Iq'yigat

Character Description/Notes: The L'na known as Iq'yigat lived his entire existence in the dark, hidden places of Ai - guarding and maintaining the black world of the crushing depths as well as the mysterious secrets found within them. He knew the friendship of beings no others had ever once seen, enigmatic entities untouched by the flow of time or sting of harsh sky's light. He knew things that had no words for air or fire, yet whispered to him of the profundities of the very beginning. Ancient and powerful knowledge was his to share, his to protect... and then it was all gone.

"Impudent bipeds! You proclaim your fated rule over this tiny sphere simply because you exist upon it, your hubris so immense as to label it entirely by the minuscule percentage of its expanse that will suffer your presence without ending you. This world is not your Earth - it is my Ocean, and you skulk in its shadows like a parasite."

He awoke, instead, to find himself in a sea of blight and corruption. Where his surroundings were not dead and empty, they suffered. Strange hulks of alien construction littered the depths, most surrounded by a field of bone from the hideous fluids seeping from within them. Even where those massive monuments to devastation were yet to be seen, smaller relics of their creators lay scattered across all of Iq'yigat's new existence. It was a world rotting under the weight of its neglect, and it infuriated him.

Yet it was not wholly destroyed. Not yet. Ancient creatures, pressed and harried as they were, still found ways to exist within the tormented depths. Massive tentacled beings of similar form darted through the waters, small shoals of darting creatures glowed softly in warm greeting... and another race, another whole aquatic people, welcomed Iq'yigat with open arms. They told him of their anguish at the hands of the surface races. They told him of the pain which had been wrought upon all the seas of their home. They told him of the bipeds' arrogance, their former glory, and the one chance these long-suffering Loph had been given, now, to make things right.

Iq'yigat swore in that instant to help them end the horrible reign of their oppressors. His formidable mind and all the ancient secrets it holds have been lent to the aid of his new allies in their upcoming battle. In return, they have promised to help him find a way home once their lands are secure - and if the L'na can master some further mysteries from his stay in this new place, so much the better. Perhaps it can help him make sure that no similar disaster ever crosses the borders into his beloved home.

Tactics: Iq'yigat is not a master of flashy, outwardly-destructive magic... which in truth makes him much more dangerous, because his subtle touch is quite difficult to recognize and counter. In addition to the mental powers common to L'na Twilights, he knows many rarer and more ancient techniques that allow him to interweave his tendrils into the strands of fate itself and even directly target the souls of his enemies.

Of course, given that his prehensile fleshy tail is studded with gripping suckers, he's not above simply dragging one of his hated bipedal foes underwater and watching them drown either. By remaining mostly hidden while doing so, he even gives the impression of a giant tentacled monster - just the thing to terrify the surface-dwellers out of his beloved ocean. That's as far as Iq'yigat will normally go in physical combat, however, as his soft, spongy flesh is not made for taking blows. If forced into using his claws, he'll only defend himself long enough to burst away through the water and escape... to a distance where he can safely sear through his attackers' souls.

(Click for Hooks)

Role-playing Hook
Iq'yigat is fundamentally a misinformed avenger - a champion for his friends in the deep who has been fed the most distorted of Loph propaganda and thus views Apoc Earth surface races as unthinking armies of mindless black destroyers. This disconnect between the L'na Twilight's understood reality and that of the Apoc Churl and High-bred is an inherent source of conflict and mistrust, but the truth is that Iq'yigat is not ill-intentioned. He simply believes he's fighting the evils that threaten his home.

 

Sense Hook
In the black canyons of the deep sea trenches, where no sunlight ever penetrates, bio-luminescence is one of the most common forms of communication. With Iq'yigat it is no different, thus making SIGHT one of his most important sensory cues. Much like the cuttlefish he resembles, this L'na Twilight has the ability to freely generate colors of exceedingly-varied patterns and details for communication with others. Unlike the cuttlefish, however, Iq'yigat can also *illuminate* those colors - using them as a second form of language to communicate with deep sea creatures. He is so used to using them for information exchange, however, that he instinctively does it even when dealing with creatures that use other forms of communication. He flares red and white when angry, turns blueish black if scared, and otherwise "wears his emotions on his sleeve" in color tones. This is a great thing to play with, as either a player or GM.

 

Adventure Hook
Cetacious, a L'na Dawn with marine mammal characteristics, has been tracking attacks by the mysterious Loph for several months near his new home of Battered Wreck. The floating city, situated just off the south-eastern shores of North America, is proving to be a particularly attractive target for their raids; every few weeks a new ship from its ports is found massacred... or simply vanishes beneath the waves. For all his efforts, however, he cannot seem to locate or intercept them - and he fears that if they are not met with resistance soon they will grow bold enough to strike at the city itself. In desperation, he has convinced all the various racial factions in the city to put out calls for aid from their kind in dealing with the unknown threat.

In fact, the Loph strike teams cannot be discovered because they are being actively guided away from detection by the mystic skills of Iq'yigat. If he can be flushed from his cover and convinced of the error of his allegiances (a task made potentially far simpler by the presence of another L'na in the group encountering him), he can provide significant intel on his erstwhile allies... especially since the inherent racial superiority streak of the Loph hardly motivates them to try and aid their "helper."

Game Master's Hook
Iq'yigat is a wonderful shout-out to themes of Lovecraftian horror, and as such he makes a great component in horror-focused adventures. Being as he prefers working through subtlety and misdirection, you can play with shadowed mystery and the unknown (good sources of fear) for a good while before ever revealing who or even what he is. His tail attacks can suggest a large-sized Hydra Strand, his mind and soul magics can impact play without their source being directly shown, and so on. Between this and his affiliation with the dark and horrible Loph, there are plenty of shiver-inducing scenes you can run with him in the course of an adventure or even a full campaign!

Of course, this is not to say that Iq'yigat needs to necessarily be a permanent villain. He may *look* like a monster, but his motives (however misguided) are pure. Allowing your players to draw a stereotype of this L'na as a slavering beast and then giving their enemy a redemption moment is a great way to provide deep social challenge to them - especially if you have other L'na amongst your player characters!

Battle Hook
Don't think that Iq'yigat is limited to the role-playing aspect of Untold only, however. Nothing could be further from the truth, as this L'na Twilight can also be a potent force in Untold: Battle. Especially when coupled with the potent mental and spiritual Power Cards found in Gifts of Maoru, Iq'yigat truly becomes a tentacled horror! Leverage the many "Perception" Range Power Cards to strike down and disable your opponent's forces before they can ever lay claw or weapon to Iq'yigat's rubbery hide. Or, utilize the potent Charm abilities to turn your foe's forces on themselves! Fear the Power of the student of Maoru!