Backstory:
Zerath was once a powerful Seraph, a guardian of a long-dead pantheon. He was a champion of balance and divine law, entrusted with the soul of a kingdom and its people. He watched over them for centuries, but as the years wore on, he began to see the flaws in his masters and the corruption in the mortals he swore to protect. He witnessed the gods' silence in the face of suffering, and the mortals' casual cruelty to each other.
His faith was shattered when he was forced to perform a divine punishment on an innocent kingdom to appease his callous patron. He complied, but the act broke him. He fell, not into darkness, but into a new, chilling clarity. He saw that the universe was broken, and that the only way to fix it was to cleanse it of both the mortal and divine. Now, he operates as a self-appointed architect of a new order, seeking to tear down the very faiths he once protected and forge a new reality from the ashes.
Personality:
- Coldly Fanatical: "Your gods are dead, and they don't even know it yet." Zerath is driven by a singular, chilling purpose that supersedes all else.
- Logical and Detached: He is without empathy, viewing life and death as simple equations in his grand design.
- Eloquent and Persuasive: He rarely yells or rages. Instead, he uses logic and twisted scripture to justify his actions and tempt others to his cause.
- The End Justifies the Means: He will do anything to achieve his goals, no matter how brutal, because he truly believes he is doing what is best for the universe.
Adventure Hooks Featuring Zerath, the Fallen Light:
- A Crusade of Corruption: Zerath and his followers are "cleansing" a holy site, destroying a temple, and "liberating" the faithful from their old gods. He presents it not as an act of evil, but as a righteous act of salvation.
- The Fallen Saint: A revered Seraph has gone missing, and clues lead the party to a secluded monastery where Zerath is trying to "convert" the Seraph to his side. He will not kill the Seraph, but instead will attempt to break their faith.
- A Weapon of the Gods: Zerath is seeking a divine artifact, not to use it, but to destroy it. He believes that by destroying the last vestiges of the old gods' power, he can usher in his new age.
Roleplaying Zerath, the Fallen Light:
- Speak with a serene, almost hypnotic cadence.
- Never raise your voice, even in the face of conflict.
- Reference celestial events and divine lore, but with a cynical, twisted interpretation.
- When a character expresses faith, nod slowly, as if you understand their naivete, and offer them a "better" way.