Necronyx

Necronyx is a dhraktyl from the planet Avernion, and the leader of the Order of the Event Horizon.

Now very old, Necronyx was once an esteemed sorcerer and astronomer on Avernion. It was him who rediscovered Blackhole and proclaimed his return to the Milky Way Galaxy, and who went on to found the Order of the Event Horizon, a cult dedicated to the worship and contemplation of the dark god. Much of the Abyssal Tome (the order’s central religious text) was compiled from his early notes, research and musings on Blackhole, much of which remain unedited to this day. He remains a highly capable sorcerer.

As the Hierophant of the Devourer – that is, the title granted to the head of the Order of the Event Horizon – Necronyx is the ultimate authority on all things Blackhole. He proclaims to be Blackhole’s mouthpiece, a conduit through which the dark god can enact his will on the mortal world. Whilst each member of the Void Council oversees a different arm of the Milky Way Galaxy, Necronyx oversees the Void Council and therefore the entire galaxy, giving him unmatched authority and influence.

Physical appearance

The dhraktyls of Avernion are a long-lived species, for they can typically survive up to 500 years. Necronyx – more than likely through magical means – has clung to life for nearly ten times as long as that or perhaps even longer, for the oldest verified printings of the Abyssal Tome, which Necronyx himself authored, go back many thousands of years. Needless to say, then, he is very old, kept alive well beyond his natural lifespan by some dark sorcery. He looks positively ancient, like a corpse almost, though his mind remains sharp.

He wears ornate robes in the colours of Blackhole, which are embellished with the mark of the Order of the Event Horizon. The same symbol has been branded irreversibly on his forehead, pledging his undying loyalty to the dark god and the cult that serve him.

Personality

As Dark Prophet, Hierophant of the Devourer, and Master of the Void Council, Necronyx has led the Order of the Event Horizon for thousands of years. He built the cult from nothing. Now it’s by far the largest organisation in the Milky Way Galaxy, and it continues to grow by the day, particularly now as the Blackhole threat becomes ever more clear. In his youth, Necronyx was charismatic, and his preaching was instrumental to the cult’s early expansion. He now lives a solitary life, dedicated solely to the worship of his dark god.

Outside of Blackhole, Necronyx has nothing. Everyone and everything he ever cared about beyond the god of destruction withered away more than a millennium ago. His only interest is serving the dark god and mobilising the Order of the Event Horizon to best serve him. Whatever was left of the old Necronyx, gifted sorcerer and astronomer, died long ago.

Necronyx hasn’t been seen publicly in many years, and his location is unknown. Only the Void Council know his precise whereabouts. It’s understandable that one of the most wanted men in the Milky Way Galaxy should want to keep his head down. In recent times, as Blackhole’s power has continued to exponentially grow, he has avoided stepping out in public entirely, leaving the administration of the cult to the council and focusing his own remaining energy exclusively on Blackhole.

Skills and abilities

Prior to his writing of the Abyssal Tome and founding of the Order of the Event Horizon, Necronyx was well-known on Avernion as an eminent astronomer, physician and sorcerer. The discoveries of many planets and stars are attributed to him, but his most notorious discovery was that of Blackhole himself. Necronyx’s early writings on this discovery, and on his subsequent studies of Blackhole, make up the first several chapters in the Abyssal Tome.

He claims that Blackhole speaks to him, and – as Mouth of the Void – only through him. He receives frequent visions; messages from his dark god, from which Necronyx decodes his unholy desires and relays them to the Void Council. Blackhole cannot speak in any mortal tongue, knowing only the Chime (the ancient language of Galaxy), and so Necronyx has turned his attention to studying it.

Even now in his (extremely) old age, Necronyx remains an exceptionally gifted sorcerer. His mind is as sharp now as it ever was in his prime. In battle, he’d make a very formidable opponent if you were unlucky enough to come face-to-face with him. His speciality is black magic, and he’s particularly skilled in the arts of necromancy and the summoning of demons. As a clairvoyant, gifted with a sight that spans the galaxy, Necronyx sees many things others do not, and he knows much. Although he’s physically frail, he keeps his second-in-command Vacio close at hand to deal with any matters that magic cannot.