Kuri-ma Mazda

**Kuri-ma Mazda** is a master Exorcist and Ritualist and the founder of the Kuri clan.

## Story

### Desert Child

Mazda was once a young child from a small desert tribe, born during the Golden Age. Born without any specific powers or abilities except for a keen intellect, Mazda, left to himself, survived by stealing and running away, and eventually became a thief and a mercenary. However, he wasn't that much interested in material wealth, instead focusing on understanding the world around him, only stealing and working to survive.

Eventually, Mazda raided a massive library - one that belonged to Solomon, Father of Magic. However, instead of selling back these books, Mazda immersed himself in them. Learning about magic, other worlds, the creatures that inhabit them, and the power to bind them, Mazda realized with shock the truth about his tribe - that they were survivors of a kingdom Angra Mainyu once destroyed.

### Exorcist Mazda

Mazda then took on the name of Kuri - meaning "blade-sharp" in his native tongue - and, forsaking his own occupation, spent years studying Solomon's books, mastering the art of rituals and learning of each creature's weaknesses and strengths. Then, he began devising new ways to stop them, new rituals, including a brand new Runic Alphabet.

Mazda traveled a lot across worlds. He worked together with the holy dragon Shinryu, to protect the realm that would latter bear his name as a homage, Mazdayana. He also was contacted by Luther of Kaine, a powerful Vampire who helped him craft the Almae Decepta, ultimate sealing weapons to imprison mankind's enemies. He also was responsible for the final defeat of Zenodora Horenheim.

However, as Mazda's Mana was quite weak due to his lack of magical abilities, his body was crumbling under the charge of the Almae Decepta's creation. Losing his wife due to the retaliative acts of Oni creatures, alone and dying, Mazda took to himself to seal himself away within a coffin between worlds, resting for several millions years.

### Mazda Awakened

Mazda woke up when two Almae Decepta were unsheathed, forcing him out of slumber. Rushing to investigate, he found the Cheshire Isle, where he quickly contacted the authorities and took control of the situation. Understanding the dire threat of the Great Old One Noden, he started to prepare the Cheshire Isle for a cosmic confrontation within the Dark Tapestry.

To that end, he encountered Alcidie Madigan, an extremely powerful Witch and the founder of the Madigan Bloodline. Despite natural rivalry between witches and exorcists, and Mazda's general cold demeanor, Alcidie warmed up to the old ritualist and helped him, transferring Mana to heal the wounds within his essence. Now restored back to his full abilities, Mazda helped Alcidie and the rest of the Cheshire triumph against Noden.

## Appearance

Usually hiding between bandages used to hide and seal his body, Mazda is a dark-skinned man with brown hair and equally brown eyes. The reason for his bandages is the strain his research and seals put on his body, causing it to fall apart - several scars that never stop bleeding, open wounds and broken bones. However, with Alcidie's help, he eventually could recover from these wounds, and began wearing a more traditional ritualist's toga.

## Personality

Mazda is an ill-tempered, bad-mouthing ritualist who hides a massive complex concerning his weakness compared to most other Bloodline founders. Hiding both physically and metaphorically the pain his actions caused himself, he acts arrogantly and openly antagonizes those around him, partly not to feel attached again, as he feels insecure about protecting anyone.

He seems self-righteous and obsessed by monster-hunting, such as openly rejecting relationships between exorcists and witches or demons, and refusing that his descendants corrupt themselves with dark magic, but this is merely to protect them, and prevent them from finishing like him, bitter and slowly dying. With Alcidie's encouragements and support, Mazda has slightly opened up to the prospect of accepting another's help. Although he genuinely feels happiness by her side, doubts and painful memories still plague his mind.

## Powers

* **Keen Intellect:** Mazda was able to memorize by heart hundreds of books written by the most powerful mage of all times and even improve upon them. He is also a quick thinker and a master analyst.
* **Master Ritualist:** Mazda is still known as the greatest ritualist of all times, creating seals that bound even the most powerful entities, seals that are barely understandable from a mortal perspective. He also holds a great understanding of all known runes and glyphs.

* **Exorcist Expertise:** Mazda holds immense knowledge about each creature in the universe and how to counter it, and could be considered as the best exorcist in the world, bar none.

* **Artifact Creation:** Mazda created several Artifacts including the powerful sealing sword Ahura Mazda and the three Almae Decepta.

## Storylines

* New Age Dawning shows Mazda's awakening.

## Trivia

* Mazda's name is a reference to Ahura Mazda, or Spenta Mainyu - the spirit of good in zoroastrism and traditional persian mythology.
* He has learned of his descendant Shiruka's tale. He pretends that he hates the young ritualist for forsaking his name, his clan's teachings, and marrying a demon, but in truth, he hates Shiruka for reminding himself of his own weakness as a young man.