Shi Kotari

Shi Kotari, Sylar Katarus, Kotari the Wise, or the Xalia Prince, is the name of an extremely powerful lich raised from the body of Sylar Katarus in the year of 1854.

## Appearance

Shi Kotari is thought to be between twelve and fourteen feet tall: a true behemoth when besides any commoner.

He is clad in a metal armor forged with Deadman's Iron, although the original bones of those sacrificed in his awakening are intertwined in his armor. The rest of his armor is coated with tatters of silk and defensive spikes.

The Darkscape Prince wields two magical blades, Mercy and Cruelty. The blade of Mercy is said to be cursed with all of the souls of the guilty who have been executed by the wielder, while the blade of Cruelty is said to be cursed with all the souls of the innocent who have been killed by the wielder.

It is unknown what Shi Kotari looks like beneath his armor, as the only visible fraction of his body is his singular eerie white eye that peers from beneath his horned helm.

   As the mortal Moon Elf Sylar Katarus, he was fairly normal: silvery skin and pointed ears. The only true thing that stood out was his eyes: gold. Golden eyes are extremely rare and are often associated with magic.

## Biography

Shi Kotari was born as Sylar Katarus in the year of 1834 to Nyette Katarus and an unknown father. Sylar grew in a poor home in the Raxus Prime village of Kiamorus, until he was drafted into the army of the Vae Alliance at the age of fourteen.

### Life as a Moon Elf

Sylar was trained to be a battle mage and was particularily adept in the fields of Vex, or pain magic, which is a rather difficult field compared to more classical forms. At his first skirmish against heretic tribes, that were deemed blashpemous by the High Court of Vae and ordered to death, he was exposed to the Cult of Shi. The Cult of Shi is an ageless cult that practices necromancy and aspire to become eternal in life and achieve perfection. Before leaving the sieged villaged that housed these necromancers, Sylar obtained a the holy book of the Cult of Shi, the book known as *Mortias*. This book contained records, rituals, and even the instructions on achieving immortality through becoming a lich.

In 1850, after years of slowly and secretly reforming the Cult of Shi in the Darkscape sewers, Sylar was relieved of military duty after killing a comrade using magic. He was not persecuted, as no evidence could be found, but controversy arose quickly and it was deemed the best solution. It was later revealed by Sylar in his testaments that he was going to resurrect the soldier and it was only "a fruitless experiment."

Years of study led to an obsession with achieving immortality. The Cult of Shi became less of a path to spiritual perfection and more of a means of obtaining power through dark arts. This obsession became a reality in the year of 1854, when the cult was finally exposed from a agent acting from within the organization. All known members of the Cult of Shi were ordered to public execution by the High Court of Vae. Sylar, or Kotari the Wise as he was known by his disciples, was captured along with most members of the organization in a surprise raid.

Specific details of the event are unknown, but it is believed that during the public execution of Sylar Katarus, Shi Kotari rose along with seven Silverlings, who eventually became known as The Seven. Specific details of the event are unknown because almost every witness to the event was either brutally dismembered by the lich and his servants or succumbed to insanity. It is understood, however, that it is during this time that Shi Kotari acquired the Sister Blades.

### Life as a Lich

After gaining the status of Lich, Shi Kotari fled to the hiding place of the remaining members of the Cult of Shi to spread word of his ascension to his disciples. It was decided that the cult would move out from beneath Darkscape and into hiding until their master finished the understanding of his new form.

Shi Kotari and his followers, now known as the Enlightened begin the construction of God's Patron, capital of the new religious army bent on using their necromancy to conquer. This, however, required many sacrifices that would need to come from conquered cities, according to the leader of the group.

In the year of 1900, 46 years after the ascension of Sylar Katarus, the father of the Cult of Shi, worshipped as a living god, came out of hiding from deep within the Xaliath Trove of Raxus Prime. Over the years, the cult recovered from its massive deficit of 1854 and boasted over ten thousand members, all of which lived within the complex underground city.

In this year, the cult organized a large army of trained mages and footmen to march on the city of Xalia, which was taken in less than a day. This event is historically known as the Day of Life, as all of the estimated thirty thousand people living within the city were resurrected upon death as Thralls to serve the self titled Xalia Prince, Shi Kotari.

In the year of 1902, High Priestess Alexzandria Kuro Abella officially ordered the dismantlement of the Enlightened after a total of seven cities and settlements were enthralled in the name of Shi Kotari. This marked the start of the War of the Fallen, which led to the destruction of the Enlightened in 1907 and once again forced Shi Kotari into hiding.

As of 1907, it is believed Shi Kotari continues to rest deep within God's Patron. Many believe the lich continues to study and toy with the dead in an effort to one day rise again to enslave the land above.

## Magic and Combat Ability

As a Dark Elf, Sylar Katarus excelled in the fields of Vex, boasting the ability to kill most mortals within seconds without difficulty and was one of the few mortals to make use of the incredibly difficult Necrae field of magic.

Upon ascending to the status of Lich, Shi Kotari's magical capabilities completely grew beyond mortal comprehension. It is rumored that the Xalia Prince could murder a hundred men without showing any strain, however this is likely exaggerated. What is known, on the other hand, is that Shi Kotari's necromancy and podomancy would remain unmatched through the present.