Shandak (Of Deep)

> *"Choose what you would be, and be confident in it. Doubt of yourself can as fatal a flaw as any in swordsmanship."*
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> *- Shandak*
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Shandak is an old being, pre-Solomonic, who became trapped in the Abyss as he fled the spread of the Seal. As a gatekeeper of the Abyss, his watch is eternal, but boring, and so he turned to OMO for entertainment.

## Overview

Shandak is an old Other, a being created by an old pantheon of gods as a means to level cities. After having destroyed the kingdom of these gods at their behest, he was set loose to do as he pleased. for the next 3000 years he wandered where he wished, leaving the ruins of leveled cities in his wake. When word reached him that the Seal of Solomon had been created, he chose to head away from where it was being spread, a choice which eventually landed him in the Abyss. He soon (in a manner of speaking) found himself trapped as the guardian of an entrance known as the Great Cavern.

Fast forward a few thousand years, and he discovers OMO, and begins working with the beings who congregate there. Having obtained a body usable in Sanctuary, he has begun to train several of OMO's young practitioners in combat.

## Appearance

Shandak's appearance is somewhat based upon the viewer. In his natural form, he is somewhere between 8 and 25 feet tall, depending upon his whim and the perspective of the viewer, a red-skinned, humanoid being with black horns and four arms. This ability to simply be at a given height extends to other facets of his being, as well. He is known to appear more animalistic and spiky when viewed more as a threat, and his facial expression has even appeared to change depending on the viewer's opinion of him.

At Sanctuary, he inhabits a body made primarily of stone, which tends to settle into a sitting position at rest. The inactive state of this body is stone, covered in various runes and sigils, some in what looks to be some kind of red-gold ink, and others simply carved directly into the rock. When Shandak chooses to move and make use of this body, his standard form seems to crack and bubble its way up through the surface of the stone, eventually forming into a shape much like his natural form, except smaller, averaging at 3-4 feet in height. His horns in this active state are inlaid with gold spirals, and a minor Abyssal portal floats suspended as a black disk between them, its energies contained by Shandak, Sanctuary, and the runes carved into the horns.

## Powers & Abilities

Shandak is immensely strong, capable of punching through walls and fortifications as though they were paper, and of leaping nearly a mile into the air before coming crashing down with violent force. The natural uncertainty of his physical dimensions also renders it difficult to judge whether a blow is going to land, as the variability in his actual dimensions can allow him to cross a distance in faster time than he perhaps should.

His Sight allows him to see the physical weaknesses in things, from the weak point of a wall to the total defenses of a city. It technically allows him to sort of sense connections, but only very vaguely.

### Followers

Over the course of his stay in the Abyss, he has obtained a following of Others, primarily Bogeymen, who aid him not for reason of Binding or of Oaths but by loyalty. The following is an incomplete list of these.

* "Cord": Cord is an squat, vaguely humanoid Other who is rather conical in shape, having no head and multiple appendages that might be construed to be legs. He appears to be constructed entirely of metal, coiled, wrapped, and braided to form his body and appendages. He is stated to be able to See "all in front of him", though the specifics of this ability have not been explored. He is also notable slower than most beings.
* "Bert": A creature seemingly bound within its own skin, a passing look at this Other might not leave the viewer under the impression that he can move capably, let alone how it might attack or defend itself. He has no eyes or ears, but can sense a great deal via more supernatural senses, including intent and meaning. It is also capable of remarkably quick and agile movement, despite its appearance.
* Lunacidian ("Dox"): A shifting, "glitchy" seeming Other who appears to have the form of a human, though what human varies from moment to moment. Wields a sensory field which attacks the senses, disorienting and incapacitating victims, or even wiping their memories of him. Currently on loan to Chloe Savas (Grekhaus).
* "Arkham": A humanoid Other in tattered rags, whose form changes from tentacles to flesh and back underneath his clothes. He is capable of teleportation to any target on a given plane, as long as that individual has seen him before. This power comes at a cost to the target's sanity, however, which is greater the longer a distance is traveled.
* Acheron ("Stripe"): A recent addition to Shandak's group, little is known about them beyond the fact that they are apparently skilled in arranging items into formations and diagrams in order to achieve particular effects, such as a small explosion.

## History

### Pre-OMO

Shandak was created sometime in the mid 3000s BC by a pantheon of gods who wished to visit their wrath upon their people in a unique manner. He was charged with the total destruction of civilization within that kingdom, and accomplished it, leaving only the chosen few who were to continue alive. Only, he did not like being commanded as these gods had done, and chose to speak with the survivors, explaining to them the folly of their deities. These survivors then chose to leave their gods for new ones, and the pantheon, after a time, died of hunger.

In the following millenia he walked the earth mostly undisturbed, destroying by choice or request rather than command, and learning of the world and its people. It is known that he crossed into the northern reaches of what is now Germany during that time, and into Africa, but he did not enter Greece by reason of polite request from the gods of that region.

When Shandak recieved word that the Seal of Solomon had been formed, he chose to plunge deeper into Africa, eventually wandering his way down into the Abyss sometime around 500 BC. There he wandered for many years, until sometime around 0 AD he found himself bound to serve the Abyss as the guardian of the Great Caverns, a vast cave where he would eventually settle and grow a small collection of Abyssal Others bound to him by loyalty and not by word. Few of these beings are bound by the Seal.

### OMO - Present

Shandak made contact with OMO on February 27, 2021. His first few postings were scattered, and not necessarily true to his character, as he took several days to acclimate to the rules and population of OMO. Soon after, however, he began to be more helpful, giving advice, guidance, and even starting a short lived series in which he transcribed and shared texts in his possession, including a text on Demons, which was eventually deleted. Over time, he would come to be known as a voice which was willing to speak candidly about Demons and the dangers of them, much to the chagrin of many of the other experienced users of OMO.

He also during this time began connecting with the young and the lost of OMO, those who needed aid and guidance to survive. In particular, he connected with one Zachary (Swaygze), who, while abrasive, he enjoyed speaking with, and thus aided to Sanctuary. It was around this time that he worked with the Lady of House Lim to fashion a body that he might use upon the grounds of Sanctuary. Thus, when Sanctuary held its Grand Opening, both were in attendance, and Shandak agreed to train him. Since that point, Shandak has continued to work with young practitioners, and now also trains, or has trained, Mia (MIAdenaway), Xander (KnightlyRoutine), and Vesper, and has expressed willingness to aid in the training of others.