Vortigern
History
Once Upon a Time
A little story...
The vastness of space.
The utter vastness that cripples our self importance.
That little blue ball is the planet Earth, only 10 million miles away and it's significance is reduced that of a child's toy.
As we draw closer we see beyond it, approximately 5 trillion miles away, something is about to appear.
It is approximately 50 trillion miles long, only a few billion miles wide. If anyone on Earth could see it through the glowing daytime atmosphere, the only word that could describe it would be, COSMIC.
It is a rupture in the very fabric of reality, if it were left open for very long, that fabric would simply begin to unravel.
It's manifestation in our reality is so detrimental, that it could only be an act of utter madness, or desperation.
Through the tear, two mighty celestial hands are thrust through, griping the edges, the gap is forced open slightly. Enough to allow a tremendous helmeted head to push through.
A vacuum-silent wail vibrates from the form as the neck begins to stretch and strain as the head is thrust further into our dimension. Across the psychic ether a word is screamed.
"NO!"
The gargantuan head tears away from it's body, blazing through space toward the little blue ball which will surely be destroyed upon their meeting.
The horrible wound in our reality immediately begins to close again as the great hands withdraw, but another voice whispers through the ether.
"You will teach them. You will guide them. You will save them. We, will give you the time prepare. Farewell."
With that the rupture snaps shut, while the cranial missile continues to blaze through space. The vastness of space. It will take over a year for the strange object to reach earth even at the unimaginable speed that it travels. In the mean time, several different astronomers will believe they have discovered a new comet. They will argue incessantly over who should get credit for the discovery, over how big it is (since it curiously seems to be shrinking) and what to name it. Only a handful of people will hear it's plaintive psychic wail as it approaches and fewer still realize what it portends.
Tonight is the night of arrival, tonight is the first night of Armageddon. The object has lost much of it former size and shape. No longer would it be considered "cosmic". The scientists lost interest sometime ago as it became too small to easily locate with their telescopes. They had confidently surmised (incorrectly) that it had been burned away by the sun and posed no danger to Earth. But by terrestrial standards it became a brilliant shooting star that streaked across the sky and crashed into the Laurentian Highlands of Canada.
In the smoking crater a voice cried out into the now still night.
"No!"
Through the smoke and dust a humanoid figure can be seen crouching on it's hands and knees in the small crater. Suddenly it rises and again shouts.
"no No NO! Don't leave me here! Don't leave me alone... I, I can't do it again. I can't watch them all die again..." The figure crumples to the ground.
(Inaudibly, a different voice.) "Thou art not alone. I shall be with thee and strengthen thee. Fear not."
"NO!"
( The figure bolts upright and grabs the sides of the helmet on it's head and yanks it off, casting it away. Underneath we see the figure is not quite human. A bald head with green skin, adorned with pointed ears and a third eye above the nose.)
"No! We failed! It was all for nothing! My entire Universe is lost!"
(The helmet does not land on the ground. It stops in midair and rights itself, turning to face the figure now bent down on its knees and arms close the ground, he is weeping.)
"Why? Why did they do it? Why cast me away into this doomed world? To punish me? To make me watch it happen all over again? I just wanted it to be over. Sealing the breach was enough. All of us, together."
(The helm floating in midair speaks.)
"Thou wer't the greatest of them. Only thou wer't able to call me to your aid. Only thou wer't able to orchestrate the incorporation of Amat Rei. Only thou could'st have fought them so long and hard. All of us, chose this course. If the Kings of Edom find their way here. If they are called up by some unsuspecting fool or tread paths we knowest not, then t'would it all have been in vain. The sealing would'st have served no purpose. (The helmet drifts closer to the now supine figure) But, t'will not happen this day, nor the next. Thee and I are all that remain of our beloved home but thou art drained of mind and spirit. Rest now. I shall watch over thee and keep thee."
(The figure rolls over onto his back, his eyes closed as if already asleep, and lays his hands across his chest. The helmet drifts down till it just touches his forehead and begins to glow. A fierce wind springs up, the stone on which he lays suddenly begins to rise and shape itself into a bier. The ground shakes as blocks of stone rise from the earth and arrange themselves in a series of concentric squares that continue to build upwards and inwards till the figure is hidden by a grand pyramid. In the dark center chamber the helm settles next to the sleeping figure, and waits.)
All is Lost
Vortigern is the last survivor of a parallel dimension that has been consumed by the Kings of Edom. There, in the last days of it's existence, the greatest magic users of the prime axial planet were able to create 11 artifacts that allowed each of them to merge with an Umbra of the Sephirot. Upon achieving this they were then able to join together to form a gestalt entity, Amat Rei, to battle the Kings of Edom directly. But by this time, it was too late to save their universe. The Kings of Edom had consumed too much of their dimension and the Sephirot were greatly diminished. The Avatars of the Kings of Edom prepared a rift to our dimension to continue their advance but Amat Rei was able to foil their plans by plugging the rift with their own being and forever blocking that path. Yet they knew that eventually the Kings of Edom would find another way to our dimension. In a desperate attempt to prepare our world for the coming battle, Amat Rei expelled the greatest of the wizards composing it, Vortigern, through the rift just as it closed on them.
Vortigern rested in hibernation for approximately 70 years in a pyramid constructed and hidden underground by the Helm itself. After awkening, he set about learning what he could about his new home. This planet is similar to the one he is from but evolved in a considerably different fashion. Vortigern has only recently perfected a disguise to allow him to walk among humans. Vortigern believes his goals on Earth are threefold. One; he must attune himself to Earth's magic. Two; he must construct a new vessel to contain the Umbra of Da of our dimension before the Kings of Edom are unleashed. Three, he must also warn the mages of our dimension and hope that he can recruit 10 more able to form Amat Rei when the time comes. Vortigern has discovered that this plane has already faced the Kings of Edom once, over 30,000 years ago and triumphed. The Artifacts of the Umbra are already created, now they must be found...
Vortigern is from a parallel dimension, one that mirrors many aspect of our own but with differences. As it turns out, Vortigern is none other than an alternate version of Lord Karactacus. A version that never met Lord Xanadu nor lost his right arm and third eye. But he does share Karactacus' drive and passion. The Rune/Hex Lords did not exist as organizations at all in Vortigern's Universe.
Powers and Equipment
Vortigern arrived in our Universe with nothing but what he wore on him at the moment of becoming part of Amat Rei. Which is to say, he had nothing but the helm of Ha'Tad and his battle garb. The Helm of Ha'Tad is a tremendous achievement in sorcery. It has harnessed a shard of the highest plane of existence, the Umbra of Da. It is capable of bestowing tremendous power to it's possessor. It may be used as a simple talisman or a sorcerer may commune with the Umbra and convince it to merge with him and become something greater, with aspects of both. As it's creator, Vortigern had little trouble achieving communion and becoming "Lord Vortigern". Since it has been expelled from it's universe, the Umbra of Da is no longer connected to the infinite power of the highest planes. It now acts as a type of battery, gradually running out of power as it used. The Helm is sentient and may act on it's own when it feels the need to.
