Orion Darkstar
The Rising Star
Name: Yama, The Sacrificial God of the Netherworld.Aliases: Snatcher of Souls, The Dark Caprine
Loyalties: The Dark Underlord of the Chaos Realm | The Darkside
Role: A being said to take Cernun children during the ‘Day of Death.’ Yama is also said to take Caprine women. Sacrifice the souls of the living to the Dark Underlord of the Chaos Realm. Marks Cernun children and Caprine women with ‘Solstice of the Winter Whip.’
Development Threads: N/A
Species: Caprine (Nur)
Age: Depicted as 90-year-old Caprine.
Gender: Male
Height: 6'5 | 195cm
Weight: 188lbs | 85kg
Holiday Age: 1,500 Years.
Nemesis: Nephatyx, The Goddess of Life
Other Species that Celebrate the Festive Day: Cernun
Theme Song: Yama's Theme Song
Appearance:
Yama is a tall Caprine, or what’s left of one. His complexion shows scary signs of corruption from the darkside. His tannish, grey skin is a frightening sight to those unlucky enough to see it. With a toned physique, Yama tends to look skinny. Protruding from the top of his head were Caprine Nur horns stretching to the skies, before curling into a perfect ‘C’ shape, their sharp ends enough to pierce skin. The horns are rigid and dark, another sign of decaying attributes within the spirits previous body. Another feature that classify Yama as a Caprine are his goat like ears. Pointy and cleansed of any stray hairs, it adds to his creepy features. There is however, an unusual feature, his tongue. Yama’s tongue is long, unnaturally long. No one knows what the cause of this weird additive. Some say his tongue is used like a whip to pull his victims into the next plane of existence, the Netherworld.Yama’s eyes are a vicious, bright blue, like daggers of ice staring you down in the darkest of nights. His teeth are razor sharp, another odd biological change, given Caprine are more accustomed to being herbivores. At his neck sits a rough bed of ashy hair that stretches from his shoulders. back, and the ends of his chest. Tales speak of his fur being so sharp, not even forged steel made by some of the finest Cernun could cut it. Along the upper half of his arms are scars and scabs created from his own selfish undertakings. His hands are large, but his fingers are slender, equipped with sharp claws. Wrapped around his wrists are delicate strings of snow used to siphon the living of their souls. Folktales consistently speak of Yama, turning some of those captured into puppets. These puppets are said to be souls rejected by the Dark Underlord of the Realm of Chaos.
The Sacrificial God of the Netherworld, Yama, has what many Caprine call ‘Solstice of the Winter Whip.’ The whip is made of black blood, that many believe is from victims of Yama himself. The whip while made of liquid is strong and once contact is made with the child or woman he wants, it hardens making it useful for dragging away his prey back to his nightmarish den. Along with the whip is a large body bag, slouched over his shoulder. The large, black body bag is said to have magical containment properties making it possible to fit several children and women in it at once. Some that are Force Sensitive, believe it’s a form of Force Bubble, only except keeping things from getting in, this keeps anything within its confines contained.
At his waist sits a heavy set of his already resembled ashy fur, atop his shoulders and chest. Only this hair takes up most of his legs, along with his feet. His legs are of a goat, strong and capable of small bursts of speed. His hooves are said to have steel smelted to his feet, a reminder of a small victory over the wretched Goddess of Life, Nephatyx. Despite his horrid, outlandish appearance, the most prominent feature of the creature are his bells. The bells are tied to the ends of his horns, jingling in the winter winds as he approaches those with ungrateful hearts.
Personality:
Yama is a dark, obsessed, jealous, cruel, and malevolent God. This isn’t to say he doesn’t have his own beliefs. His jealousy stems from his Caprine society, always being reminded of how females of his species are renowned as leaders compared to men. This was what lead him down the path of darkness. Being called a god by his own people gives him pride and even though he is delusional in his actual goal, he thinks what he does is for the betterment of his people across the galaxy. Terrorizing the Cernun children doesn’t come without its bonuses. The Cernun at birth are given a blood sword, which is an extension of their souls. These swords appease Yama, and if presented with one at his den, he’ll release them from a horrible fate. Many aren’t sure what he does with the blood swords, even today it’s still a mystery. Only one other thing will set you free from your fate and that’s gambling with the monster. If you won against Yama in a game of his choice, he’d let you go. Many have said, out of the thousand plus years, only two stories of survivors have ever been told.
Unlike Nephatyx, Yama The Sacrificial God of the Netherworld, prefers to be seen before latching onto his prey with a cackle or two.
Over time he has grown to hate children and women. Hidden in the shadows of the night he enjoys watching acts of violence and trickery taking place. Sometimes he even tries to encourage the evil actions of the living. Yama is a confident spirit willing to go where no soul would normally go. This allows him to face any adversary with little hesitation. Being an exiled darksider from his society, he practiced Sith magic. With a strong bond to frightening force powers, he likes to show off. Every so often, he takes joy in Force Draining some of the unlucky ones, feeding his obsession with vengeance and hunger.
Yama is eager for battle. Always willing to prove that he, is in fact, the superior spirit, compared to Nephatyx. With his two-main signature weapons he takes pleasure in besting the goddess on his best of days, the Day of Death.
While he hates the winter seasons, he was gifted with strands of snow to cling to his chosen unfortunates. The strings can be used to play daunting music and cause the winter winds to whisper dark chants. Playing the music is one of his favorite activities and while the living take it as a warning of his coming, some are said to still hear the daunting sound of strings being pulled and hissing in the everlasting night. Yama takes comfort in his den of darkness. The den is created upon reaching the land of the living. The den can be in a cave, forest, and even underground, per tales. Saving the blood of rejected children allows Yama to either drink or use as paint. The paintings are usually what the child feared the most, covering the walls of the den that Yama has chosen to live in. While Yama’s true intentions have been lost forever he still believes that without his constant sacrifices there would be no Caprine…
And a galaxy without Caprine would be a useless one.
Force Sensitivity:
Yes | Master Level
Weapon of Choice:
Solstice of the Winter Whip, capable of latching onto his victims and dragging them to hell. Strings of Snow capable of siphoning the souls of the living. The Snow Strings can also be used to make puppets of the dead and play music.
Skills:
· Can siphon the souls of the living with tendrils of silky white snow.· Capable of creating a den anywhere dark and hidden, almost instantaneously upon reaching the living world.
· Can use the force to manipulate the living into doing virulent actions.
· Has retained precognitive abilities from his past life. This allows him to find the children and women he has marked with the Solstice of the Winter Whip.
Wealth:
Wealth is a lie, there is only Sacrifice.
Combat Function:
· Force Drain · Consume Essence
· Force Shadow
· Taint
· Inflict Pain
· Force Net
· Cryokinesis
The powers above are extremely powerful, but as a spirit many of them are weakened versions. The only full strength ability here is Force Drain. While many of these are capable of nasty acts they can only be used on Nephatyx and other spirits that pose a threat. The only time a living soul is threatened by Yama is during his stalking for the ungrateful. The only time Yama would ever use a force power on a captured soul would be after the bargaining process, which could end in a Force Drain or two.
Here are a few ways to fend off the evil spirit Yama
· Antlers of adult size tend to be a ward against the malevolent spirit.
· Iron can be used to ward off the harmless spirit, steel and other alloys will not work.
· Salt is said to keep the spirit at bay, including other forms of ghosts and Malevolent paranormals.
· Summon the spirit to a location provided with the right incantation. This will force the spirit to abandon his current position and answer the summoning call. This of course is at risk of the practitioners becoming puppets of the spirit summoned.
Other Weaknesses:
· Bright illuminating light created by the force or certain lights makes it difficult for Yama to pursue his prey.· Armed with a Whip and magical Strings of Snow, Yama has little defensive capabilities. Forcing him to rely on his force powers. His force powers are also offensive and prevent him from adequately protecting himself, if in danger.
Notable Possessions:
Solstice of the Winter Whip | Strings of Snow | Jingle Bells | Magical Large Body Bag
History:
The Dark Caprine Before Death
Born as a Caprine Nur, Yama wasn’t anything special. At least that’s what people believed. His connection in the force was so strong he passively concealed his power. Raised by his aunt and uncle, Yama never had a chance to meet his actual parents. With the Caprine structure of society, he was taught at a young age to gather, build, and train in the arts of combat. After his young years, he had begun the passage of worship, where each Caprine at the age of ten would bring as many sacrificial belongings to the Goddess of Ax’no.As time progressed the Caprine that watched over him were puzzled about his curiosity. They wondered why Yama was questioning the way the Caprine did things. Or why most Caprine females were in charge and perceived as royalty. Many of them believed that Yama was jealous and in time would be forced to the wayward ways of other exiles and find a new means to live. While most were correct, his aunt and uncle tried to instill in him, the very nature of what the Caprine stood for. Regardless, Yama reached his teen years and before long, he grew tired of the chores. Especially when he had yet to see any female Caprine, in charge, lift a finger doing the tedious things male Caprine were forced to. Yama wanted them all to carry their burden.
He felt like a slave and voiced it towards his matriarchal leaders. Still, he was ignored and by the time of his sixteenth birthday, the jealousy had turned to anger, unlocking his gifts of the force. His depression and weak mind was flooded with the influences of the darkside. His anger turned to rage and was forced to leave his brethren behind. The Caprine that knew him were terrified of what he had become. Yama had garnered a name for himself among his people, The Dark Caprine. Before leaving in his wayward ways he committed a violent act against one of the royal leaders of his people, Force Draining her in front of a furious and appalled crowd. Chased out by the other male Caprines, some felt the same as Yama. Leaving with him, they went on to practice the arts of the darkside.
Yama and the Goddess of Ax’no
With six other Caprine loyal to his cause he sought refuge in the Iktotch's rocky landscapes. There Yama and his followers formed a cult, a cult to please the Goddess of Ax’no. Trying to please Ax'no enough to put them in charge of their people and protect them from their wrongful ways. With time Yama and The Six, were capable of alchemy, force powers, and Sith magic. Their studies of the darkside were provided by outsiders that felt the power of the Dark Caprine and instituted the first of many sacrifices that would last a long time.
Upon arrival, an unknown Sith began to teach them rituals to please their goddess in the form of sacrifices. Straying from the materialistic sense of sacrifice, Yama was taught to deliver a soul to the Goddess of Ax’no. This, apparently, would allow Yama to seize control of his people and lead them down a path of righteous ways. Unfortunately, this meant killing someone before the ritual could be performed. This lead to further progression in the darkside, leading Yama to the first sign of true corruption. Killing life after life and preforming the ritualistic methods, Ax’no refused his sacrifices. Leaving Yama lost to his darkened ways.
This was what lead him down the path of darkness. Even as much as he tried to please his original Goddess Ax’no, his wishes were torn asunder. Searching for an answer he began to hear voices in his head. The world had begun to shake around him and eventually, he was plagued by blackouts. Each time he blacked out he would be greeted with an ominous figure, promising him of a brighter future. One day he woke from his sickened affliction to find his Six followers gutted and turned to bone. Yama must have performed the ritual on his own followers as well, an ultimate sacrifice, but still, Ax’no remained silent. Instead he had pleased a new God. Attached to the lingering filth, the Underlord recited his wishes and soon, Yama found trust in him.
Finding trust in a new god he became obsessed with the idea of bending the darkside to his will. Betraying his people meant exile and as such brought him in contact with the Cernun.
The Cernun, A New God, and Roon
The Caprine that had exiled Yama had also decided it was time to expand their influence. Coincidentally, they too found the world of Roon to be a starting point of their next adventure, staying true to their matriarchal systems. While Yama had gotten word of their arrival, there were those that had established themselves prior to the forthcoming of his old ancestors, the Cernun. They had built a life for themselves and with tales of a Goddess, he sought to remain hidden till he was strong enough to incite his rightful claim on his people.
Confused and corrupted by the manipulation of his new God, The Underlord. He was focused on appeasing the dark god. The only way to please him was with living sacrifices. The whispers told him to take revenge on the Caprine women of his land. Trying to resist, the dark lord settled for the children of the newly expanded Cernun society. Before he could walk freely from the Underlord, Yama had to set himself free. To get the whispers of the darkness out of his head, Yama had to except death. The Dark Underlord of the Chaos Realm promised him all that he sought. Yama was quick to make the deal with the devil, thus giving prosperity to his people…or so he thought.
After the deal was made Yama was sent to the Netherworld and granted access to the Chaos Realm. This would allow him to fulfill the duties presented to him by his new God. The rules were strict and precise. Once Yama made the final bargain he was twisted into the purest form of the darkside, born anew as Yama, The Sacrificial God of the Netherworld.
Yama, The sacrificial God of the Netherworld.
The transformation had turned him into a monster, a spirit capable of unimaginable things. Still deep down in what was left of his soul, Yama knew the cost of his gamble and in the end, he had become a servant. The irony was too much to bare, once ruled by unfit Caprine women and now ruled by a sinister lord of hell. Despite such things, sacrifices were to be made and his heart slowly grew accustomed to the darkness. The thirst for blood was the first of his regrets, forced to drink from his victims. This happened if the Underlord refused those that Yama captured. The next was his desire for revenge on his own people, forced to seek Caprine women, specifically, Caprine women chosen to rule in the future.
After that, came the worst of them all, the urge to deliver as many living children and women as possible to the Realm of Chaos. The children couldn’t be Caprine, but any other race was fine. This was unlucky for the Cernun that had colonized a small portion of Roon. Having been exiled well before his death, Yama was put to rest near the Cernun cities, making their children the easiest to prey on. While Yama, The Sacrificial God of the Netherworld will take any child other than Caprine, there is a key rule to his undertaking.
Being a Caprine in his past life, Yama was capable of precognitive visions. This gift allowed him to mark children with the Solsitice of the Winter Whip. The mark meant a form of ungratefulness in a person’s heart. This was a sign of children behaving badly or even preforming sinister acts. Same went for Caprine women. These ungrateful souls were ripe for the Realm of Chaos. Due to this, the Underlord demanded them. Tales were created to illicit good behavior, that if a child of the Cernun people behaved poorly they would be marked by Yama, The Sacrificial God of the Netherworld.
The Shadows in the Light
As years went on he continued to snatch children and women from their homes. All to please the dark God before him. Being called a god himself by his own people had made him cocky. He doubled his actions trying to fill the demand of the dark Underlord, he was now a servant to. This along with his own fame, brought him an intriguing adversary. Nephatyx, The Goddess of Life had prevented him from fulfilling his duties, constantly fighting over the lives of those taken. Using the darkside of the force Yama tried to destroy the young Vadum Cernun, but to no avail.
They fought for three hundred and sixty-seven days. This eventually lead Nephatyx to pique Yama’s interest. While he was sickened at the thought of another gamble he chose to resolve the issue over a game of his choice, Soul Chess. Yama was intelligent when it came to strategy, he had been during the time of his Sith days. He had created a form of chess unlike Dejarik, molded by his own hands. It wasn’t unnatural that the Goddess of Life was taken back by his crafting talents. An entity as dark as him was still capable of making such a beautiful creation.
Much like that of normal chess, there was a king and queen on both sides of the board. One side had all white pieces and the other black, a representation of light vs dark, a fitting layout given the circumstances. The only way to win was to force the other players king into no moves with the other remaining pieces. This was called a ‘Checkmate’ in the usual version. The pieces they played with were souls, turned into puppets for Yama’s pleasure. When a piece would be taken, the soul would break free from the board and sent to the Netherworld. Before Yama started the game, there were specific rules to follow, rules that made history.
Game Rules.
The first rule was made by Yama, stating that force powers were prohibited from being used. This was a clever rule, knowing full well Nephatyx can change certain outcomes. The second rule propositioned by Nephatyx was any soul piece she took would be set free from their fate and brought back to the living. The third rule by Yama, who was excited to recite it, happened to be that both, upon winning, could ask for anything, without interference from the other. The Last and final rule was no cheating, to which Nephatyx, ironically asked for given the future outcome.
With the rules set, the game commenced as they leaned over the board locking horns. The intensity of the fateful game was said to cause ripples in the force simply from each of their concentration. Move after move they continued to display strategic, intelligent placements. What came next surprised even Yama…
A Draw.
Darkness Reigns.
Yama was outraged, the mere thought of being tied with the antlered whelp made him disgusted. Yama had known Nephatyx was clever, but not clever enough to predict what came next. Cheating from the start was always in the cards. Yama had been bested too many times to take another risk. From the very second, he had agreed to the terms, Yama was using the force. He created an illusion of a chess board in front of them, allowing him to change pieces without her knowing. Grinning evilly at the thought he waited for the next game to commence. Almost forgetting, he released the souls that were trapped in their wretched game. Yama knew that Nephatyx wasn’t as good as she seemed and so without altering the board to his advantage he used a strategy, created by himself.
Like the useless Goddess was, she fell for Yama’s trap. Yama had placed his pieces perfectly, preforming a flank while allowing Nephatyx to snatch the game pieces for her own benefit. This came at a price, a price that allowed Yama to truly understand what and who he was dealing with. She’d rather lose and save the souls trapped in their game than cheat. Just when he went to make a move, his world was shattered and the board was reverted to a few moves back.
Confused at first, he watched the board rise into smoke, Nephatyx had tried to cheat him out of a victory. Uncharacteristic of his nemesis he grew furious, until he realized, he had won.
The Price of Victory
A smile grew from ear to ear as Yama won the game of Soul Chess. Crushed, Nephatyx seemed to grow scared of Yama’s request. Thinking about the hard time Nephatyx had given him. Yama took a moment and pondered on his options. The Caprine tales say that after Yama won against the Goddess of Life, Nephatyx. He asked for that very night, to be declared his own.This would allow Yama to freely take as many lives as he chose without resistance from the blonde haired Vadum, Cernun. He was jealous that Nephatyx had her own festive holiday. Creating what is now known as the Day of Death.
The weight of Yama's victory was too much, forced to shake on the deal at midnight, fate was set. Leaving the den of Yama’s own, Nephatyx disappeared into the night.
Yama was ecstatic, preparing himself for the indulgence soon to come. With the Winter Whip and his strands of snow, he set out. His magical body bag was filled to the brim in just a few lousy hours before being confronted with Nephatyx. Knowing of his own cheating during their game she broke the agreement. Escaping from her wrath, he delivered the souls to his Dark God. When the Underlord asked how he had achieved it, the dark God was pleased. The Caprine at this moment, say, Yama was forever lost. The Underlord had deformed him into the very thing people had grown to know him as, a wicked monster.
The price of victory took away what he once was. Stuck in the never-ending solitude to the Underlord.
The Day of Death
For thousands of years the tales still carry weight throughout the Cernun and Caprine societies. Yama, forever lost to the clutches of the darkside and the Netherworld, made him the very darkness itself. Many believe while he waits for his festive day to arrive, he feasts on the children rejected from the Underlord. Out of Boredom the Caprine added that the beast was given jingle bells from Nephatyx as a gift to try and bring him back from the darkness. Instead, Yama, The Sacrificial God of the Netherworld, tied the bells to his horns. The bells became a creepy warning on the darkest of nights alarming those that heard it of his deathly approach.
On the Day of Death, both Caprine and Cernun take precautions in trying to ward off the dark being Yama. Even with such action, nothing can ever escape the darkness…
Nursery Rhyme
One, Two, Yama's coming for you.
Three, Four, Put antlers on your door.
Five, Six, Pray to Nephatyx.
Seven, Eight, Leave it up to fate.
Nine, Ten, Bargain in the den.
Eleven, Twelve, Rest in Hell.
Intent:
To tie together the other submission. To expand on various tales of our own holidays around the world. Expand on approved species folktales. Allow for two species to be part of a Festive time of year. Allow people to RP in a new unique setting, with Npc’s that feel alive.
Inspired by Krampus.
