Ghost

> Are you a monster too?
>
> Ghost, Sx44 - Mommy Issues

Gousteus Vrykolakas Doro Yios Ekati-Ambrogio (pronounced /gaʊə-steɪ-ʌs/) or *Ghost* is the demigod child of the Greek Titan Goddess Hecate who was cursed with vampirism. He is also the child of Asema Ambrogio, the usurped King of Mistwater. Long before the fall of the Ambrogios Ghost was exiled from Mistwater and adopted by his three mothers; the hags Kori, Mitera, and Paliogria. Under their tutelage he learnt witchcraft and the arcane arts and was claimed by his mother Hecate. He has since spent his years traveling and studying magic at the behest of his mother.

## Description

### Appearance

Ghost stands at 5 feet 9 inches tall with a lean, muscular figure. His skin is a tanned Mediterranean colour, which is covered in dark purple arcane runes; these runes are runic markings of protection and binding. He is also covered in scars, particularly along his arms which he has long used to block blade attacks. He also has two large scars under his pecs from when he performed top surgery on himself. His eyes are a vibrant and poisonous green. He is clean shaven (as he is unable to grow facial hair) and wears a circlet with a red gem at the tip. His hair is a dyed red, occasionally with the black roots coming through. His ears are short but pointed, like a half-elf.

He wears a lilac chiton with dark purple and golden accents, that is over one shoulder, allowing you to see his chest and stomach. He also keeps his hands wrapped in bandages to allow for better grip of his weapon. He also has golden piercings along his ears and a golden circlet and choker. He carries with him a golden greataxe that is his familiar Mim, a mimic; a leather book bag that carries all of his things and a spellbook that hangs at his side.

## Relationships

### Leoven

Leoven and Ghost's relationship is perhaps the most pleasantly complicated throughout the entire group. Their mutual systemic opposition in ideals is a strained point in their relationship and something that Ghost tries his best to avoid in conversation, except for when completely necessary. However, her willingness to take part in the rite at the stone circle to protect Ghost's family, despite her different beliefs was not unnoticed and the conversations they had later, while unexpected, were really important to Ghost. She is currently the only one he has made reference to his attempt to bring back Ami as a vampire (however it is entirely possible that Leoven did not realise what Ghost had meant when he alluded to the events), which for Ghost is an enormous step in their relationship.

He is still aware of the fact that should he make his vampiric nature known or act in a cruel way in front of Leoven her Oath may still dictate that she needs to kill Ghost and so he has up to this moment been toeing the line. However, recent events and Achlys' attack of his family and the children of Hecate's Ravine has destabilised Ghost causing him to make reckless and dangerous decisions.

Ghost hopes that one day, as the pair become closer, Leoven may come to understand and open her mind to the complexity of Ghost's existence and move out of her black and white thinking in relation to the light and the dark.

### Khantos Evergreen

Khantos has always been very high in Ghost's estimations, purely because of his intelligence and the ways in which he engages with a problem (Ghost sees a lot of himself in the way Khantos approaches the problem). This identification that Ghost has with Khantos only grew with the reveal of how Khantos betrayed Leoven. As a significantly older individual, Ghost often worries about the patterns of behaviour that he can identify with within Khantos, seeing a path that the triton may be moving towards it but lacking the substantial information to be able to interject,

Khantos and Ghost have bonded the most over the demi-planar project, attempting to figure out how to create a demiplane within a bag of holding, following a lead about how Quintus is creating demiplanes. Personally, Ghost is looking into this both for a better understanding of the complex arcana and magic going on but also hoping that further research will give an indication to how such a thing can be undone. Ghost does have slight concerns about Khantos' intentions with the project but has chosen to continue their research for the greater good.

### Adrasteia

Adrasteia was the first person that Ghost became close with in the group and this has developed into a deep feeling of loyalty and protectiveness over her. Originally bonding over their monstrous natures, Adrasteia's complex relationship to divinity and her magic is something Ghost has always identified with, leading him to take an active role in the regrowth of her magic and the removal of the parasitic Koilos curse that was placed on her.

The most strained the relationship has ever been between the two was in relation to this curse and the blood blossom associated with it. Adrasteia's need to feed the blossom blood and her subsequent disgust at the idea, bruised Ghost at the time. Though he recognised the feelings as irrational, Adrasteia's disgust at the idea of feeding the entity blood was internalised by Ghost and caused him to feel somewhat withdrawn from her.

More recently, however, the pair's relationship has grown with the slow inclusion of Adrasteia as apart of the Hive and in many of the arcane rites that Ghost has been performing since he returned to his home. He aims to demonstrate to Adrasteia that her magic is not dependant on the gifts of another greater entity but instead something she could cultivate and grow herself.

### Cyaro

Cyaro and Ghost's relationship is extremely complex and has been very contention throughout their time knowing each other. At the core of their disagreements is their different ways of thinking and viewing the world. Cyaro sees the world in extreme shades of black and white (often in ways that appear to be somewhat contradictory), however, Ghost experiences things in shades of grey, often acting in ways that possibly endanger themselves and the people around him.

This first arose in the initial conflict between Ghost and Cyaro when Ghost attempted to steal Cyaro's blood as a way to get more information about Achlys and her flock. After an emotional discussion with his mother Hecate and hearing the sounds of Achlys' weapon Ghost decided to confess to Cyaro. This caused a lot of initial damage to their relationship from which they never entirely recovered. This was further damaging when brought into contrast with the way Cyaro responded to Khantos' betrayal (which Ghost viewed as extremely unreasonable and somewhat rude in regards to the way Khantos hurt Leoven) really affected the way Ghost viewed Cyaro and brought them down in the wizard's estimations.

Their relationship seemed to have somewhat been on the mend more recently, however after the negative energy flood released by Achlys in response to Ghost saying her name out-loud, which nearly killed all the younger siblings of the Ekati house, their relationship seemed to be completely destroyed. Cyaro's immediate response to confront and chastise the grieving Ghost left a sour taste in his mouth as he saw it as a completely unnecessary attempt to harass and torment Ghost. While he can understand the frustrations she may have been feeling in the moment he does not understand the impulse to seemingly rub in the possible loss of his family members.

Despite being in the middle of an argument Ghost does care for Cyaro and feels sort of protective over the extremely young elf.

### Oto

The two never really knew each other, their paths always missing (I wonder why) but from reading his notebook and knowing Ami's relationship with him previously Ghost has come to care for the memory of the robot he never got to know.

### Mim

Mim is his closest friend and his familiar. Mim is a mimic that has undergone a binding ritual that bound him to Ghost as his familiar.

The two met when Ghost came across a hunting trap in the woods near his house with a scared and thrashing changing it's shape but unable to escape the magical trap. Ghost quickly went and grabbed a spell scroll from his mother's collection allowing him to dispel the magic on the trap and help the creature escape. Injured, the creature was unable to move and so Ghost picked up the small mimic and took him home.

Ghost would later hunt and slaughter the huntress who had trapped him, finding that she had also killed a nest of mimics (presumably Mim's family).

The two creatures became very close and later Mim chose to undergo the arcane ritual that would bind him to Ghost, tying their life-forces together.

Since then their relationship has been near perfectly symbiotic; Mim would eat the flesh of the creatures Ghost would drain. They are inseparable.

### Hecate

His mother Hecate claimed him when he was 128 during a religious ritual in her name. This was done simply when she arrived in their prayer, placed a hand on his head and simply said "my son". Since that day she appears regularly to him directing him and his mothers on how his life should look and function, focussing mostly on what he will be studying and where he will be going.

Though Ghost is extremely devout to his mother, she has never respected his personal wishes or boundaries and so he wears The Ring of Mind Shielding which hides him from his mother invading his mind and stops her from seeing what he is doing unless he calls upon her or during his magical rituals.

Recently she has been insisting that he meet a man she has only referred to as The Witch Prince, who she intends for him to marry, and also that he should at some point return to Mistwater and reclaim his throne and reinstate the blood worship of Hecate that once existed there. He is not sure he wants to do either of these things.[1]

### The Mothers

#### Mother Kori Ekati

The first of his three mothers, she is the one who found him in the woods and brought him home. She was the first to adopt him and quickly persuaded her wives to adopt the boy as their son. She gave him the name Yios, meaning 'son', this was a way for her to demonstrate her devotion to him.

Every night they would sit together at the fireplace at their house and she would tell him stories from her book of shadows (which Ghost now carries with him). As she did this she would make the flames of the fire dance and act out the stories. They were usually tragedies but the pair took immense delight in these stories.

She is a Sea Hag.

#### Mother Mitera Ekati

The second of his three mothers, she is the one who saw the spark of magic in him and began teaching him witchcraft. Ghost spent most of his days with Mitera honing his craft and understanding of the arcane. She believes that he could be the most powerful witch of all time and is determined for him to learn as much as he can in his lifetime. She is also the most devoted to Hecate and taught him everything he knows about worship. She gave him the name Doro, meaning 'gifted', indicating her belief in his gift.

She is a Green Hag.

#### Mother Paliogria Ekati

The third of his three mothers, she is the one who made him face his monstrous nature and forced him to embrace and love himself regardless of it. She also taught him how to hunt and kill, encouraging the predator nature within him and his violent nature. She believed that it was not a weakness and that power came from a balanced combination of compassion and apathy.

She was always the mother who would punish and chastise him for his arrogance and taught him how to fight. Though those memories are difficult for him he still loves her dearly. She gave him the name Vrykolakas, meaning 'vampire', as a twisted way of forcing him to accept his nature.

She is a Night Hag.

### The Ambrogios

His relationship with his biological family is strained and distant. Until very recently he believed they were all dead and felt very little remorse about it; in fact, though he would never admit it publicly, he actually felt joy hearing about their brutal deaths, something the Library in Dexicos forced him to confront briefly.

### The Witch Prince

Ghost has never actually met The Witch Prince and knows very little about him. All he knows is what his mother has told him: he is the son of a powerful witch and heir to her name in their coven; he is a wood elf; he is loyal to Hecate; he is the most powerful witch of the generation (after Ghost).

## Character Information

### Abilities

#### Vrykolakas Abilities

* Darkvision
* Trance
* Vrykolakas Bite
* Spider Climb
* Deathless Nature
* Sunlight Sensitivity
* Vrykolakas Constitution

#### Feats

* Warcaster
* Tough

#### Proficiencies

* **Skills:** Arcana *(Expertise)* , Athletics, Deception, History, Investigation *(Expertise),* Perception, Survival
* **Tools:** Viol

#### Languages

* Common
* Abyssal
* Elven
* Primordial