Grave

> "*The power of the crystals are endless... Only if you use them for the greater good*"
> ― Grave
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### Birth

GravenHauss was born in the Mangroves at the end of the Prehistorical period, few months before the Mangrove Civil war, from Elf parents. When the Civil war was at its climax, the elves lost the advantage and the humans started a fire in the elven village. Elves that were not killed by the bushfire were killed by the human troops, and of the elves who tried to escape, stood the mother of Grave.

Rushing through the woods that became a real hellfire, she hid her child in a wicker basket and soon reached an ancient, natural fountain, a place of prayer for L'Kyr, Mother of Outlook, Kindness, and Safety. Praying to the goddess to spare her child, she pushed the basket on the water, hoping that help would come from the deity. A fog suddenly appeared to hide the baby, but the mother wasn't there to see when it happened, she crumpled into the water and sank to the bottom of the natural fountain, shot by a mercenary.

Two days later, when the massive flames had dissipated, some brave adventurers from the near regions came seeking survivors,only to find that it had been a real massacre. Only an old Vulpin adventurer named Elliam, and its Leipori wife, Olga managed to find the baby, seeing the fog above the fountain dispersing as if by magic. They decided to take the child and lead him to The Slythering Torment, group of enlightened priests and shamans that led the most powerful empire in all the Realm at the time, even though they were restrained on a single island where they governed. The boy officially became the last living member of the Mangrove elves.

### Getting Older

The Slythering Torment accepted the child as he seemed to be protected by a strange aura. They considered him a Champion -even though they didn't know which god he was serving or who protected him, yet they trained him as they had done with every other champion. He quickly learned the shamanic arts, the history of the ancient peoples of the Realm, the power of Runic magic, fighting and defense, and finally, spirituality. The child, however, was thirsty for more knowledge and they couldn't sufficiently slake his thirst. As such when he reached the age of 12 (as Mangrove elves grow up very fast, in addition to being immortal in age), they allowed him to look for his answers amongst the ruins, crypts, and tombs of their forbears. He crafted the alias "Graven Hauss" or "The Son of Ashes", as his name, because he never had the opportunity to know what his true birth-name had been.

He also always stuck around a friend that he made there, named Elliron, and they started to discover feelings for one another. However, the relationship never quite blossomed because Elliron became possessed completely by Wekono's will, and he was sent to a faraway island where he could learn to control and develop his powers, and to become one in symbiosis with the spirit that took hold of his mind. After that, Graven Hauss grew cold and adapted, learning to detach himself from all emotion.

### The Danger of Curiosity

Graven Hauss, one day decided to spend time exploring in the oldest cave ever discovered at the time. Entering the grotto, he discovered a natural pond that had not been crossed for centuries, the so-called *Crystal Pond* of the *Blue Crypt*. The inside of the cavern was immense and stones of all types seemed to be stuck in the walls, giving a calm lighting to the area. As he watched the reflections of the multi-colored crystals plunged underwater, the ground beneath him collapsed, and he fell from his very high spot straight into the crystal pond, breaking both legs and sinking to the bottom of the pool. He struggled against the fear but the waters overtook him and flooded his lungs as death overtook him. But this was not to be the end of his story.

As Death's icy hand took ahold of him, his spirit left his body and traveled to the Ethereal dimension where he could converse with the gods. L'Kyr came to him and she told him what happened when he was very young, and how he lived now only to serve her, since she could no longer affect the Material dimension. She asked for his help and Graven Hauss agreed to come back on the other side and follow her will. When Graven Hauss emerged from the water, he took a bit of time to come back to reality. Before he even realized that he could no longer feel his legs, he was lifted in the air and the surrounding materials came to him, and assembled to make him magic-powered, mechanical legs granting him the ability to walk again. As he emerged from the cave, he realized that beneath the crystal waters, his body had been preserved and in fact, he had slept for thousands of years. He discovered his new form had crystals had begun to spring forth from his back, and others, due to his initial fall, had remained attached to his spine and the back of his ribs.

### The Crystal prophet

He then went out into the open air and immediately began his journey, deciding to spread the word of L'Kyr: the goddess decided that the crystals were a source of ethereal energy that no man should approach, and so Graven Hauss was charged with protecting the crystals from human overuse. He decided to start learning about what happened during the time he had been dead, giving him even more history to learn.

Seen by many of the peoples of the Realm as a messenger of the gods, a miracle worker, or even a ghost, Graven Hauss was an hermit who followed his own rules and expected everyone to do the same. Hiding many secrets that mortals could not bear to hear or even understand, He is without a doubt, one of the most powerful shamans the Realm has ever known, his only fault being to flee the war and not putting enough his qualities to a real profit.

Graven Hauss concluded a temporary contract with the Resistance, in which he was supposed to help them win the war, and that in exchange he would take all the most dangerous and ancient crystals with him. Although one might think he is an ally of rebellion, his only interest in the war is to save the crystals rather than protect the mortals. He also understands Magister Karne's approach, but finds it too violent, which is why he has chosen rather be on the side of Valera.

## Characteristics

> "*He's a fearless body walking throughout the Realm, hidden under a dusty cape, sharp stones coming out of his back and with his staff tall as he is, he looks just like a death reaper.*"
> ― Valera
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### Weapons and skills

Grave can talk to crystals, and make them unstable; he can also speak many different languages and has a great knowledge of the peoples and history of the Realm.  He can also temporarily nullify enemy magic thanks to his shaman abilities. When he calls upon L'Kyr, she can help him to see the near future granting him foresight.

When he doesn't use his totemic sword to counter spells and other forms of magic, he fights with dual swords that he throws like boomerangs, and is able to jump and climb walls with an unnatural agility given by his mechanical legs. Sometimes he also uses crystals to fight: using the weak crystals as shard bombs, by making them unstable, for example. He also has a strong stone on the front of his armor, with which he speaks with in order to summon a shield that forms around him.