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Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Nezha Daivari

Original Identity: Yishai Daivari
Current Identity: Nezha Daivari
Species: Wytch
Sex: Male
Sexual Orientation: Omnisexual
Height: 6'3"
Hair Color: blonde
Eye Color: blue

Past

The stories say that once magic had no price. One could cast spells as easily and often as they breathed. They are wrong. Magic always had a price, but somewhere down the line the people of Yaninde decided they no longer wished to pay it. They believed that the cost was too high, or so most of them were told. The people of Yaninde were led to believe that the cost of magic was their immortal soul. This was lies created by the power hungry---those who sought to usurp the gods and claim the throne of the heavens for themselves. They knew if the truth was known--that while magic came with a cost that it was put into place to help them grow not hinder them that what these power-hungry ones sought to do would never be done. They wished to cast a spell that severed the people from the divine, and a spell of that nature regarded majority support to have any success. They allowed the spell they were going to be cast to be known. It was the finer details that they kept secrets, and it might be said that some of these details they did not know themselves attaining the spell from not the most forthcoming sources. What they did know was that if successful the spell would render majority of the people magically impotent. 

They had no issue with this as they believed magic was a finite substance and the less people drawing from it meant more for them. They, however, ended up among the magically impotent when the spell had been completed. They, of course, was outraged by this discovery and begun to bicker amongst themselves about whose fault it was. Each blaming the others for somehow tainting the spell in an attempt to ensure they were the only one who had access to the magic. Given the nature of these individuals it is likely they all attempted such a thing but given how ambiguous the spell was it was just as likely that the spell had been designed to have this outcome. Eventually, they agreed it didn't matter who was responsible they needed to remedy the situation, and fortunately they knew how to do such a thing. They just needed to steal all the magic from others. One for each of them. They all had dabbled in such things, taking a little magic here and there from another but they never thought about draining someone dry. They had never had the urge to until now. 

The next question was whose magic they were going to steal. They agreed that each were only allowed one person to steal magic from. This way none would receive more magic through quantity of the people they had collected. However, they knew that there were those with great magical abilities who had not been rendered magically impotent and each wanted the chance to find such an individual but didn't want to spend too much longer without magic. It might be said they, also, wanted to limit the chance of the others finding someone more powerful than the one they had found. A time limit was agreed upon. One that allowed them ample time to locate someone of substantial power but wouldn't allow them to be too choosey on who they took. Once the terms were agreed upon, they all set out to find the individual whose magic they were going to steal. Each had a person in mind and hoped that they had not been rendered impotent. A fourteen-year-old by the name of Yishai Daivari was one such individual. He had been the apprentice of the one who sought him, but his family not agreeing with the course of his education removed him from it. The usurper thought this was very foolish of them. Others would have sold their own soul for their child to have one lesson from him let alone be taken in as his apprentice. 

It didn't take him long to locate Yishai. His family had been among the few who did not agree with the plan to sever the people from the divine. They believed that no good would come from casting such a spell and decided to flee as far away from where the spell was being cast as possible. However, when most of them became magically impotent it became clear they had not been successful. Yishai's parents begun to fight over whether or not they should keep running. His father was under the impression that there was no point. Running wouldn't change anything. Yishai's mother disagreed, and convinced his father that they needed to continue by telling him that one did not stay in the fire while the flames raged. They decided they would take a few days rest then make their way to the coast where they would take ship to the lands across the waters. If they hadn't taken time to rest, they would have been long gone, or if they had taken a shorter rest, they might have remained out of the usurper's reach. The usurper caught up with them on their very last day, and demanded they handed Yishai over. 

He had not expected them to resist.  He was accustomed to people doing exactly what he wanted based solely on who he was. This was how he located them in the first place. There had been no risk of revealing he had lost his magic, but luckily, for him he had a plan set into place if his reputation wasn't enough. One might wonder how they were going to steal magic from others without magic themselves., and the answer was simply from the magic they had stolen previously. Each had saved some of the magic they had taken over the course of their lives for a rainy day, and the usurper had enough to silence any further resistance from Yishai and his family while retaining enough for the spell. However, if things didn't go according to plan he would quite plainly be shit out of luck. It was a risk he was willing to take. He doubted he would find anyone of Yishai's level. In fact, he was certain Yishai magic stood above anyone the others could find. Luckily for him, the death some of Yishai's family and the threat of the rest following suit was sufficient enough to convince Yishai to come with him. 

They arrived back to where the spell was going to be cast just in time. Upon learning what they intended to do all those captured begged them not to go through with it. Of course, this did not come as a surprise no one relished at the loss of their magic, but they should have known their pleas would go upon deaf ears. The usurpers proceeded with their plan. Using the last of their magic they cast the spell that would give them back their access to their magic. Expect once again the spell they cast didn't exactly what they thought. It gave them access to magic. Just not magic they had before. This magic was different. It might be said that it was wrong. As for the ones who were being drained dry, they were in anguish beyond imagining. Their very souls were being smothered out and it was an extremely slow and painful process. It is unclear how Yishai managed to do this but in his attempt to stop his suffering he reached out and pulled something from the realm beyond into himself. It is unclear what this thing was. What as known was that it was not like Yishai. It was confused as it was experiencing things that it had never before. While it had been sentient it had not had what one might call the human experience. It didn't understand Yishai emotions nor his physical pain. 

Then a horrific realization that it was now experiencing these things occurred to the being. At first, it was angry with Yishai. He had been the one to pull it from wherever it had previously been, but then it realized Yishai had only done such an act out of desperation. He would not have done something so unspeakable if others haven't driven him to it. He was outraged at them. Then he realized the extent of what they had done---stripping the world of its magic and bringing another in its place. It was wrong. The magic they were now touching was wrong. And its rage intensified, but that wasn't his rage. It was Yishai's and the being knew within that moment that the boy hadn't reached out to save his own soul but rather the soul of his people. The being not knowing if what had been done could be reversed decided to remain with Yishai and help him figure out if it was possible. The destruction of his people's soul could at the very least be slowed. The being had been irrevocably changed and could not return where it had come from. Not only that the being found itself connected to Yishai in a manner that it felt was inseparable In fact, the two were merging into one. What that meant and what they would become was anyone's guess. The process was a slow one that would take years to complete as their two essences tried to merge together in an equal balance of both. 

Believing they didn't have years for the process to be complete, the being quickened the inevitable merger, knowing that by doing this that more of Yishai essence would remain and what they become would be very different from what they would have become if the merger had happened naturally. The being didn't care about this. It only knew it wished to help Yishai and believed that if it did not act in this manner that any chance for Yishai to do what he wished would be lost. The usurpers could see that something was happening to Yishai that was not like what was happening to the others. They did not know what it was, and it made them very nervous. Some called for the spell to be ended. Surely, they had swiped enough magic to regain their abilities. In fact, they were sure of it. They felt the cackle of magic at their fingertips. Others protested this idea. It was never wise to end a spell in the middle. That was a good way to turn the spell back on you and none of them wanted what was happening to those whose magic they were stealing to happen to them. Eventually, they decided that Yishai was no longer apart of the spell. He was not being affected by it like the others had been and thus could be remove, but when they went to do such a thing what they came to face with brought a cold shiver down their spine.

They had an overwhelming instinct to flee, but something was keeping them pinned there. Slowly, they realized it was Yishai himself. They demanded to know what he was. At first, he didn't answer. Only tilted his head to the side as if he found them curious or perhaps it was confusion. The thought that Yishai might not know what he was or understand them altogether briefly occurred to them. There was something clearly inhumane about his gaze. There was this sensation of something ancient and long forgotten looking at them from behind his eyes. After what seemed to be an eternity he laughed, and the sound that escaped his lips was beautiful beyond measure. It might even be said to be the loveliest sound they had ever heard. Very different from the voice Yishai had possessed before the spell had been cast, but voice was as terrifying as it was beautiful. The cold shiver they had felt when they first came to face with Yishai only intensified when he laughed and only did more so with each word, he told them he was their doom. It was not the words he spoke that had them reacting in such a manner. He could have said anything, made a small comment about the weather and their reaction would be the same. It was very possible they hadn't heard a word he had said and was only responding to the timbre of his voice.

Then something snapped within them. They found themselves no longer pinned in place with fear. Had Yishai let them go or had they broken free? They each took a moment to calculate the possibilities, none of them speaking to see what the others thought. They feared that if they had broken themselves free that revealing it too soon would only end in disaster. Eventually they all came to a conclusion. Some deciding it was their own power that was responsible while others believing they had been released by Yishai. Those who had believed they had broken away on their own accord turned to flee, knowing as it stood, they stood no chance against Yishai but believing if given enough time they could find a way to destroy him. Those who believed they had been released flung themselves at his feet, vowing their eternal devotion and service towards him if only he spared them. Amused by their reactions, he told them to fear not he wasn't going to destroy them, but quelled any sense of relief when he told them he intended something far worse. They had committed an unforgivable sin with their attempts to become gods and tainted the very soul of his people. He could not allow this magic they had released to go unchecked, but unfortunately, he could not reverse what they had done. It might be possible someday, but not now.

It was for that reason some of them would act like a barricade, keeping those who had not become magically impotent by their folly from accidentally tapping into this other magic they had brought into the world. As for the others they had gained access to this magic when the usurpers had, and as such attempting to block their connection from it was pointless. It would be those who pledge their undying devotion to him that would serve in this manner. Their very souls will be used for this goal, stretched and spread across the whole of Yaninde. A process he hears is much more painful for a soul than being smothered out of existence, at least the discomfort of being smothered eventually comes to an end. However, worry not they will not know pain as long as they were sincere in their pledge of devotion. As for the others, they will serve as a storage container for this new magic. After all they believed, magic was a finite substance. Surely, it was no different for this magic. Every time someone cast a spell using this new magic, they will absorb some of it, but they will likely not wait for that moment as they will crave this magic like a someone parched craves water. Like a magnet they will find themselves pulled to any source of the magic and will drain anyone with this magic who get into their grasp dry. However, worry not their victim will not know pain. The process will only be a slight discomfort. It will be them who will feel the most agony from the process. It will feel as if their soul is being smothered out of existence each time they feed. 

Once that was said, a wave of a hand was all that was needed to cast his spell, and this both amazed and terrified the usurpers for they have never seen magic used so effortlessly and the realization that it had been Yishai's and not the being who merged with him who possessed this talent was more astonishing. They did not know how they knew this. They just did, but they didn't have any time to ponder whether or not that meant such an ability could have been theirs before they found themselves pulled underneath the spell. Yishai found himself knocked out once it was completed. When he awoken it was clear that quite a bit of time had passed, he had emerged within a world quite different from the one he had fallen asleep within. He took some time to understand this world as well as try to understand what he had become. What became clear was that this world had adopted to this new magic that the usurper had unleashed into it and had all but forgotten their true magic. Luckily a few echoes existed, enough where stories have been created with just enough truth to keep it from completely being forgotten. Another truth that occurred to him was that while his soul had become something else his body had not. It had mortal limitations and hosting an otherworldly soul took its toll. The signs of decay were becoming clear, and while he felt no discomfort over the process, he knew that he needed to remedy the situation, or he would find himself unable to function in any meaningful ways to achieve his goals.

After considering a few things, he concluded that his best option was possession--especially at this stage. Other options might be just as viable if he hadn't decayed in the manner that he had. The only thing was he determined that the best body to possess was one that held both his same genetic material and the true magic of the people. He didn't know where any of his family might be and even if he had they wouldn't be his direct descendants and possessing them might be as effective as possessing someone who wasn't related to him at all. There was only one course of action and that was to have a son who fit his criteria and possess him when the time was right. Given his current state, he knew no woman would be willing to sleep with him and it was for this reason he decided to force them. He kidnapped several women, and it was with luck that he managed to beget a son fitting his critia onto one of them. 

He began to look for ways to extend how long he was able to stay within one body after this initial possession, and while he has found ways to extend the mortal body well past its normal limitations, they were still unable to host his soul indefinitely. Others have taken notice of his long life and begun to look for ways to do the same. Over the course of time, they have found effective ways to make themselves older than they are, but none had realized the truth about Yishai that he is even older than they believe. This is because when he settles into his new body, he takes on his son's identity.  He isn't certain why he does this. It likely doesn't serve the goal of saving the people. Then again it might. He might need to pretend to be one of them to better understand how to save them. It was this belief that he might need to understand them--no not them---the magic that they now possessed that got him studying this magic. He decided that even if one of his seed didn't fit the critia for possession that it still had its use. He could study this invasive magic within these children and perhaps come up with a way to remove it from the world.  He does horrific things to his seed in an attempt to understand it even trying to remove the magic from them. 

When it comes to the women he abducts, he is very calculating about which ones he takes. Each are picked and sorted on the children they are likely to produced. Only those who are likely to produce a son who fits his critria for possession are made his wife. And if a woman who was previously thought not capable of producing such a child manages to do so--even if that child is the wrong gender--is raised to wife statues. He treats those wives and offspring better even if it is just barely just. It wasn't until he met her that he developed genuine feelings for one of the women he decided to breed with. From the very moment they met, she looked at him differently than the others. When her eyes were upon him, he felt as if she was seeing him, really seeing him. Not the him that he convinced everyone to believe he was, but who he truly was. He should have left her alone, but he found himself wanting her in ways he never wanted another before. She was not just someone who could be used to achieve a goal, but someone whose company he craved. He did not shield her from his monstrous ways. It might be said he revealed them more to her. Perhaps, in an attempt to get her to hate him and shatter the hold she seemed to have over him.

It didn't work. It might be said she was a glutton for punishment because she came to regard him fondly. She even claimed to love him. Eventually, she became pregnant and gave birth to a girl named Qiana. It was clear that Qiana was different. She possessed his magic. Not true magic of this world, but the magic he developed when the soul of Yishai merged with that otherworldly being. He doesn't know what that means, and he thought of deposing of Qiana, but something stopped him. He told himself it was curiosity to see how this magic develops, but he knows that it isn't the case. He treats Qiana as if she has the same magic as everyone else, curious to see if she would ever realize it is different. He told himself that Qiana being born with his soul magic was the reason her mother had such trouble with her pregnancy. Yes, women had trouble with their pregnancy in the past but none to the level that Qiana's mother had. Over the years, she became pregnant many times and while each one seemed as difficult for her as Qiana had been they all ended before the fetus developed to term.

Present

Then when Qiana was twelve, her mother died giving birth to a baby boy named Nezha. It was clear that Nezha possessed the true magic. Not only that he had the ability to use this magic. Yishai took this to mean that he would be instrumental in returning it back to the world and begun to push Nezha within its development. He would not accept anything less than perfection from his boy. Anything besides the best would be the difference between success and failure. It didn't occur to him that he should show affection to the boy. No, that wasn't it. He didn't think of how one might respond if they feared losing someone they care a great deal for. Yishai decided that Nezha relationship with Qiana was distracting Nezha from his training and concluded the best course of action was to remove him for her care. When he told Nezha of this he lashed out with his power. As shocking as this reaction might have been it was nothing, he wouldn't have brushed off, but then Qiana seeing what her brother had done decided to lash out with her magic. 

Yishai had no idea what her train of thoughts was, she couldn't have overheard their conversation. It might have been she upon realizing just how effective Nezha's attempting was going to be decided to help her brother finish the job, or at the very least make it so it took him longer to retaliate. Something within him panicked. He knew her attack wouldn't kill him, but there was something about having his own magic hurled him that felt...unnerving. It was like coming across something he thought had been lost to him forever standing before him and he didn't know what to do with it. There only logical response his mind came up with was to flee from what was causing him distress and leaping into and laying claim to Nezha's body was the only way he could do this. He had no desire to claim Nezha body. There had been plenty of time to wait for another son to be born who fit the criteria. Besides, he had been her son and there was something he found wrong in taking possession of her children. It was only after he found himself within Nezha that he realized what he had done, but any urge to leap back was rendered obsolete when Qiana took ahold of him and fled to what she thought was another world.

It was a world very different than the one they had come from. Qiana said it was a world without magic. This wasn't true. This world was bursting with magic, but the people had lost their connection to it. He didn't know how this came to be and decided to stick around for a while to try to uncover its mystery. There was no need for him to return to Yaninde as there was always a period of adjustment as he settled into his new body and given that Nezha was younger than the others he thought he might need more time to adjust. The last time he had been a ten-year-old was before the world had lost its true magic. The only thing that might hasten his return home was Qiana realizing that he wasn't her brother, but for whatever reason she hasn't noticed the change of personality. He had thought given how close they were she had picked up the difference right away, but she hadn't. She was either truly unaware or purposely oblivious towards them. No matter this allowed him time to explore this world, and upon doing so he had a startling realization. Qiana hadn't taken them to another world. She had brought them into the future. 

He wasn't sure how he missed this. It might have been because the idea of time traveling never occurred to him. He understood the theory and a few times debated going back and preventing the usurpers actions this way, but always convinced himself not to pursue that path. Now he found himself considering it with more fever than he ever had. Eventually, he convinced himself to let it go. Qiana had travelled into the future not the past. Doing the former doesn't make the latter favorable. Now he needs to figure out the reason for the disconnection from the magic as the magic circulating around the world felt like the true magic. Did it have something to do with the fact the other magic was still lurking around? Was this merely the barrier he had created all those eons ago work? And their disconnect was his doing? He had meant for the barrier to come down when the true magic return in full force, but something might have prevented it from doing so. 

It wasn't long after this that his son with his previous body found where Qiana and he were staying. He wasn't there for the conversation, but he knows how it ended. This is because he can hear Nezha pleading with Qiana to realize her mistake from her closet, and those pleas become louder whenever she goes in there to ensure her binding stays secure. He thought about conversing with his son, asking him what happened since they had been gone and how much time had passed, but he decided that for the moment it was best to refrain from any conversations with his son. Qiana might not be able to ignore that, and he has no desire for her to realize the truth of what he had done. He had kept others from realizing the truth of his immorality over his existence and he had no desire to change this. Instead, he pretends to be blissfully unaware what Qiana had done and six years passed. 




Face portrayed by: Otto Seppalainen







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