Adaro
Abilities: Hydrocorporeality: Adaro is a spirit of water, and as a result is completely incorporeal under most circumstances. Therefore he generally cannot be observed or interact with the physical world in any way. While in this state, he can levitate at a speed up to his sprinting speed, phasing through all matter. Some quirk of his magic means that he can still observe the world while in this state, despite light passing through his eyes and sound not actually touching his ears, but he still cannot interact with the world normally.
This effect vanishes, however, for portions of his body immersed in water. Interestingly, his physical form does not interact with water directly; it phases through him as though he were still incorporeal, and his movements do not disturb it. It is possible for only part of him to be corporeal, for example if his arm is immersed it will be corporeal while the remainder of his body is not. His corporeal body cannot phase through objects, and can no longer levitate.
As a spirit of water, Adaro does not need to consume any nutrients, including oxygen, to survive, though he does tire normally and require sleep. Beyond the traits already stated, however, his body behaves like that of a normal human’s while corporeal. Thus he can be injured or affected by outside forces more or less normally. Additionally, Adaro cannot die properly under most circumstances; his body will dissipate and reform in some body of water.
To count as water for Adaro to become corporeal, the liquid must be reasonably pure. Mixtures such as blood, mud, and the like are not sufficient, but murky or otherwise tainted water is still capable of supporting his presence so long as the water component makes up a strong majority. Reasonably dense mist or fog is something of a special case, in that it can support Adaro’s corporeality but requires much lower density of water per cubic meter than is otherwise allowed, perhaps because air’s low density inhibits his taking a corporeal form less. This makes dense mist arguably the most viable option for Adaro as medium through which to act in the material world, at least in most circumstances.
Because water makes Adaro and things owned by him corporeal, his reflection or shadow is visible on water where it would be reflected by a corporeal being. Likewise, sounds he makes can be heard through water and scents smelled through water by those perceptive enough to notice them, though that is generally not a small task. It is also worth noting that Adaro is always ‘corporeal’ to other incorporeal things, even when immersed.
Hydrogenesis: When part of Adaro’s mass (as much as an incorporeal spirit has mass) is immersed in water and thus corporeal, he can generate water from it. This fills a magical, extra-spatial reservoir within Adaro at a rate of one tenth of the immersed mass per second up to a maximum of Adaro’s own mass when fully corporeal, roughly 60 kilograms. Adaro can release this mass from within his corporeal form, where he can affect it with his hydrokinesis. Because Adaro has created this water, he can make a metaphysical claim of ownership on it without effort. Because this water can be stored indefinitely, Adaro will almost always keep it full when possible for the sake of preparedness.
Hydrokinesis: Adaro has the ability to manipulate water within his form, extending about two inches out from any corporeal element of his body. This manipulation is not particularly forceful, and while reasonably dextrous its lack of reach makes it impractical for your standard ‘bending’ style combat.
That said, Adaro can use this manipulation to produce sprays of water with some amount of force, but they will generally not have a significant impact and better serve as a distraction or to limit visibility or - most importantly - to propagate mist, expanding the region where Adaro can access the physical world.
Adaro can induce his hydrokinesis to simulate an ‘equal and opposite reaction’ on water, allowing it to affect him physically even if he has not claimed it. This can be applied to have the mist or water push him, enhancing his speed or the force of a blow. This is particularly effective when submerged properly rather than in mist where there is more water and thus more force to be applied, but while it allows him to move quickly it does not enhance his perception, meaning that trying to move like this in battle for more than a moment is both tiring and likely to lead to some blunder. That said, this does mean that he is in practice faster and stronger than normal humans to at least some degree. This effect is somewhat minor in mist, where it mostly results in him appearing highly athletic and giving him the ability of almost floaty movements, but when submerged in liquid water allows him to move and strike very rapidly.
Adaro can also alter the state of water, and will frequently use this aspect to make structures from ice such as knives to be used in combat, propelled by both strength and hydrokinesis for extra impact.
It should be noted that Adaro’s hydrokinesis only applies to reasonably pure water, as with his corporeality. He can not manipulate the fluids in a person’s body, mud, and the like. The rules here are exactly the same as with his corporeality, so if he can become tangible through one body of water, he can manipulate it through his hydrokinesis.
Metaphysical Claim: Adaro is able to claim objects that have no living owner, making them follow his rules for corporeality, and allowing him to carry them around with him even when not submerged. He can also release this claim at will. The more ambitious this claim, the more time it takes; a small, low value object a few seconds of physical contact and focus, and larger things requiring as much as days, if not more. Adaro will sometimes claim a bike or motorcycle for travel before abandoning it, and in combat he may claim a small object useful in the moment. Anything Adaro produces through his hydrokinesis, he can claim with no effort, but he does not have to. Objects can only be claimed and released in this way while both they and Adaro are corporeal.
The rules incorporeal objects follow are sometimes strange, but the magic behind it will usually preserve their intended function if they have one, thus allowing Adaro to drive along a road while incorporeal despite the obvious logistical problems that might present. That said, they still do not interact with the physical world while not submerged, and when submerged they act as they should anyway, so this can not easily be exploited for any particularly bizarre effects on the material world.
Skilled Combatant: While not exceptional as far as traditional martial skills go, and not physically superhuman (although he is able to emulate it) Adaro is still notably experienced in both combat and stealth as a result of his past; something often useful when skulking about within thick fog, picking off targets one by one. That said, Adaro has experience but no proper training, and in a straight hand to hand fight Adaro will lose to specialists or true adepts. Especially given that Adaro is physically unimposing and lacks the physical power without his hydrokinesis to overpower most humans.
Incorporeality: While being able to fly around unobserved and untouchable is certainly useful, the absolute inability to effect the world without water to serve as a conduit is less so. Anyone who is able to stand more than a few meters from Adaro’s mist or another water source is virtually invulnerable to him, and anyone who can move or remove the mist is capable of removing Adaro’s agency in that region. Because he produces even mist much slower than he can actually move, anyone who wants to avoid Adaro can usually respond by maintaining a brisk jog away from water sources to escape, unless he has managed to trap them or some other factor is at play. It’s also worth noting that, unless there is at least some accessible water Adaro can find, he cannot interact in an area at all.
Adaro’s relationship with corporeality also has the situational weakness of Adaro being vulnerable to incorporeal things that would not affect most always having full effect on him.
Non-Possessive: Adaro’s requirement to either travel continuously through water or claim an object just to carry it from point a to point b can prove to be more than a mere inconvenience. Sorry, but he can’t carry the key to the door before the bomb explodes on you. There is no water in between, and it technically belongs to you so he can’t claim it. This also makes it difficult for Adaro to come prepared, since claiming more than whatever he is travelling with is impractical for day to day scenarios, as much as the concept of day to day applies to him. Generally, he is stuck with his clothing, a bag full of supplies, and whatever he can create or claim.
Elemental: Adaro is a spirit of water, and as a result is naturally vulnerable to his elemental opposite. Although heat itself has an ordinary impact on him when corporeal, direct exposure to fire will deal devastating damage to him as the elements clash: where ordinary flesh would burn, Adaro’s body is annihilated on contact; a finger stuck into an open flame is a finger Adaro no longer has.
This effect is unique in that fire is the one ordinary force that will harm Adaro even while he is incorporeal. This does not apply to plasma, lasers, electricity, or other intense sources of thermal energy; only fire.
Adaro is reserved and soft spoken, and o
ften introspective. Although intelligent, situationally aware, and capable under pressure, Adaro is strongly disinclined to any sort of leadership, preferring to follow the lead of others. This isn’t to say Adaro does not make plans - quite the opposite - but he does not tend to choose and pursue his own goals. He prefers to latch on to another’s cause and follow them, though he is extremely loyal to those he does follow (one might question, however, whether this is truly genuine loyalty or just his lack of general direction or ambition keeping him attached to his chosen allies). Adaro is inclined to carefully plan any course of action he might take, but just as likely to break those plans in the moment.
Adaro is the sort of individual who will light himself on fire to keep another warm with little seconds thoughts. This applies to essentially everyone, although he suppresses the urge against those he fights with varying degrees of success, but is almost unconditional to those he has latched onto.
Adaro is disillusioned and pragmatic, and while still almost unconditionally loyal and perhaps overly-benevolent at times, has a touch of world weariness that he generally keeps restrained.
In battle, Adaro is fond of clever approaches to problems - even actively enjoying them - and prefers to solve them obliquely, though he is willing to take a more brute force approach if the situation calls for it. Adaro is well aware of the psychological effects of a barely visible, shadowy figure stealthily moving about ever expanding tendrils of fog, and the fear it can induce in less trained individuals and actively exploits it.
That said, while he is a skilled and intelligent combatant, he does not naturally possess a killer instinct. Though he is past the point of hesitating at key moments, he is not overly ruthless. He will allow his foes to escape if he is permitted to, and avoids inflicting physical pain when he can. He is more willing to use psychological approaches however, using fear and actively prying at weaknesses if he can find them, not out of cruelty but simply an underestimation of the weight they can carry.[/spoiler]
Appearance: Adaro is a 5’5” male with a lean, mu
scled build. Whatever skin color Adaro once had is hidden beneath his now spectral form, the silvery blue of water. He has a long face, not particularly attractive features, and calculating eyes that still show their original brown. His hair is cut short, its color barely distinct from his skin, though still recognizably separate.
Adaro wears a grey overcoat and carries a small bag of supplies.[/spoiler]
Story: Adaro spent the early years of his life
learning rhetoric, mathematics, logic, and the arts at one of the schools in his city. Born to a wealthy merchant family, Adaro had need for his education, both as a matter of being able to manage the family’s finances when he came of age and for the prestige that came with a proper education.
Adaro took to the education well, being relatively intelligent, but lacked motivation to work in the family spice company - something that would have become a more significant problem if it were summarily interrupted by outside events. One of the many small city-states that dotted the northern coast of the continent, it was a wealthy but poorly defended prize to be taken. When the ever-shifting web of alliances that determined the politics of the continent left them isolated, the Empire pounced without hesitation.
The war went as anyone would have expected. The Empire’s military was not just overwhelmingly larger, it was better. Better equipped, better trained, better supplied, and better lead.
General Gairovald lead the Empire on the campaign, spearheading the assault with a contingent of his dreaded Fountain Mages. Able to claim any position and rapidly fortify it with self-sustaining, powerful magic, they were able to rapidly hemm in the city’s forces, isolating them to be cut down piecemeal. It was less than one month before the city was annexed.
But an easy war brought a difficult peace. The wealth of the city was stripped, looted by the Empire in order to fund yet another campaign. But the populace was barely damaged, only a few lost in scattered battles. Humiliated over being conquered and enraged at having their city looted, rebellion festered almost immediately.
Adaro ended up becoming part of this rebellion, as much because his colleagues in the university were almost unanimously in favor of it as his own desire for independence.
But idealistic fervor and an angry populace, it would prove, were not sufficient to form a successful rebellion. The Empire had still had well trained soldiers, and the nobility assigned to watch over the city were almost unassailable in their homes and offices with the benefit of Fountain Magic.
Furthermore, while hardly utopian, the Empire was not so draconian that the will to fight lasted through the years easily. Though the city itself had lost much wealth, unrestricted trade with the empire helped mitigate this blow as the years past, and the peasantry in the countryside enjoyed both better harvests with the introduction of certain imperial methods, and were treated better under the reformed imperial law than under the unmitigated serfdom the city had maintained over the centuries.
But certain elements in the city still seethed with resentment even as the years past. His father having died of a cough, Adaro inherited what remained of the family estate, using it to house his comrades and to fund some of their ventures. Despite frequent raids, arsons, and murders, they ultimately achieved nothing. They simply did not have the organization or resources, and few outside the empire were in a position to aid them and willing to do so.
It was almost painful, then, when the Empire fell to another rebellion over the course of a few months. But as republican revolutionaries long in the making seized the palaces and fortresses of the Empire, forming the Continental Republic, it became very clear that the new government had no intention of releasing any of the Empire’s acquisitions. Quite the opposite.
But the success of one revolution fueled the flames for a hundred more, and the idea that maybe the city truly could become independent once more found its way from whispered discussions in the taverns into open statements.
Ad
