential host until it finds an orifice in which to gain entry inside. Once it crawls inside the host, it burrows its way to the brain where it latches on and begins feeding. Over the course of up to two seasons, the Viztil will slowly devour the host brain while at the same time taking over the brain functions that would otherwise be lost. Motor control, balance, memory, thoughts, emotions, everything becomes one with the Viztil until there is no host brain left. When this happens, the host is effectively deceased and the Viztil essentially becomes the host body's new brain; complete with all of the hosts memories and mannerisms. Unlike the former host however, the Viztil's only purpose in life from that point forward is to help spread, grow and support parasites and vermin to and in a new area. In doing so the Viztil increase Valense's influence, ability to travel and overall strength.
Viztil are as slow as common slugs yet can hitch a ride on any living creature. However, they can only infest living, sentient beings as they require the brains of said creatures for growth and development. Newly formed Viztil can survive outside a host body for up to a season. If they do not find a suitable host by then, they will dry up and die. They most often come in contact with a potential host while traveling on the backs of rodents or attached to the abdomens of flying creatures such as large insects, birds, bats, etc.
During their journey through the host body to the brain, the host is unaware of the Viztil's presence thanks to the numbing secretions. Even as the host's brain is devoured, they are mostly unaware save for the occasional odd thought or memory that doesn't quite feel like their own. Outwardly, the host looks no different as the Viztil consumes their brain, at least until the brain is completely gone. Then the eyes of the host body take on the beautiful color and pattern of the Viztil. During the two season process of taking over the host body, the Viztil does offer the host some small physical benefits as it replaces the brain. The host becomes half again as quick, agile and strong as it was before the Viztil. Overall health is improved and the host gains a moderate resistance to poisons, diseases and other sicknesses. It is only when the last of the host's brain has been devoured that they finally realize something terrible has happened to them. It is also at that moment that the host finally dies and their soul moves on.
While the Viztil may have taken on the memories of the host, even going so far as to possess a similar aura, they are not one and the same. The Viztil is driven only by its need to serve Valense; there is nothing left of who the host may have been once the Viztil has become the body's new brain. Also, the Viztil, once having taken complete control over the host body, can't survive without it. The body may be stronger, faster and more resilient, but it can still be harmed and killed by traditional methods. If the body is killed, so is the Viztil.
Viztil can employ any learned magical skills that the host may possess. They do not benefit from gnosis marks however as such things are linked to the soul and not the body. The Viztil actually prefer not to infest a host that has been marked as it can draw unwanted attention from a divine being which is not a pleasant thing.
Viztil do not reproduce. The only way new Viztil are created are through Valense.
Worship
Few would voluntarily choose to follow the Alvina of Pests and Parasites. This is why Valense created the Viztil; unquestioning followers that work to spread his influence. That said, there are still some who would worship him of their own free will. These individuals are usually hermits, societies' outcasts who for one reason or another are shunned by others. Finding no acceptance from others of their kind, these sad individuals find comfort in those creatures who also are shunned. Rats, mice, flies, fleas, ticks and all manner of foul vermin become friends and family to these outcasts. As a result, Valense also becomes a friend.
To those who freely embrace his domain, Valense bestows upon them his symbol; a bone carved in the shape of a large maggot. When worn around the neck, the symbol grants the follower an affinity for the various vermin that infest the land. While this doesn't allow for the instant summoning of swarms of insects or rodents, it can attract such things already existing in the surrounding area. Such creatures will never harm the follower under normal circumstances.
The symbol attracts pests to the follower grants basic control over them. For example, they could use the symbol to give basic directions. Keep in mind that these are pests so intellect and understanding is quite limited but a few hand gestures and they may be able to direct a swarm of mosquitoes to target a specific foe or cause a den of rats to move elsewhere. Combined with a high animal husbandry specialized in rats and mice and the symbol would grant even greater control.
Encounters
Valense can transport himself across vast distances by means of swarms of pests that inhabit countless locations throughout the world. Wherever a swarm of pests and vermin exist, Valense can use them to form his body and appear in that same location. He can speak through these swarms and see through them as well.
Valense is most often found prowling about the poorest, filthiest sections of a city where pests and parasites are aplenty. He usually keeps to himself, choosing to act through his verminous comrades. When he does choose to interact with others, he is somewhat distant and non-threatening. Like the pests he surrounds himself with, Valense is not a natural fighter and given the choice will flee over engaging. This is only so that he can return later when a foe is unaware and ill-prepared.
If fighting is the only option, Valense doesn't tip-toe about it. He will belch forth a horde of pests and parasites upon his opponent. Such an act is almost always fatal as the horde literally devours the enemy from the outside as well as inside. This attack also leaves Valense severely weakened which usually forces him to run away else be subjected to more threats. It is important to note that as long as a single pest or parasite from Valense's body remains alive, he will always be able to regenerate and reform.
Araka
Although something of a hermit, Valense does clean up well when such a thing serves him. He also maintains a bit of his father's charm. Like the rodents he calls family, Valense is known for his drive to breed. As such, he has helped spawn many an Araka among numerous races across the land. All of his children possess an affinity for pests. They are never physical powerhouses though they do possess superior speed and agility. They are often quite clever and opportunistic. They may live the life of a hermit or integrate themselves into society in a way that they are positioned to gain a lot while remaining ignored and forgotten by most. Valense's children enjoy the same gifts involving pests and parasites that his followers gain from his holy symbol.
Affiliates
Valense's relationship with his father, Vayt is rather close. Valense and his pests help spread disease and sickness which serves Vayt well. The two often work together to further each other's goals. To be in the good graces of Valense means having at least a foot in the door when it comes to Vayt.
If one of Valense's followers were to encounter a Phylonurist, the number of the Phylonurist's marks would set the stage for what happened next. If a single marked Phylonurist conflicted with a follower of Valense, their ability strength would be decided by their animal husbandry skill related to whatever animal was at the center of the conflict. Multiple marked Phylonurists would have more control than the Valense follower simply because Caiyha is a true god and Valense is only an Alvina. Gnosis trumps Alvina symbols.
Now for the perceptions of a Phylonurist regarding Valense and his followers, Valense is the son of Vayt. Caiyha doesn't get along with Vayt so that would taint things a bit. Also, Valense seeks to spread the numbers and strength of pests and parasites at the cost of the surrounding environment; whatever environment that may be. That goes against Caiyha and threatens the biomes of the Phylonurist. An urban Phylonurist may encounter conflict if they have more than a couple of marks from Caiyha, otherwise they may find some benefit from Valense. Keep in mind though that Valense seeks complete control over pests and parasites and doesn't like to share influence with gods other than Vayt. Intent is the key part of this.