Seneschal of Castle Dreist
M U S E
steward, servant, soul broker
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Ht: 6'1 / Wt: 300 / Eyes: blue glow / Hair: n/a
Age: ?? / Creed: Devil / Status:*PURGED
Age: ?? / Creed: Devil / Status:*PURGED
From outward appearances, Muse was Amadeo Bronzanti's most sophisticated mechanical being. Possessing exceptional powers of reason and eloquent speech, Muse displayed a high degree of versatility and autonomy. Acting as personal aide, research assistant, and constant companion to the master, Muse was responsible for coordinating affairs in Bronzanti's absence, seeing to the maintenance needs of Bronzanti's Three Generals, and generally keeping Castle Dreist running like a well-oiled clock.
However, in truth, Muse was something much, much more...
Origins
Soon after Bronzanti came to the Valley Obrau in the late Kasparian era of the First Empire, his first task was to was seek out the Servitor of Niam that guarded the Primordial in the God-Shadow under Condor Gate. There, a great battle was fought, and the archmage emerged victorious.
Bronzanti set to work on the defeated Servitor, dissecting its celestial clockworks and learning much of how a perfect mechanism should operate. He rechristened it his Exemplar, and from its remains he constructed his first truly infernal machine: Muse.
Bronzanti set to work on the defeated Servitor, dissecting its celestial clockworks and learning much of how a perfect mechanism should operate. He rechristened it his Exemplar, and from its remains he constructed his first truly infernal machine: Muse.
Of course, Muse was more than a machine. Bronzanti had extracted the Exemplar's divine heart and subjected it to black magic rituals that changed it... tainted it. Calling up forbidden powers from the infernal realm, he twisted its immortal soul into something dark, evil, and fallen.
It is unknown how long it took Bronzanti to build Muse, but once completed, the servitor's clockwork heart remained an embodiment of cosmic order, but with its holy purpose corrupted. It became the perfect assistant to Bronzanti in the endeavours that lay ahead. Its only desire was to bring evil into the world, and to serve its master until death. As was customary, Bronzanti had entered into a pact with his own soul as collateral -- but he certainly had no intention of ever dying...
Abilities
Muse wore the guise of a servile automaton, but was in fact a corrupted Servitor. Bronzanti knew that he would need to conserve his own sorcerous abilities to lessen the ravages of Warp Sickness on his body, and so he chose for himself a familiar of the highest order -- a female Devil of substantial magical power.
When Bronzanti required magical intervention in his experiments, it fell to Muse to lend her aid. She had an extensive repertoire of spell-like abilities and supernatural powers. It is believed that Muse was also responsible for the physical construction of most of Castle Dreist, based on Bronzanti's schematics.
Constructed of divine metal from the original Servitor, Muse was extremely durable. In addition, she was capable of rearranging her form to take on a fearsome appearance that better reflected her true diabolical nature. Unlike Bronzanti's other creations, she was not fueled by divine lightning, but instead a core of roiling blue hellfire... and at its center, the Exemplar's heart.
When Bronzanti required magical intervention in his experiments, it fell to Muse to lend her aid. She had an extensive repertoire of spell-like abilities and supernatural powers. It is believed that Muse was also responsible for the physical construction of most of Castle Dreist, based on Bronzanti's schematics.
Constructed of divine metal from the original Servitor, Muse was extremely durable. In addition, she was capable of rearranging her form to take on a fearsome appearance that better reflected her true diabolical nature. Unlike Bronzanti's other creations, she was not fueled by divine lightning, but instead a core of roiling blue hellfire... and at its center, the Exemplar's heart.
Description
When conducting her duties day-to-day, Muse appeared as a tall, androgynous, delicately-wrought metallic automaton with an unassuming manner and appearance, dressed in a facsimile of a courtier's finery.
Manifesting her true aspect, she became a towering, darkly beautiful she-devil, seemingly wrought from brass and gleaming blackened steel, with great metal wings and claws, and a searing blue glow pulsating through every seam.
Manifesting her true aspect, she became a towering, darkly beautiful she-devil, seemingly wrought from brass and gleaming blackened steel, with great metal wings and claws, and a searing blue glow pulsating through every seam.
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| Muse in Devil form |
Defeat and Purification
When Muse encountered the Tyrson Company in Castle Dreist, she initially deceived them into thinking that she was simply harmless mechanical servant. However, the small Servitor of Saint Ingahild who was bonded to Kian Grey was able to sense Muse's true infernal nature.
Confronted, she manifested her true form, but was defeated by Tyrson, Grey, and their comrades. As a last gesture of spite, Muse exploded in a ball of hellfire. Among her remains they found the Exemplar's Heart, and recognizing that it was something important, carried it with them.
When the Tyrson Company later discovered that the corpse of the Primordial of Condor Ridge was regrowing out of control, they realized the Primordial would need a new Servitor guardian. The mystic Saioplesian explained that a new body could be constructed from salvaged divine metal from Castle Dreist, but that the Exemplar's Heart would need to be magically purified before it could be used again.
The Company succeeded in purifying the heart in the holy pool at the summit of Sils Volka in time for Saioplesian and Sofonisba Orlogio to complete the new Servitor's host body. The reincarnated Servitor then silently resumed its post in the God-Shadow of Condor Ridge, to guard the Primordial's remains forever after.
Confronted, she manifested her true form, but was defeated by Tyrson, Grey, and their comrades. As a last gesture of spite, Muse exploded in a ball of hellfire. Among her remains they found the Exemplar's Heart, and recognizing that it was something important, carried it with them.
When the Tyrson Company later discovered that the corpse of the Primordial of Condor Ridge was regrowing out of control, they realized the Primordial would need a new Servitor guardian. The mystic Saioplesian explained that a new body could be constructed from salvaged divine metal from Castle Dreist, but that the Exemplar's Heart would need to be magically purified before it could be used again.
The Company succeeded in purifying the heart in the holy pool at the summit of Sils Volka in time for Saioplesian and Sofonisba Orlogio to complete the new Servitor's host body. The reincarnated Servitor then silently resumed its post in the God-Shadow of Condor Ridge, to guard the Primordial's remains forever after.
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| The Servitor of Niam restored |
