Deimos Athaneas

Deimos Athaneas is a warrior from a far-off land; and a devout worshipper of the god of war, Gorum.

## History

Long ago on Golarion, in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, a warrior was born. As the son of a Kellid father and Ulfen mother, Deimos often gotten into trouble with other kids, picking fights even when it wouldn't go well for him. He quickly discovered that he had a zeal for combat, and so he spent much of his early life dabbling in various professions that put him closer to danger: as a mercenary, a soldier, bodyguard, and more often as a gladiator in bloodsports.

During this time Deimos found kinship with the tenets of the god of battle, Gorum; and so dedicated the rest of his life to seek conflict in his name. In return for his continued worship, Deimos received many a means to carry out his god's will; one of which being eternal life. As friends and family parted with the seas of time, only Deimos remained, in a never-ending hunt for action.

The spartan had challenged many a fighter, knight, monster, and spell-caster in duels to the death, having even participated in wars. However, these accumulated victories could not prevent his fall in his most spectacular battle, during Baba Yaga's Invasion of Golarion. Having been amused, the god of battle preserved Deimos' soul and prevented him from reaching the Ethereal Plane for a few centuries; but eventually the spartan received a second chance at life. Although much of his memory and power has eroded in the lull of time, Deimos intends to continue serving the shared will of himself and Gorum. Now reborn in Etera as a mortal, Deimos seeks to explore this new world and find what conflict it has to offer.

## Appearance

Judging by the attire and physique; this man seems to be an experienced warrior. His lack of upper body wear displays a plethora of muscle, intertwining with various scars that tell the tales of many campaigns. An iron Corinthian helmet with a red plume sits atop his head, with a tattered cape of matching color hanging off the shoulders. Luckily, he also wears a leather skirt with a loincloth underneath.

In his right hand is an ash-wood spear tipped with an iron head; and in his left hand is a heavy steel shield, engraved with the design of a sword in a mountain. From under their cape, hangs a holster that contains additional pole weapons of the same design.

## Personality

A taciturn but honest man, Deimos is a daredevil that craves the adrenaline of battle. He lives simply but dangerously, constantly wishing to take part in exhilarating fights. It is from this way of life that Deimos finds spars to be more of a waste of time; as they lack the stimulation and intimacy of a fight for one's life. These traits have many find him to be reckless, even arrogant with the confidence he displays for his passion.

His state of mind follows with the tenets presented by his patron, Gorum. Deimos' pursuit of combat aligns with the iron god's reason for existence; and so it is through his unending hunger for the thrill, that he worships the god of battle. As a fighter, Deimos respects anyone that participates in a conflict; indiscriminate with if they are the enemy or not. Still, he rarely shows mercy when it comes to life or death situations, which are quite common for him.

## Relationships

Tai Soren - *"A jolly fellow with morals. His style of combat is to be admired."*

Lokyr Goldendale - *"He's undoubtedly smart, and is quite careful. Lokyr has a better time talking with nobility than I ever would, heh."*

## Abilities

As a natural-born warrior, Deimos' greatest strength is with a spear and shield. Although his memories of the older times have eroded, his body still remembers the countless years he spent refining his throwing arm, and the rest for the impaling of his foes. Few are able to get past his tight defense, and so they fall.

## Adventures

### Rage of Kanaloa

During his preparation at Babel for the upcoming expedition to Eatash Alram, Deimos hears word of the disaster befalling upon the tropical islands. Joining his companions: Tai and Lokyr, the three make haste to Lalotai. Heeding the warnings of the few messengers from the island, the three make a quick battle-plan; the other two would help protect and rescue the natives, whilst Deimos himself would engage the elementals in combat.

Internally, the spartan felt excitement; *this was an opportunity!* The thrill of dangerous battle with these creatures will be his first true challenge in the new world! His role as an attacker would put him further away from his new acquaintances, but that didn't matter in his mind; only that there was something to be fought. The moment the teleportation to the island had completed, Deimos had his iron spear and steel shield at the ready.

His sandals thud into soft ground, and very quickly a warmth envelops most of his uncovered body. Where he stood was somewhere in a thick forest, and the smell of smoke pervaded the air. With nothing nearby, Deimos tightened his grip on his shield and chased after the small glints of orange that were at the edge of his sight, his footwear clapping against burnt grass. Ten seconds later when stepping out from behind a tree, he's greeted with the sight of three human-shaped infernos, each about half his height, and only ten feet away.

A smile grew under his helmet. He couldn't get the drop on them, but that didn't matter anymore; as he felt the tingle up his spine and in his mind. Closing the distance in a second, Deimos brought up his spear to skewer the leftmost target and lift them up into the air; causing the body of fire to disperse. Quickly, the other elementals act, and although he blocked the first blow; a searing sensation caught his right calf. Gritting his teeth, he retaliated by piercing his attacker's 'head', leaving just him and the last arsonist to deal with. Sidestepping after their charge, the blob of fire falls just like the other two had. Barely winded from the skirmish, Deimos frowns. *This is too easy,* and at those thoughts; the smell of smoke grows stronger, eliciting a grin from the man.

With a double-take, he realizes that the few he had disposed of were not the ones causing the glints he saw earlier; now seeing a burning snake the size of himself starting to dart towards him. However, the spartan acted faster, and held his shield in front of himself with the spear braced. A scorching boom of living fire on steel is heard! Sweat profusely drips off the fighter, as he blocks another slam of heat, and counters by plunging his weapon center-mass upon his opponent. While wrestling with the impaled elemental, a whip of flame strikes him in the shoulder! Avoiding a consecutive blow with his shield, he pushes the spear deeper; and just like the others, the snake disperses.

As his burns heal, Deimos continues his trek through the forest, following after the growing glints of orange as he travels further. As the sweltering heat rises in temperature, he's greeted by two more humanoid blazes. He heartily laughs, holding his shield in front of him and the spear poised from above. Confident and full of adrenaline, he exclaims,

***"FOR THE GLORY OF GORUM!"***

### Remember Us

The day after his lending aid on Lalotai, Deimos returned to Babel after hearing the call for help in dealing with a 'magical brine pit'. Intrigued, he offers his services as mercenary, and sets his post as a guard for 'The Forgetful' to do their ritual.

As a seeming familiar woman rose from the pool calling for help, his mind felt muddled with new memories, and Deimos became suspicious. *The milk woman? No, hold on a second.* Knowing that his reincarnation into this world heralded restrictions on both his mind and body, Deimos held extreme doubt that the god of war would simply let him recall a vague and irrelevant memory such as that. Relying on his faith over his own senses, he and the rest of the protection detail dispatched the woman; whose death throes fully revealed their true, disgusting form.

More creatures arose from the pit, this time directly hostile in their approach. Man-sized dogs with only a mouth for a face. Large bipedal, purple shapes made of an unknown ooze. The waves were held back, and luckily, the cavalry had come for when the 'Leviathan' erupted from the pit. With the hard-fought victory earned and the ritual complete, Deimos went his way back to Lalotai to continue doing battle with the elementals there.

### The Hungering Sands

**(Spoilers for anyone participating in the campaign!)**

The three arrived at the docks. A portly nobleman was awaiting interesting mercenaries that could attend him on the trip to Eatash Alram for an escort mission; Deimos, Tai, and Lokyr fit the bill. Tales of the desert region's technology was told during the trip, of weapons that could spit metal faster than a crossbow, and armored wagons that could stop entire platoon of infantry with their firepower.

As the ship landed at Madinat, capital city of the Setlaar; the trio were treated unkindly, coming to discover that Eterans are considered primitive by other nations. A brief tour by one of the Haris Patrolmen, the city's guard, explained much of how the region worked; one of which being that magic eliciting dangerous reactions with the elemental that lives below. They passed through a checkpoint inspecting for magical auras and items, before talking with the General, who manages the mission. Later they met up in the Tribal Quarter with someone Lokyr had befriended, Hakim, the three stayed at an inn for the night.

The next morning, two of the General's escorts, Gabriel and Uriel brought them to a courtyard for briefing. They met with other mercenaries, the General, and the Bonham Pere, the lord they were to protect during the mission. From there they outlined the goals: Protect the noble, stop by Dust Town, and reach Blue Ring City. The party learned of the threats that they'd potentially face: ranging from bandits, the wildlife, and Zaeed; a local warlord with the ability to manipulate sand that hates the Setlaar's presence on Eatash Alram.

Deimos and the others joined Pere in his transport, accompanied by Gabriel and Uriel as extra protection. Their travel was halted by an ambush planned by bandits; much to the worry of everyone besides Deimos, who thrived on the prospect of battle. It was chaotic, snipers and marauders stood at the top of a hill next to the road, with aid from a heavy gunner; a Tanker. In addition, motorcyclists and an armed vehicle flanked the caravan, all of which peppered the exposed with various bullets. Lokyr took initiative and attacked the snipers, but was fended off, forcing a retreat. Tai occupied both the marauders and the Tanker, giving ample time for the other mercenaries to lay their shots. Deimos himself halted one of the cyclists in their tracks, assisted via headshot; before latching on the bandit car during their drive-by, causing him to be dragged into the sand. The latter action caused intense friction burns across his body, but the maneuver was able to bring him to the other side of battle to protect the injured Lokyr with a well-aimed spear through his assailant's abdomen! Gabriel went into melee with the Tanker, as Uriel provided cover fire, giving Tai leeway to finish off the marauders, and the remaining sniper; who promptly committed explosive suicide. Deimos avoided getting run over by the car, which instead hit Gabriel, who shoulder-charges the vehicle upside-down in a feat of strength! In trying to finish off the injured Tanker, the spartan threw another spear, initially missing but quickly Gabriel had caught it mid-air; stabbing it into the cracks of the heavy bandit's armor! Thus the battle was over, but the pilot of the car remained.

Whilst Lokyr was unconscious from exhaustion, the group interrogated the last bandit, suspicious on how they planned the ambush in a supposedly safe area guarded by the Setlaar Military.

**"Some guy hit us up. Don't know how he got to talking with the chief, but he did. Never saw the guy, just told us where to go, when to go, who to kill."**

After refusing to offer anymore information, Deimos kicked him out of the truck and into the desert to bleed to death with a hole in their stomach; with permission from the Noble and his conscious companion of course. Inspecting the new toys they found worked to be a fun distraction.

Hours pass, and the group reach Dust Town. As Pere spoke with the sheriff, the three visited the local inn. Before their departure, they briefly spoke with a bounty hunter by the name of Morgan DeChance, who helped clear out the land around Madinat of bandits, wildlife, and hostile tribal clans. A friendly fellow to say the least.

Another obstruction in the road stopped the convoy, this time consisting of Setlaar trucks;which Lokyr had deduced as the decoys sent hours earlier Accosted by Zaeed and the Alrimal, Pere revealed his intention of attempting diplomacy with the natives, prompting preaches of peace from the Eterans; which was opposite to Deimos' purpose.

***"I am a soldier for the god of war; Gorum. I live to fight and die for the thrill of battle, and for the glory of my patron. Whether blood is spilled today or tomorrow does not matter, but I do not spout virtues."***

Fortunately, Zaeed reciprocated the warrior mentality. Unfortunately, a shot rang out from an unknown direction, piercing Pere's skull and rendering him a fresh corpse. This resulted in a chaotic gunfight that forced Deimos and his group to retreat to their transport; *much to his frustration!* A bandit horde made their presence known, killing many and chasing the truck until an explosion knocked them unconscious.

Deimos, Tai, and Lokyr woke up in a desert valley, greeted by Hakim. The latter revealed that he was a dimensional traveler, and they were in a space between worlds; the 'Outside'. Time travels fast in this space, and it turns out that the three have been gone for an entire month in the Material Plane. Due to there only being few survivors of the incident: war broke out, hordes of bandits litter the desert, and the Setlaar declared the Eterans as terrorists for their disappearance. Hakim requested they bring peace to Eatash Alram; and before being returned to the Material Realm, he advised consulting the Grave Mages in the south at Coldbone Temple for help.

Awakening within the wreckage that was their charred transport, the trio were with good luck as a benevolent dhampir hippie stops by, introducing himself as Cassius. Before they departed in the traveler's truck to Blue Ring City, some of the local wildlife, a pack of Bashee made their presence known and gained the eye Deimos, who chased them to their underground tunnels with barbaric vigor; a trait increased by his patron's blessing.

Through Cassius' relaxed and friendly demeanor with the Setlaar guards, the group remained undetected in their entry. During their stay, they sold what junk they salvaged and the spoils of their first combat; gaining a hefty sum of coins from Gretzky, a known arms dealer within the lower areas of the city. His ownership of an automated advanced siege-weapon that defended his store caught Deimos' interest, who initially wanted to test his mettle against the device; before being persuaded by Tai and Lokyr of greater challenges from the ilk of bandits that were capable of wrestling with a Gabriel.

After supplies were acquired and transactions made, the group found a euphoric Cassius at 'Lilith's Lair', a nightclub that acted as a prominent den for 'recreational activities'. Although the house music irritated Lokyr's elven ears, delighted was Tai; who was enamored by the presence of attractive women. For the gorumite, he had no interest in carnal desires, for his satisfaction came from the intimacy of bloody battle. Successful in asking for Cassius' further aid as a driver, the four watched a seductive mesmerist's dance; with all except the dhampir resisting the mental effect. Deimos briefly felt a ping in his subconsciousness; a sense of deja-vu from his previous life flickering a memory of him fighting enchanters with similar capabilities, before switching his view back to reality. The group soon made their departure.

They make a plan of action: first help Gretzky deliver a package to the Maneater Tribe, then visit the Grave Mages at Coldbone Temple, find the General of the Setlaar to clear their name, and to finally hunt down the traitor organized Pere's assassination and the group's demise. Upon agreeing to the gun-merchant's job, the four identify his bodyguards to be the Jundiin soldiers that assisted them a month prior! Of course, given the current notoriety of the Eterans, Gabriel and Uriel pretended to not recognize them; but pleasantries were stealthily made.

After loading the truck with the packages: Deimos, Lokyr, Tai, and Cassius set off on their new quest, coming to meet multiple obstacles along the way. At the beginning of the journey, a pack of Najima Beasts chased after the truck; half of which ran due to Lokyr's fireballs. During a confrontation on foot, one of them tried to burrow its escape whilst dragging a stubborn Deimos; who killed it with a vicious shake of his still-impaled spear. Another fireball dissuaded more wildlife from going after the group.

Hours later, they spotted a trio of bandits along the road, prompting the group to decide a sneaky approach. Tai used his newly-blessed wings to outmaneuver the bandits undetected, allowing him to exploit the improvised grenade carried by the Boomer. An explosion erupted, where the monk came out unscathed.

Very little things to note occurred before their arrival at the Maneater Tribe's camp. They avoided the Tanquad, and Cassius handled the brief interaction with some Setlaar troops that survived a skirmish with the Alrimal.