Avsula of Ritl

**Avsula of Ritl**, otherwise known as the Great Negotiator, is an intelligent, extremely perceptive Serphiad born on the planet Ritl during the Great Convergence period of the Serphiad Union. Using his charisma and impressive knowledge of politics, Avsula gained a significant amount of leverage in the Serphiad government, both directly, and indirectly through the Association of Good Friends.

## Background

Avsula was born on the planet Ritl, a prosperous colony established by the Serphiad Union in the Triangulum Galaxy, on the outskirts of Jian'Tur Federation territory. Alongside many other newly-grown Serphiads, Avsula was looked after by Ritl's compassionate Serphiad population. During his period of immobility, Avsula occupied himself by studying the history of the Serphiad Union and learning about the nature of intergalactic politics. He soon gained an interest in political theory, and decided to commit himself to a career in politics. Avsula had already gained a significant reputation on Ritl during his juvenile phase for his natural skill in negotiation and persuasion, and his peers suggested he travel to the Serphiad core worlds in the Andromeda Galaxy to influence important political figures, possibly earning him a position in the White Triumvirate. Once he gained mobility, Avsula wasted no time in pursuing his goals of becoming a leader in the Serphiad Union. He migrated to Serph, the capital of the Union, and did everything he could to gain the attention of the White Triumvirates current members. His efforts were not in vain, as he was eventually selected to replace an aging member of the Triumvirate. Avsula was ecstatic about gaining one of the most prestigious roles in the Serphiad government, and fully immersed himself in the affairs of the Serphiad Union at the macroscopic scale once he became a member of the White Triumvirate. At first, Avsula's skills in politics and negotiation were appreciated by the other two members of the Triumvirate, but as time went on, they began to grow distrustful of Avsula. Having spent most of his early life on the edge of Jian'Tur territory, Avsula had been heavily influenced by the politics and philosophies of the Jian'Tur. He shared a common belief within the Jian'Tur Federation that a civilization must exercise its military might over other civilizations in order to establish dominance and preserve their own safety, a belief that was rather offensive to the existing social and political dogmas of the Serphiad Union. Although he did not establish himself as an overt militarist within the Triumvirate (mostly to protect his reputation and position within the government), the subtle push he made towards greater militarization of the Serphiad Union did not go unnoticed by the other Triumvirate members. They believed Avsula would threaten the intergalactic peace established by the Union across The Cluster, and with preexisting tensions between the Serphiad Union and Jian'Tur Federation, the last thing the Serphiad government wanted was the proliferation of war and militaristic policies. In a controversial and extremely unconventional movement, the other Triumvirate members motioned to remove Avsula from the White Triumvirate, replacing him with a more placid Serphiad. News of Avsula's deposition from the White Triumvirate spread across the entire Serphiad Union, as something like this had never happened before in the entire history of the Serphiad Union. Avsula himself had his reputation tarnished by this fall from grace, and he lost almost all of the political clout he had previously held. In a relatively short time span, Avsula had gone from being one of the most influential figures in the entire Serphiad Union to a disgraced pariah.

Feeling betrayed by the Serphiad Union and its government, Avsula returned to the Triangulum Galaxy and sought refuge within the Jian'Tur Federation, a civilization that his opinions would hopefully be more welcome in. At first, the Jian'Tur were extremely unwelcoming towards Avsula. The Serphiads were not well-liked among the general Jian'Tur populace, and many suspected Avsula of being a spy for the Serphiad Union bent on undermining the sovereignty of their venerable civilization. Although it was rather difficult, Avsula gradually earned the trust of the Jian'Tur, who soon took a liking to his characteristically un-Serphiad take on politics. He became very close to several Jian'Tur representatives in the Settlement Hall, and even convened with the Federal Chancellor at the time, Vub-Vub Alcsimit, on numerous occasions. It was through her that Avsula learned of the invisible, yet fierce tensions between various Union tributary states and independent civilizations, tensions that the government of the Serphiad Union had neglected to address. It didn't take long for Avsula to realize that he could capitalize on these tensions to gain political influence of vastly greater magnitude than within the confines of the Serphiad government, something he could use to contort the Serphiad Union into a less passive, more aggressive civilization that he hoped would be better at retaining intergalactic order. Traveling all across The Cluster, Avsula formed connections with the leaders of many civilizations of varying size and strength, eventually forming a commune known as the Association of Good Friends. This strictly-informal group of leaders allowed Avsula to learn about the political and social environment of the Serphiad Union's tributary states, things that even the Serphiad government itself wouldn't know about. He used the Association to settle petty disputes between leaders and provide them with valuable insight into the machinations of Serphiad politics, which allowed these leaders to function better within the Council of Mutual Affairs. By giving alien leaders the information necessary to affect the Serphiad Union more directly, Avsula indirectly led to the creation of new legislation that bolstered the strength of the Union's tributary fleet and defense corps, as well as promoting the development of advanced cyborganic technology, which Avsula believed was vital in upholding the sovereignty of the Serphiad Union.

As thankful as he was to finally be involved in Serphiad politics yet again, Avsula couldn't help but feel as though he could accomplish so much more. During his frequent trips to the Milky Way Galaxy, Avsula had encountered numerous missionaries and religious figures from the Infinity Guild that were traveling through colonized worlds in the Spur Trinity, spreading the word of the Only Hierophant. At first, Avsula had dismissed the underlings of the Infinity Guild as mindless drones, completely subservient to their faith. However, as he spent more time among them, he realized that there was far more to the religion of the Infinity Guild than was apparent on the surface. Taking a break from his duties in the Association of Good Friends, Avsula traveled to the Guild Expanse to convene with the savants and stygolytes of the Infinity Guild, hoping to learn more about their mysterious deity, Black Infinity. After being indoctrinated, he quickly rose through the ranks of the Infinity Guild, and soon attracted the attention of the Only Hierophant himself. The Only Hierophant was very impressed by Avsula's ruthless desire for knowledge and his profound intuition, qualities that were very beneficial to any potential Black Witness. Once he learned of Avsula's political influence in the Andromeda and Triangulum galaxies, the Only Hierophant realized that, by making Avsula a Black Witness, he could extend his control over these more distant galaxies and learn of any potential extragalactic threats to the Infinity Guild. With the Only Hierophant's help, Avsula's progression in the Infinity Guild was accelerated, and he was soon allowed to visit Nexuta to gaze through the Nightmare Telescope, bestowing him with the incredible knowledge shared by all Black Witnesses and the extraordinary powers that came with it. Avsula was very grateful for this enlightenment, and promised to carry out the Only Hierophant's wishes once he left the Milky Way Galaxy.

Avsula returned to his place in the Association of Good Friends as a radically different individual. His interest in politics had not weaned, but it was now joined by a fascination with the myth of Black Infinity. He spent an increasing amount of time in isolation, meditating and orchestrating schemes to aid the Only Hierophant, whom he kept in contact with via unique Guild-designed quantum communication arrays. His compatriots in the Association noticed that Avsula was deviating from his commitment to politics, and confronted him about his connections to the Infinity Guild. Avsula dismissed these accusations whenever they appeared, but he did not behave as though they were untrue. He had grown tired of conventional politics and, with the effectiveness of the Association on the Serphiad Union dwindling, he felt as though his time would be better spent focusing on his responsibilities for the Only Hierophant. This led to the gradual collapse of the Association of Good Friends, as its members, no longer feeling any sense of unity among themselves, stopped attending meetings and ceased most communications with each other and Avsula. By this point, Avsula had become far too preoccupied with his role as a Black Witness to care about the falling out of the Association. He was so absorbed in his studies and scheming in the distant, unremarkable corners of the Triangulum Galaxy that he failed to notice the onset of the First Vuokra Invasion, at least until the Serphiad Union itself was in dire peril. For reasons even Avsula did not fully understand, the Only Hierophant instructed him to retrieve the slumbering Myrevi Tii from the Timeless Vault and deliver it to the Serphiads. Avsula did as he was told and brought Tii to Serphiad scientists in the Andromeda Galaxy. It was Avsula that led to the creation of Tixax, guiding Serphiad cyborganic scientists in their efforts to merge Tii with an advanced cyborganic intelligence, something that would have been nearly impossible if not for Avsula's knowledge of ethereal Myrevi physiology that had been provided to him by the Only Hierophant. The Serphiad Union itself would have been completely indebted to Avsula for his help in constructing Tixax, but unfortunately, it collapsed shortly after Red Six Trillion's invasion had been thwarted. Details concerning Avsula's fate after the fall of the Serphiad Union are fragmented, but it is almost certain that he continued to live on. Many believe he assumed the alias of "Prime Hegemon" and became the leader of Zetylian civilization, but if Avsula really is the enigmatic Prime Hegemon, or if the Prime Hegemon is just another one of his minions, is not known for certain.

## Appearance and Abilities

After maturing, Avsula's physical appearance was not particularly special among other Serphiads. He was approximately 16 ft (4.9 m) in height, slightly over the lower threshold for average Serphiad height. He only grew 5 prehensile tentacles on both the top and bottom of his body, the lowest possible amount for most Serphiads. However, because tentacle number is inversely proportional to size, Avsula's tentacles are very thick, and are capable of producing quite a bit force, if necessary. Over time, Avsula made himself more distinct by adorning his body with several pieces of elaborate jewelry, mostly glittering rings that go around his center and long strings of colorful beads that dangle from his upper appendages. Since virtually all Serphiads are nudists, and most dislike any form of body decoration, these lavish decorations added to Avsula's infamy, and most likely factored into his eventual disposition from the White Triumvirate. After visiting the Infinity Guild and becoming a Black Witness, Avsula adjusted his style to those popular among the worshippers of Black Infinity, choosing to decorate his body with flowing black robes, sparkling white crystals and hexagonal chains that replaced the strings of beads on his tentacles. Many of his connections in the Association of Good Friends noted how, after becoming a Black Witness, Avsula's white Serphiad flesh became increasingly dark in coloration, most likely due to the buildup of Ether Bile inside of his body. By the time he was overseeing the creation of Tixax, Avsula's body had become almost completely black in coloration, so he chose to conceal himself within his robes so as not to disturb the other Serphiads.

Being a Serphiad, Avsula naturally has sublime intelligence, a resistance to most diseases and physical maladies, and a lifespan of more than a thousand years. Although he was never proficient in direct combat, Avsula was capable of swinging his large tentacles around to batter any potential foes he may face. After becoming a Black Witness, however, Avsula gained access to several new powers no other Serphiad could hope to acquire. He became immortal, like all Black Witnesses, and his resistance to conventional weapons increased dramatically alongside his physical strength. In his solitude, Avsula learned how to harness the ambient energies of the Ether Bile inside of his body, allowing him to use psychokinesis and move nearby objects with just his mind. Over time, he perfected this ability, and could kill almost anyone within a few dozen meters of him in seconds using his psychokinetic powers. Despite this, Avsula has still caused far less direct chaos and destruction compared to many other Black Witnesses, and has always relied more on coercion and careful plotting as opposed to his physical might.

## Personality and Behavior

To a certain extent, all Black Witnesses are known to be crafty and methodical, but none can compare to Avsula's profound capacity for plotting and scheming. Of all the Only Hierophant's Black Witnesses, Avsula has accomplished the least through direct action, and for good reason. His ability to influence individuals, groups and even entire civilizations is so great that he can shape the course of history with almost no direct involvement on his behalf. This is thanks to his esoteric knowledge of politics and sociology, as well as his surprisingly disarming personality. Those who meet Avsula directly describe him as a surprisingly calm and compassionate being, and he does not cause needless destruction like more inexperienced Black Witnesses. Avsula usually offers very compelling incentives or rewards for those that help him, which has helped him avoid tensions with the individuals and civilizations he attempts to control. Control is something Avsula values greatly, and he has always gone to great lengths to make sure he is, at least in some way, capable of controlling the macroscopic progression of intergalactic politics. Although the Serphiads are a sexless race, Avsula chooses to be referred to as a male, as he believes this better encapsulates his dominant personality.

Ever since his ascension into Black Witness, Avsula has always been very close to the Only Hierophant. He is the Hierophant's most trusted underling, no doubt due to the psychological similarities between the two of them. Both Avsula and the Only Hierophant have an innate skill for manipulation, and they both are known to orchestrate large-scale plans to some unknown end. These similarities have led to speculation as to the actual motivations behind Avsula's actions. On the surface, he claims to serve the Only Hierophant, and has carried out many of the Hierophant's commands. However, even when he is serving the Hierophant, he continues to manipulate individuals and civilizations for reasons unknown. Avsula is known to have led to the creation of the Zetylian Hegemony, and if he commands the Prime Hegemon (or actually is the Prime Hegemon), his influence has been perpetuated even after the Zetylian Hegemony collapsed. What greater purpose Avsula could be serving aside from the Only Hierophant is a complete mystery, but given his skills, it is almost certain that, eventually, he will succeed.