Voidstar

**Voidstars** are fragments of the god VOID splintered from him after his clash with DIV. Eight Voidstars were created as a result, powerful entities bearing the power of VOID and his intentions to return the world to nothing. Clashes with Voidstars are recorded throughout history, with individuals such the Fallen Heroes and the Starslayer having triumphed over them on occasion.

## Description

### Appearance

Voidstars have a variety of appearances. Their most recognizable form is that of a large bipedal monstrosity covered in black scales. They face is almost demonic in appearance, with large horns, a harsh inhuman face and a long blueish-purple tongue. The front of their torso is covered in blue scales, with spiky dark plating over the chest. A large set of black wings spreads out from their back, as well as a thick black tail. Tarnished metal bands with inscriptions adorn their arms and legs. They also possess long very sharp claws on both their hand and feet.

Voidstars can also draw people into a pocket dimension. There, the Voidstar appears as a pair of enormous eyes the resemble nebulas, staring at their opponents from across a sea of stars.

Finally, the VOID Reborn used one of the forms of VOID itself when fighting the Qethosian warriors with the Memory. It looked like a giant almost anorexic humanoid with long purple hair. Where a normal person's face would be was a gaping maw lined with teeth. Several parts of its form appeared to be scarred and stitched together.

### Personality

Most Voidstars are hostile in nature, like other lesser VOID creatures. However, they possess a certain tactical cunning not often witnessed in said creatures. They will attempt to split up their prey, create illusions to deceive them, copy their forms and other such unconventional tricks. This does not mean they are not powerful and will hold back in any capacity.

Being fragments of the dead god VOID, Voidstars possess traits of his personality. This primarily includes his primary desire to return all to nothing. However, the VOID reborn shows a notable deviation, expressing the desire to live on in the same way VOID wished to live on in its last moments. It also displayed enough tact and understanding to negotiate with Leask Laell and agree to his mission to bring back the power of VOID in a new more constructive way.

## History

### The Shattering of VOID

During the violence between DIV and VOID's initial clash, DIV managed to shatter her adversary VOID in a terrible blow. This divided the God of Nothingness into eight distinct fragments, which were scattered across all of Io. These Voidstars endured for centuries, becoming known as legendary beings of destruction.

### Voidstar I

Voidstar I was the subject of one of the first major exploits of the Fallen Heroes of Io. A member of the old Wise Ones named Ghaspar sought to revive the Voidstar to tip the balance away from the God of Radiance DIV, whose influence was becoming too great. To this end, he used a man named Gail, who was unknowingly housing the Voidstar, to amplify the VOID in three separate areas across Northern Qethos. They would then syphon the VOID to restore the Voidstar. Both Gail and Ghaspar used two adventuring parties, some of whom would become the Fallen Heroes of Io, to do this for them, manipulating them into doing their bidding. The heroes got wise to this plot and turned on their employers. In the Ruins of Alabaster, Ghaspar revived the Voidstar, sacrificing Gail in the process. The Heroes then defeated this threat, which caused a massive explosion that killed many VOID-Touched across Qethos. Though the slaying of the Voidstar was a combined effort, only Bronn Luxprin took credit for the deed, being heralded as the Starslayer by his new patron All King Tenebraum, who sought to exploit Bronn for his political goals.

### Voidstar II

Voidstar II was the mysterious patron of a simple farmer known as Gub. Gub was an associate of the Fallen Heroes, having helped in the battle against Voidstar I a few months before. Gub lost control of his patron and brought the Voidstar into being, which resulted in his death. The Voidstar destroyed the town he had been rebuilding and laid waste to parts of Northern Qethos. This came to the attention of Gub's friends Weyzi and Sterling, who brought their new allies along to destroy the Voidstar and preserve their friend's memory. The group was successful, and Voidstar II was no more.

### Voidstar III

Not much is yet known about the encounter with Voidstar III as of time of writing.

### Voidstar IV

Not much is known about the destruction of Voidstar IV. The noble house of Malcolm in the Kingdom of Brysben claims the responsibility for the deed. Aelith Malcolm, a former student of the Exodus Academy, often proclaims himself to be the grandson of this kingdom's version of the Starslayer, and makes no secret of his esteemed family lineage.

### Voidstar V

Voidstar V was sealed in a runestone located within ancient ruins north of the City of Trials on Etropa. The runestone was protected since ancient times by a circle of druids known as the Circle of Arelith. The druids maintain this tradition and pass it down from generation to generation. Though the specifics of the tale are lost, they know from their predecessors that an ancient dark evil is within the runestone and it can never be awakened.

### Voidstar VI

Voidstar VI has not been encountered as of time of writing.

### Voidstar VII

Voidstar VII has not been encountered as of time of writing.

### Voidstar VIII

Voidstar VIII has not been encountered as of time of writing.

## Story

### Memories of VOID

When investigating the Jaksu Academy for information on DIV and VOID, the Qethosian warriors followed Professor Hanio into the library. There, the young girl Petra spotted a door that no-one else could see. The rest of the group went after her, experiencing memories from Fallen Heroes as they travelled. Professor Hanio admitted she had extracted a Memory of a Fallen Hero from the old headmaster of the Academy, and Petra, as another bearer of a Fallen Hero's memory, had found a way to access it. She saw their best way out was to gather power from the Memory to escape by fighting a memory of VOID. The Qethosian warriors acquiesced to her plan and they were drawn into the Memory of a Voidstar, specifically that of Voidstar I. During the fight, the Voidstar started to show an awareness that other memories the group had fought did not. It began to target Petra's guardian, the djinn Terasolum, to prepare it as a vessel to escape out into Io. While the party came close to destroying it, it succeeded in taking control of Terasolum. Terasolum unwilling broke its pact with Petra and escaped from the Memory with the Voidstar in tow.

### The VOID Reborn

Once escaped, Terasolum and the VOID Reborn generated an frightening amount of arcane energy, manifesting as an unnatural storm centered around them. The Warriors of Qethos managed to follow it out just in time to see it leave for the mainland. As the VOID Reborn left the island in ruins, it sensed a great power like its own to the north, located at the Crater of Atlas. They then raced across the continent at incredible speed to seize that power. On the way, they encountered the adventurers that had accidently released it at the village of Alyswell. Rather than stop, it set an altered Lightening Elemental to stall them and carried on. While it travelled, it often had its vessel Terasolum stop to draw VOID out from creatures, such as the wandering monster roaming outside an abandoned church. The very presence of the VOID Reborn cause a further resurgence of VOID all across Io, from the already worsening situation in Qethos to the previously unaffected forests of Etropa. Over the next week or so, the VOID Reborn continued its journey, the storm causing more havoc in its wake.

### The Covenant of the Voidbringer

On its journey, the VOID Reborn was contacted by a previously unknown entity. Leask Laell, a young man who travelled with the Qethosian warriors, sought to commune with it. The VOID Reborn was not expecting such a gesture and accepted it. The young man expressed his desire to reach an accord with VOID. He informed the Voidstar that he was capable of hosting the Voidstar as he was attuned with it so strongly. With this union, Leask would take on the mantle of Voidbringer, an ancient title used for VOID's representative on Io. The VOID Reborn expressed an interest to talk further, and agreed to meet him at its destination. The VOID Reborn arrived not long afterwards and sought out Leask in the midst of a tense stand-off. Using Terasolum as its mouthpiece, it announced its acceptance of Leask's proposal.

Leask demanded to know what life VOID wanted. Terasolum explained that in its last moments as it was slain by the Fallen Heroes, VOID saw the spark of life DIV so cherished, and it feared the non-existence it had once wanted to return to. Leask agreed to give the VOID Reborn the opportunity to live on, provide he become its host instead of the djinn. Though this surprised his comrades, Leask reassured them VOID just wanted to live and this was for the best. Terasolum reminded him that the entity he was hosting still wished to seek the power of VOID within the crater, and he must still pursue that goal if he did so. Leask agreed again, claiming he wished to finished what his parents started; to be closer to their gods.

Terasolum then approached Sachi Ko. Terasolum, on the Voidstar's behalf, asked about her plan to bring back DIV, to which Sachi replied she wished to bring back VOID as well. She wished to create a balance between the two powers to create a better world. The Voidstar reiterated its will to live, and asked for an assurance that this revival would not result in a repeat of the feud the two gods once had. Sachi recited the tale of the emissaries of the gods, and that it is possible to create new emissaries from herself and Leask. As new vessel of the gods, the two would live in harmony and seek to better the world for all mankind. Terasolum vouched for Sachi's honest intentions, and the VOID Reborn agreed to allow this ambition to come to fruition, so long as there would be peace. Sachi promised this to the VOID.

Leask reaffirmed his desire to be the vessel and reassured that he would maintain his sense of self despite the fears of his friends. The Void Reborn then departed from Terasolum, freeing him from his pact with VOID and reuniting him with Petra. Leask allowed the Voidstar into himself and, through great effort, managed to contain the Void within. With this transformation, Leask completed his transition into the Voidbringer. As Voidbringer, Leask then ventured into the Mainframe of Atlas with his allies, and then began the process of becoming the new Void emissary over the next 500 years.

### The Defeat of Voidstar V

During their mission to open the Spire of Euclid, a group of renegade hunters came upon the Circle of Arelith in the forests of Etropa. Though the druidic tribe were reluctant to indulge their purpose, the hunters managed to convince them to inspect the stone. The hunter Dirk Mannily identified the presence of the Voidstar within, confirming what the druids were warning them about. The hunters, however, were very insistent, claiming the dangers posed by the Spire were worse and more immediate than that of the Voidstar. Though it went against centuries of tradition, the elder of the circle relented and after a suitable test, agreed to open the runestone. Voidstar V emerged from it, and immediately began to attack the druids and the hunters. Though the hunters withstood the onslaught, many of the druids were slain in the battle. Eventually, the Voidstar was destroyed, though at great cost to the Circle of Arelith. After the battle, the hunters took the materials from the Voidstar, including a strange bag that appeared to look back at anyone who looked into it.

## Powers and Abilities

* **VOID Magic**: Voidstars are incredibly powerful beings, bearing an eight of VOID's total power. They have a whole suite of VOID-related powers at their disposal, including the signature ability VOID Call.
* **Pocket Dimension**: Voidstars can hide in pocket dimension over which they have complete control. They can also trap other entities in these dimensions.
* **Duplication**: The Voidstar can duplicate itself into a fully functioning copy. It can also copy other beings and unleash them upon their originals.