Lokhar
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Overview
Lokhar (Nortongue \ˈloʊkɑr\) was a name with no semantic meaning. Lore about Lokhar is rare and almost entirely inaccurate. Lokhar's identity was false, unbeknownst to the vast majority of the rest of the universe.
History
The myth is that Lokhar is said to have awakened alone under a sky of falling stars at the moment of The Shattering of Acrolon. They were the only Shard God that smiled at the end of the Gilded Age of perfection. They claimed to have seen the infinite branching paths of the future and named themself The Pathwalker, the only God skilled enough to follow the broken roads of fate. While other Gods rebuilt, guarded, and guided the Mortals of the Shards, Lokhar wandered Acrolon and the cosmos. They whispered truths that sounded like riddles and riddles that changed the course of empires.
They never founded a church, but garnered an obsessed group of followers who worshipped them anyway. They laughed at the concept of Destiny, even as they ostensibly ruled it. They were killed by the Shard God Skathi during The First Godswar.
In truth, the Shard God Lokhar was murdered in the immediate aftermath of The Shattering by a creature that should not have survived the First Age: The Astral Dragon, as part of Xevanezral's Gambit. The Shard God of Destiny provided The Astral Dragon with the perfect disguise, since the Grand Design of Destiny was destroyed in The Shattering, Lokhar's lack of divine power did not seem suspicious, allowing The Astral Dragon furthered its plans as an influential being of The Integrum.
Among Lokhar's many manipulations was setting the Gods against each other in The First Godswar, including inciting Fenrir to work kill Wodhain. Lokhar also made bargains with Hael so that when Lokhar was apparently killed by Skathi, they could evade death and continue on in the guise of a different God, Cambion. The death of Lokhar drew suspicion away from their actions.
Description
A tall, androgynous figure cloaked in constantly shifting robes of translucent silver and ink. Their face is hidden behind a mirror-mask that reflects the viewer's own face—only with slightly wrong eyes. Their hair is a mane of braided starlight, and where they walk, the air ripples like heat-haze. Their hands are never still. One constantly spins a coin, the other always scribbling with a quill made from phoenix bone. Their belt is decorated with keys, broken clocks, and dice. In dim light, the silhouette of their shadow sometimes shows wings behind them. This tell-tale flaw in the disguise was from their true identity as The Astral Dragon.
Personality
The Astral Dragon in the guise of Lokhar behaved as clever, chaotic, and capricious. They spoke in aphorisms, reversals, and double meanings. They were a jester among Gods, a prophet who scorned worship, a God who answered questions with more questions. Their public persona was one of harmless mischief and enigmatic guidance, yet their advice often upended empires.
Abilities
Not being an actual God of The Integrum, Lokhar lacked some of the obvious abilities they would have. However, as The Astral Dragon, Lokhar was extremely powerful and could mimic many of the abilities of a God of The Integrum. Also, since the Grand Design of Destiny was destroyed in The Shattering, it was not suspicious that Lokhar had no power of its own Grand Design, as all Gods of Destiny were unable to influence the Grand Design of Destiny.
For Lokhar's true abilities, see The Astral Dragon.
Exarchs
- Vaelen, the Coinflinger. From choose or wager. Gambler-philosopher. Breezy, affable, dangerously insightful. True purpose was to spread the illusion that fate is a game, reinforcing The Astral Dragon's plans.
- Vago, the Wanderer. From wanderer. Scholar and prophet, quiet, graceful, gentle. Sower of false visions, manipulated current events by spreading false prophecies.
- Brunvald, the Knotbreaker. From brown ruler. A freed slave who sword to break all chains, including those of fate. Stoic, fierce, and tender. Led uprisings and rebellions that servied The Astral Dragon's wider strategy.