Danakh
Everything that follows is precisely what exists within PRIMUS' database and is fully available to any individuals with such access. Some elements are presented in truncated format, to alleviate certain piles of academic metaphysical research.
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Contents
Appearance/Background
Unnaturally tall, lean, and imposing, Danakh cloaks himself in exotic materials in fine cuts and wreathes himself in the trappings of a warrior, sorcerer, or fabled king. Clearly he is not human; on occasion, his features grow more sharp and geometric, with strange patterns slowly worming their way through his shining skin. He certainly looks to be, in human terms, Asian, with ghastly white skin and hair. His eyes are deeply-set, his features drawn, more frequently than not, into a look of disdain for something or another. Dark shadows surround his eyes, which glint silver in the darkness and shine black in the light. He could be called handsome, if one were drawn to the appearance of an Asian ghost.
From Whence Came He?
Danakh has entered this world many times, though his permanent existence within our worldspace is a recent thing. The oldest known record of him in this world exists in China, in ancient mystical texts describing the summoning of demons from the Chinese hells; 以後 (Yi-hou, "after") is described as tending to several hells: the Prison of Salt, the Prison of Forever Drowning, the Prison of One Thousand Needles, and the Prison of Eternal Defeat. The text cautions that Yi-hou will doubtless turn whatever task the summoner puts him to against the summoner, if one is not careful, as he hates this world and all of its treasures.
- It is, then, unclear why he is so materialistic.
Why is he here?
In 1934, the German national socialist party orchestrated a coup that would claim the lives of the sum of their opposition parties within four days. It was referred to by its orchestrators by the codeword Kolibri, meaning hummingbird, but modern German histories refer to it as the Röhm-Putsch. The individual assassins in question were consummate knife- and sword-fighters. It is said certain members of the national socialist party practiced dark magics. It is sometimes said they would summon demons for various reasons; typically, to glean the location of a magical artifact. Sometimes, to impart knowledge.
- His current assumed name, 'Danakh' is a bastardisation of the German word danach, meaning after. We at PRIMUS have no certainty, but suspect he was summoned to teach methods of assassination for the nights of the Röhm-Putsch.
- Being a Chinese Netherdemon, and now a qlipphotic entity by nature, indicates the Nazi arcanist or arcanists in question clearly got something wrong, as does his permanent residence in our plane. This author believes they likely did not even manage the favor of instruction from him, considering the actual events of the Röhm-Putsch were not so clean and efficient as Danakh styles his fighting.
- As a Chinese demon, why was he even being conjured in Greece and Rome? That makes no sense. Not only did their ancient cultures not truly include demonology, they had little enough contact to have no knowledge of Chinese hells. Something is not adding up.
- That is bizarre. I wonder why we've not noticed this before.
PRIMUS' official stance on Danakh's presence in our world is as follows:
- He belongs in the Qliphoth, or the Parterres, or somewhere that is not here
- Attempts to banish him simply send him somewhere else on Earth.
That is all.
Minions?
Danakh recently donated vast quantities of common blood types, and rarer blood types, to medical centers around the globe. Each delivery was shipped in sealed iron casks, man-height and graven with obscure Chinese script, brought to the hospitals by gaunt, ghastly pale men garbed in odd blends of modern and ancient Chinese fashions, with hairstyles no more recent than the late 19th century 'queue'. The men commonly had wires digging into their skin, with hooks fastening the wires into a bone in many places, or long spikes driven into nerve centres. Chinese news and governmental releases refer to these men as "tongji". The hospitals in question were grateful, but mortified by the donation; when asked by Rezz of the source of the blood, Danakh merely stated he "wished only to be rid of it".
These are the same individuals occupying and fortifying the Fengdu Necropolis, especially its temple to Yama and rendition of the gates of hell. This began with Qingming, the Chinese day for the dead, on April 5, 2010. They continue to occupy Fengdu. Since their occupation, the hell gate is being cautiously watched by the Chinese army.
PRIMUS is co-operating with UNTIL in investigating the source of this blood, in spite of it being - on the surface - a donation for the good of mankind. Furthermore, this sudden revelation that Danakh has creatures doing his bidding in this realm is worrying, to say the least. UNTIL has elected to reclassify him from the previously-nebulous "Qliphothic entity" category; currently to what he shall be reclassified is under debate.
Powers and Abilities
- Dimension-tearing: In what is clearly a qlipphotic trait, Danakh is able to pierce dimensional boundaries, effectively permitting him to teleport himself, and rarely others as well, across many distances. Lately he seems to have readapted this, permitting him to open and close gateways to a netherworld region, likely one of the Chinese hells.
- Shadow Transit: Danakh can transport himself between regions of darkness on Earth.
- Dimensional Disturbance: Danakh is also able to create mystical weaponry and other forms that distort spaces they pass through. The effect on unwarded individuals is catastrophic, and often delivers serious injuries. Danakh claims to target "less lethal" body locations, but has caused villain deaths in this manner.
- Sorcery: Danakh is at least passingly familiar with some forms of magic.
- Odynopathy: Danakh stimulates or suppresses pain responses directly, an unusually limited telepathic ability. He has demonstrated the capacity to stimulate enough pain to induce shock, and to numb a body to pain thoroughly enough that they no longer register any physical contact.
- He seems to possess no other directly telepathic abilities.
- Physiologically, Danakh is far taller than most humans, and of a level of fitness and agility comparable to an Olympic gymnast, even despite his great size. His fingernails are more akin to claws, each a dozen centimeters long, vivid scarlet in colour, and bone-hard. He breathes and eats, though seems able to hold his breath for upwards of ten minutes and claims to have spent a century in fasting meditation.
- Danakh seems to be proficient in a number of fighting styles, and of late has been employing a barbed fighting chain. It bears marked similarities to the rope dart, and is frequently shrouded in a violet, flamelike cloud.
- Danakh is well-acquainted with human anatomy, and cognizant of nerve centers and pressure points, particularly weak regions of dermis or particularly fragile joints. He also has a keen mind for tactics and strategy, with a noted preference for stealth reconnaisance, and fast, pinpoint strikes. Unlike other creatures of his supernatural tendency, he has no qualms with employing technology, and has in the past 'made a point' to fellow supernatural creatures by calling in mercenary snipers and grenadiers as backup.
- Unusually, Danakh also possesses some knowledge of chemistry. A recent video of him entertaining children in Chengdu, Sichuan Province posted on YouTube captures him mixing gunpowder to create colourful fireworks. Local fire officials cut in frequently cautioning children on the dangers of these activities, and frequently mention that "Mr. Yi-hou is an expert!"
- Danakh seems able to comprehend and speak every language spoken - on Earth. While he listens, interested, to aliens explaining the particulars of their languages, he seems unable to learn them with any proficiency, achieving at best the communicative abilities of a small child.
- By his perfect diction in every language he speaks, knowledgeability in many subjects both scientific and arcane, and calculating qualities, UNTIL has officially designated Danakh a "supergenius". What this has accomplished, with the exception of further inflating Danakh's already impressive ego, remains to be seen.
Weaknesses and Limitations
Most obviously, Danakh's skin and hair are devoid of any pigment, suggesting to the scientifically-minded that he would be an albino, suffering from total amelanism. However, his habits and garmenture suggest he harbors a more potent aversion to sunlight, considering he habitually appears unmasked and uncloaked only in the hours between dusk and dawn.
Despite his impressive size and the arcane lore at his disposal, Danakh is only as durable as a typical human. Cuts and bruises he suffers deliver him very real injury, and he has, on occasion, lost a limb. While he seems impossible to permanently kill, it is possible to disable him for quite some time with a normally-lethal wound.
Danakh's dimensional manipulation also draws other qlipphotic entities toward him, comparable to how blood and meat can attract sharks from miles away.
Danakh's largest weakness is, naturally, his ego: especially in a physical fight, he feels the need to compare himself to those he is directly in competition with, and outline why he is, naturally, superior to them. Whether it is his genius they cannot match, or his height, or his countless ages of experience, he is always number one - in his own mind. Psychologists surmise he has a massive inferiority complex and frequently pits himself against opponents physically able to crush him into goo in some eternal effort to prove his own worth to himself or some metaphysical power.
- In point of fact, psychics who have the metaphysical know-how have, as of some centuries ago and on the back of a scarlet tortoise shell, noted that this entity is extremely vulnerable to empaths influencing his morale. They have theorised, with the correct ritual circle in play, an empath could coax him into a binding wheel and extract from him a binding contract, or, if preferred, his life. That the shell has survived this long indicates Danakh himself must have no knowledge of it.
Despite claiming to be ambidextrous, Danakh's penmanship with his left hand is markedly better than with his right. He may have a nervous palsy or carpal tunnel-like issue with his right hand.
Affiliations
Danakh is presently operating within The Ministry of Order, though it has come to light that he briefly stalked a new member. His future within the group is unknown, but it is to be assumed the Ministry finds him to be "really, really creepy."
Curiously, Danakh has undertaken some operations with UNITY. We are almost positive this is so that the UN can keep a close eye on his movements and operational dialogue.
Friends and Allies
Danakh claims to take tea with many metaphysical entities, though he has never called upon them for aid. This has led PRIMUS to conclude that these angels, gods, and other personified concepts are merely acquaintances who suffer his hospitality.
As a probable Yama King, Danakh obviously would count the other Kings as allies. Despite this, he has been observed in disdainful disagreements with Yan Sung, and in tensely neutral company with Mingrui, the lords of the Sixth and Eighth Halls, respectively.
Enemies
Danakh is known to be at odds with the majority of natives to the Qlipphotic realm. They can somehow sense when he is breaching dimensional boundaries, and often attempt to follow him through his tiny rifts. He has professed great uneasiness - the closest he has ever come to an admission of fear - in dealing with them.
He also has a propensity for bringing harm to DEMON and the Red Banner Society. These not being explicitly popular cults with PRIMUS, we have no problem with this.
Danakh has stated several times that he finds "petty daemonkind" to be "grossly distasteful", and that they should "never be trusted" and "killed on sight". PRIMUS considers this a curious point of view for a denizen of the nether-realms.
Miscellaneous Facts
- Danakh's tongue is grey.
- Danakh's torso is covered in an intricate network of tattoos, when it is visible. Repeated geometric designs seem to flow and merge and emerge throughout them, but across his collarbones is a saying in the obscure, ancient Chinese bird seal script.
- He has professed extreme distaste for unprofessional conduct, messiness, and amateurs.
- Danakh's back is missing skin in places.
- Despite his semi-heroic activities, Danakh is more frequently found bearing witness to events already under control. The Blood Moon and Qularr invasion of Millennium City are recent examples of this; he was frequently seen atop buildings or at roadsides... watching.
- While battling one of the Crowns of Krim, an observer reported to PRIMUS that the Crown in question - Eclipse - screamed to Danakh that the Kings of Edom would "have him again".
Rumours
Rumour has it that...
- ...he is actually Mongolian.
- ...he's an okay guy, really!
- ...the skin missing from Danakh's back forms wings along his ribcage.
- ...Danakh is biding his time, waiting for something to happen.
- ...if you say his name three times while you're looking at yourself in a mirror, Danakh comes and takes you away.
- ...he turns to salt if you play biānzhōng funerary bells within earshot.
- ...he is the ninth King of Yama, Lu Pingden, Lord of the Iron Web.
- ...he was stalking Hydra without her being able to see or hear him. When asked why, he stated that it was psychological research.
- ...he is conducting a massive scam, fooling the hells, heavens, and humanity alike.
Metadata
Theme Songs
Posit: Shoji Meguro - Master of Hell; Shoji Meguro - Power of the Dark
Reflect: Jesper Kyd - Masyaf Fight Or Flight ~ Yellow Belly; Akira Yamaoka - Rain of Brass Petals (Three Voices Edit)
Observe: Shoji Yamashiro - Kaneda; Tool - Vicarious
Act: Yoshino Aoki - A Warring God; Akira Yamaoka - Violent Temper
Live Action
Character Actor: Yusuke Iseya
