Talion Osiris

[Korvo]

TALION OSIRIS

"The Light always burns brightest in those it consumes... or those it betrays"​

Exordium

Once a rare "born" Matukai warrior, Talion is the only son of the legendary Elder of Elders, Eli Osiris of the Matukai. An errant at heart from his earliest youth, Talion was once an extremely―almost fanatically―loyal and devout Matukai and adherent to the Light Side of the Force. Osiris' life took a dramatic change following the Daedros Crisis, which left him an amputee, temporarily severed from the Force, and ultimately subjected to years of physical and psychological torture, as well as being forcefully genetically altered.

Although eventually rediscovering his connection to the Force, Osiris had by that time become extremely embittered against the Force, believing that the Light and Darkness he'd been taught about was an illusion, and that the Force holds no loyalty to any living beings. In spite of his hatred, Osiris is not considered to be a Vorevak, as he does not submit to the Darkness, but simply abandoned his devotion to the Light. Arguably the most significant dilemma of Osiris is his own dependence and inability to forsake the Force, which exists much like an addiction to him, while simultaneously hating it.


Aspectus

A Human male of slightly above-average stature, Osiris' outward appearance changed drastically in his late adolescence. Originally, Osiris had jet black hair, somewhat stringy and was allowed to grow out, coming down to his shoulders. Due to his overall lack of exposure to sunlight rays growing up, a byproduct of Karvoss' planet-wide arctic climate, Osiris' skin was very fair. Even after he eventually left Karvoss, his skin remained pale, although it was ultimately unknown if this was a product of genetics or a result of his genetic alteration. Physically, Osiris was well-built through his muscle mass, which led many to believe that in his adulthood, he could have become a hulking figure. Osiris' eyes were a silvery-gray, which changed only once in his life to red and black, following his brief immersion in the Dark Side of the Force.

After his maiming during the Daedros Crisis and his subsequent abduction by Lord Krucyatus, the torturous experiences afflicted to his mind and body alike caused Osiris' hair to prematurely whiten. In a claimed effort to discover the Matukai ability to harden their bodies to durasteel-like magnitudes, Osiris' physiology became altered through genetic and Force experiments. Most notable of this was Osiris' body frame; although he experienced no loss of physical strength aside from natural atrophy from imprisonment, his body's frame became thinner and more compact, as opposed to bulked prowess, he physiology granted him a wiry strength of equal significance. The nails on his hands and feet also blackened, and Osiris periodically suffered from bleeding at his tear ducts, although the reasons and effects have eluded his best efforts of understanding.

Perhaps the most significant alteration was the cloning of Osiris' lost left forearm, which was grown and grafted back onto his maimed limb roughly three months following his imprisonment. Since his escape from the Behemoth, Osiris cut his hair short, and also discovered that his body was unusually cold, which in contrast to his previous condition, as his strong metabolism―tempered by Karvoss' frigidity―ordinarily caused him to "run hot". Although he has yet to understand the significance of the change, if there was indeed one to discover, Osiris has found it much more difficult to bear colder temperatures, while enduring hotter climates was almost effortless.

In the matter of his temperament and character, Osiris had many aspects of his personality that were strongly manifested both prior to and following the Daedros Crisis. For one, Osiris was always solemn-minded, almost to the degree of being urbane. While not necessarily dour, humorless or somber, he more often carried himself with a kind of earnest seriousness, bordering formality as reflected in his speech, mannerisms and actions. In at least part, this was due to Osiris having a strong sense of dignity and honor, due to the martial mindset of his Matukai upbringing.

However, he was also easily offended by some characteristics, such as pride, presumptuousness and shameless vanity. Even in the absence of being around individuals bearing such traits, Osiris struggled with irascibility and insolence, although he went out of his way to obscure these, not minimally due to his own shame. While quick to anger, he nonetheless was well adept and withholding expressions manifest from such feelings, and had enough emotional conditioning and self control to not be slave to his inclinations of irritability. In the matter of his impertinence, Osiris was quick to judge a person's character, frequently to a fault, and seldom changed his opinions when he internally realized a need. Though not elitist in attitude, he did reflect a less-than-respectful attitude to most non-Matukai, which later evolved into a disrespect toward nearly anyone he came across.

Differences in his personality truly came to the fore after his enslavement to Lord Krucyatus. One of the most obvious differences was his previous idealistic optimism, which was supplanted by cynical pessimism. While not overtly devious, Osiris became willing to use and manipulate others if he felt it was in his own self-interest. By far his most distinguishing change came with his own view of the Force, which came eerily close to the sentiments echoed many thousands of years ago by Darth Kreia.

Believing "Light" and "Dark" sides of the Force were illusions by the Force itself, which callously―even insidiously―wielded Force-sensitives of both sides as pawns in some greater machination of its own. Considering the "calling" Force-users can feel toward the Light Side or Dark Side to be treacherous, Osiris considered the Force itself, let alone the Light, to be without any truly loyalty, fealty or allegiance to those that wielded it. Indeed, one of his strongest anchors in this belief is the grandiosely bloody and violent history of violence and warfare throughout the galaxy's history, which either had causes―or strong support and reinforcement―by Jedi, Sith, or worse, both. No peace, no victory of one side or the other―nothing substantial and truly beneficial had ever come in all the galaxy's long history from the Force.

Ironically, a severe cause of Osiris' own internal conflict is his inability to give up the Force, even after being deafened to it for nearly a year. Much like an addict's inability to forsake a narcotic substance, Osiris cannot bring himself to give up on the Force's power, which he believes has a subtle and quelling intoxicating effect on him. Thus considering himself a hypocrite, Osiris no longer held loyalty to either side of the Force, and instead wielded it as he saw fit. Nonetheless, perhaps either out of childhood indoctrination, defiance toward his Sith captors, or simply due to distaste at its efforts or for what it was, Osiris never conceded to using the Dark Side of the Force, suggesting there are still some vestiges of Light within him that he simply cannot, or will not, acknowledge.


Narratus

From the time he was born, the man that would be Talion Osiris was thought to have been a person blessed by the Force, marked by destiny. Born in the eleventh hour of the Season of Frost and through to the first hour of the Season of Light, Talion came into the galaxy during a voyage undertaken by a series of Karvossi tribesmen to cross to the other side of the Sea of Spirits before the Season of Light. At the time Orisis was born, it was said that three specters stood on the ship, silently staring as Osiris was born. For three hours, the Karvossi were thrown into a silent near-hysteria, with many suggesting they abandon ship out of fear. At the first crack of daylight after Osiris had been born, the three specters screeched and faded away.

Many believed baby Talion was identified by the netherworld as a savior of sorts, some thought him cursed, while others believed it was simple coincidence. Nevertheless, Talion would continue to live and grow up with his mother. Although he knew who his father was, he would neither meet him nor any Matukai until he was six years of age, when his mother had decided to bring him to finally meet his estranged father. Having grown up to hear about the Matukai romanticized as errant warriors of great powers, Talion thrived in his new environment. During this time of learning about the Force, the Light and their struggle against the Darkness captivating the galaxy, Talion found himself seeking more and more to meet his absent father. Although not indignant at the nomadic way of life, Talion periodically reasoned that if he'd become more like his father, stood out among his peers more and found a deeper connection to the Light than most, he would be recognized.

Devoting himself fully to the Matukai teachings, Talion became a budding Proselyte in his own right, becoming an ideal student of martial arts, history, and philosophy. As the years passed, Talion's single-mindedness shaped his personality. While he was driven and had clarity of purpose, he was also hollow to much of his own personal desires, dismissing them as distractions. The exception to this appeared to rest in Talion's desire to roam and travel. While many had to adapt to the prospect of nomadic life, Talion embraced it wholeheartedly. From the depths of the Gla'Sha Valley, to the icy plains of the Treysan Tundra, to the hallowed Realm of the Spirits, to the vastness of the Great Wilderness, Talion trekked as much of Karvoss as he could. Earlier than most, he learned how to survive off the land, in spite of frequently being sought after and found by Templars dispatched to retrieve him.

It was in this pursuit of traversing all that he could, that Talion eventually happened upon his father. After escaping the Pantheon and the Black Mountain, Talion ventured into the canals of ice caves. Removing a series of scrolls with scribbles already on them, Talion began drawing where he'd left off before. All the times he'd left and vanished, he'd take a scroll from the Hall of Elders with him, documenting and cataloging all the sights he'd seen, the paths he'd taken, and so forth. But one of the places he'd almost never seen before, were the ice caves. Some older Proselytes trained within them before departing from Karvoss to begin traveling the stars, but the younger ones were confined to training in the Hollows.

Talion had not been in the ice caves long before he heard a voice call out to him, asking what he was doing there. Panicked, Talion attempted to flee, only to find the same figure meters ahead of him. Although it was too dark to see, and Talion had not yet learned to augment his physical sight with the Light, the figure had begun identifying him, noting minor details such as his small size and the scrolls he was periodically dropping. At the figure's request, Talion revealed his name, prompting a period of silence from the figure. Following that moment, the figure merely moved closer to Talion so that he was visible, and knelt down. Talion had never before seen his father, but he knew what he was said to have looked like in his attire. White robes, a black hood, a white mask. Removing it, the figure revealed with a saddened smile, blinded eyes and a scarred face. Greeting Talion while introducing himself as his father, a period of silence littered the air between them. However, as Eli began to speak again, Talion suddenly and forcefully hugged Eli as he began crying.

From then onward, Talion spent whatever time he could with his father, learning from him, speaking with him, imitating him. When the other Proselytes were to attend training in the Hollows, Talion would do so with Eli. When discussions concerning philosophy and understanding of the Matukai creeds arrived, Talion would leave to either debate or be lectured on such matters by his father. In time, Talion came to be qualified to come under the direct apprenticeship of a fully-fledged Matukai. Many believed that Eli Osiris would take his son under his wing yet again, as did Talion, but ultimately and to Talion's disappointment, Eli instead decided that Talion would have to be chosen by another. However, believing that all things happened and were decided for a reason―either by the Light of the Force or those touched by it―Talion resigned himself to a new mentor, a Matukai Savant by the name of Atalae Fraust, a woman who would later become known as Atalae the Betrayer.

It would be several years later, when Talion had entered into his late adolescence, that his life would take its drastic turn. Although he had become a full Adept, he still traveled with his mentor, who at the time was seen as the world-be successor to the Matukai hero and champion, Artemis Esdeth. Between Coruscant falling into devastation, the Mandalorian Clans shattering, the Jedi Order's near-schism, and the fall two major galactic powers―the Hapes Consortium and the Galactic Allaince superpower―the galaxy had entered into a state of turmoil not seen since the eras of the old Sith Wars. With so much chaos and instability, the Matukai multiplied their efforts to aid in bringing order, relief and support to nearby systems in need. One such alleged planet was Daedros of the Mid Rim.

On a mission led by Artemis Esdeth and Atalae Fraust, Osiris and several other Matukai warriors were dispatched to bring needed salvation to a world of the former Federation now being pillaged by pirate forces. Sensing disturbances in the Force was not a typical ability of the Matukai, being neither taught nor refined by them, but nearly all felt unease as they approached the world. Osiris was of no exception, but continuously recited the Matukai creed, particularly its final mantra. Upon arriving on Daedros, Osiris and the other Matukai found they landed in what amounted to a ghost colony. While the buildings were intact, it had seemed all but fully abandoned. As the Matukai began spreading out into the settlement, a Sith force ambushed the warriors. Osiris himself joined in the massive melee, even proving himself capable of fending off two Sith at once before retreating further to escape the would-be massacre.

Although managing to hold their own for a time, most of the Matukai warriors were slaughtered in the fighting, being overwhelmed by the sheer Sith numbers. It was at this time that the orchestrator of the attack was revealed as being Atalae herself, which later earned her the moniker "the Betrayer". Revealing her new allegiance to the Sith and subservience to then-arrived Lord Tantalus, it was divulged that the entire event was meant to lure the powerful, but nomadic, Esdeth into Lord Tantalus' hands. Although rallying Osiris and the other surviving Matukai to trust in the Light, the last of the Matukai were butchered, with Osiris losing his left forearm to a spell of Sith magic that caused his skin and bones to burn, crack and eat away. On his knees, Osiris attempted to rise again, only to be forced back to the ground by Sith Lightning and telekinesis. The final thing Osiris saw that day was Esdeth being stabbed by a red-bladed lightsaber.

By the time Osiris awoke, he had already been bound to a Tormentor. Adjusting his eyes to the darkness around him, Osiris made out several figures in the room, with one unmistakably being Lord Tantalus himself. Before Osiris could speak, Tantalus welcomed him as if greeting a guest. Before long, the Sith Lord used telekinesis and pulled a long dagger a table at the far end of the room, and brought it to Osiris' neck. Almost instinctively, Osiris used the Force to manipulate his body's density, hardening the skin and tissue around his neck until the blade clanked against his throat. Smiling, Tantalus pulled the blade away, remaking that he was always fascinated by the Matukai's unique power to harden their bones, tissue and fibers to durasteel-levels.

When Tantalus asked Osiris how he did it, Osiris initially remained silent, eventually talking only to begin reciting softly the Matukai Creed. After reciting its mantras a third time, Tantalus suddenly took the dagger in his hand and stabbed it through Osiris' right wrist. As Osiris screamed, Tantalus told him that it would be regrettable if he lost both of his arms, which led to Osiris' rediscovery that his left forearm had dissolved away. With his final words being instruction for the other torturers to study Osiris, Tantalus left as one of the hooded and masked figures grabbed Osiris forehead in his palm as he wracked it with telepathically-induced pain, wrenching bits of information from his mind while supplementing savage and violently horrific imagery into his thoughts. By the time Osiris' voice would give out from screams, the mentalist moved away as another took his place, using a fine Force-empowered blade to flay the skin from parts of his body to be taken away.

Although Osiris lost all track of time, the torment seemed to go on for days at a time, and all the while he continuously did his best to meditate on the Light to preserve him in body and mind. In his dreams, he would see his father coming to rescue him, to save him and set him free, only to either awaken to reality or to see him fall in death at attempting his rescue. Osiris couldn't tell if such were his own delusions or that of trickery from the Sith manipulators, but he never gave up hope that his father―or even simply his Matukai brethren―would search for him, find him and save him. The days became months, and the months became years, as Osiris endured incessant torture to his mind and flesh. The perversions of the Sith were of such depths, the tissue from his body was even used to clone and regrow his formerly lost arm. And in the end, Osiris could not believe they were truly torturing him for anything other than the cruel effects reaped from it.

By the time he had entered his young adulthood, Osiris had long lost all hope of escape or salvation. The Light and the Force forsook him, and in turn, so too did he forsake it. The endless experimentation on his body and Force connection had muted his sensitivity to a near-deadened state. Numbed to pain of various sorts, both physical and mental, Osiris was visited by the tormentors less and less frequently. In his estimation, the Sith never truly sought to understand anything about him. They were simply inflicting pain, either to feed, for pleasure, or any one of countless other purposes. Unresponsive to most afflictions, Osiris expected that in short time, he would be marked for death, if he hadn't been already.

Ironically, the very thing that he believed abandoned him indirectly provided his means of escape. Several of Lord Tantalus' Sith sorcerers had long been attempting an arcane ritual involving a massive stone relic of some sort. Whatever Dark Side magics were that had been cast upon or within the relic, the effects had proved to be adverse and volatile. A massive Force explosion resonated, deafening and seizing the minds of all within the installation. With the power cut in the facility, Osiris fell to the ground uninhibited, although much of his muscle mass had atrophied from disuse. Stumbling out of the then-unsealed room, Osiris found countless bodies littering the halls and corridors, all comatose and insensate. Although he did not fully comprehend why he was unaffected, he hypothesized that his anesthetic Force-sensitivity had prevented him from being receptive to the damning effects of the Force phenomenon.

Stumbling through the facility for nearly three standard hours before finding what he believed was the way out, Osiris had come across a room of old relics of various cultures. Unarmed and in the weakest state he'd ever experienced in his life, Osiris shattered the glass and seized the simplest weapons he could find. He didn't have the strength to wield the large wan-shen weapon, nor did he have the dexterity for long bladed weapons, such as swords. In one of the displays, Osiris discovered two knuckleblade weapons of clear, but ancient, Bunduki design, and stole them. Such weapons, often utilized by the Followers of Palawa, were ideal for Teräs Käsi and economical for being the least inhibiting on the body, compared to most weapons. At least until he got his strength back, Osiris had resolved to rely on them, and made his way out of the facility.

After escaping from the disabled facility, Osiris found that he was in a gargantuan desert. Dunes of sand like seas of water shifted all round about, although he still took off Northward nonetheless. With his sense of time warped from captivity, Osiris lost time of how long he wandered, but by the time he fell of exhaustion, starvation and dehydration, he saw mirages in view of an oasis. By the time he awoke from his collapse, Osiris could feel his body in motion as he was being hauled on the back of a repulsorlift-trailer. When he caught sight of the Quarren, whom he assumed were his would-be captors, he recognized where he believed he was―Kalkovak. Quarren had few settlements outside of Mon Calamari, and even fewer on desert worlds. He also knew why he was there. He'd been mistaken for a corpse, and fresh corpses were sometimes considered valuable tools for biological research, the productions of which were an export of Crevasse City.

Slipping off the back of the hauler during one of its stops, Osiris fled into the heart of the city. He was starved, thirsty and naked. Although he managed to find simple trousers and footware to steal, along with a leather chest-strap, he was constantly scavenging the slums for food, and was especially driven to find water. While always necessities, Osiris had been a very young child since he last needed to eat and drink with such constancy. The Force had given him sustenance, allowing him to go long periods of time without needing to frequently eat, drink or even sleep. Bedridden of the Force, he was driven to seek out all three with constancy. Osiris was trapped on Kalkovak for nearly four months before a Nikto by the name of Ksyal Ekoa happened upon him fighting another destitute man for water. Upon seeing Osiris' skill, his pale skin and stark white hair, Ekoa mistook Osiris for an Echani.

Offering him a way to eat, drink and sleep every day, Ekoa manipulated a half-starved Osiris into servitude as a gladiator to be used in the Hutt circuit of lethal combat matches. No longer caring for the old vows he could scarcely even remember, Osiris went along with the promise for the elimination of his own destitution, and participated in bloodsport games. Ironically, most of the matches were non-lethal. Gladiators were considered an investment not lightly allowed to be executed. However, Osiris hands did not remain clean, and he indeed recounted slaying several individuals in his matches. Using his martial arts and knuckleblades as his signature weapons, Osiris eventually became a fairly well known and respectable gladiator in Hutt space.

After almost three years of fighting, Osiris had managed to free himself through several deathmatches. With his hair cut short, his body strengthened and his health long restored, Osiris began experiencing a epiphany. He still longed and hungered for the power the Force gave him. It went beyond the supernatural abilities granted to him, it was a part of him. Since his escape, Osiris had grown to despise and detest the Force, viewing it as an apathetic and insidious entity that wielded those sensitive to it like pawns in a neverending game. And yet, he still hungered and thirsted for its ambiance and warmth. It was an intricate part of him, one he himself didn't have the will to deny. In spite of how deeply his connection was numbed, and how long it had been since he consciously used the Force, its power slowly began to return to him again.