Vesuvius Holistere

* Normal Form
* Fire Goliathan

*"Face me berae, and I will **crush** you into ashes."*

*—*Vesuvius' threat to Hercules Pompenalia

**"Vesuvius Holistere,"** was superior general to the The Armada under long time friend Pernicious Larexen, commanding the group and having full control of it's army. Behind closed doors, he was an obliviant who's fury and rage overcame him more times often than not. He eventually wielded the mythical rae staff, using it to mend this lust to be free of Pernicious' hold over him. However, upon betraying Pernicious, he and his panthera Nero were incinerated by Hercules Pompenalia during the battle of Caglar. Vesuvius was soon resurrected by Ononoch to be turned into a fire goliathan. Adam Harbinger then defeated him in the Obliterance, ending Vesuvius once and for all.

## Overview

Throughout the story Vesuvius is shown to be rule hungry, militaristic, and violent. His ultimate goals always seem to stem from an uncontrollable rage which is possibly an aftereffect of his obliviant childhood. His surrogate guardian Ertale, revealed in the spite of Brutus the Unburdened, was an arsonal who frequently used her power to mock Vesuvius. He eventually would see through to destroy her in the war of enchantment.

Before this, however, he had gained loyalty to king Merriweather. When Vesuvius found out that Dorman had been murdering obliviants, his loyalty turned on a dime. Reginald then used the bloody locket Vesuvius had given to him in his plan to betray Pernicious, whom he then considered a pampered prince, but now played to Pernicious' side. Once on his knees, Reginald was shocked to find that Vesuvius had turned against him, but was killed before he could speak.

Vesuvius later went on to join Pernicious in his relentless conquest, something Vesuvius very well began to consider a pointless war after his loyalty to Pernicious faltered and his lust to be free of his position grew. He began to work behind his leader's back to cement his place as the "rightful leader of his own kind" and started killing more and more relentlessly. Vesuvius and Pernicious' relationship continued to fracture when Vesuvius outwardly attempted to betray Pernicious. However, he kept Vesuvius on a leash, as he simply wanted a friend and had no one else.

After finding, and destroying most of Gina's rebellion, including her son Sapheliant, Vesuvius followed Esmerelda Larexen and Adam Harbinger, purposefully misleading them so he could reach Brutus the Unburdened before they did. He did so, eventually burning the camp to the ground once learning of their plan to find the mythical rae staff and left few survivors. Brutus was forced to divulge the information after Vesuvius threatened his son's life, thus he learned that the staff was located further north.

He traveled as such, only to learn that he was forced to pass through the corathean forest and converse with blossom goliathans in a test of will or take a shorted path through the dark marsh, a place never traveled by men. Vesuvius chose to pass through the marsh, losing many of his followers along the way to giant serpods. Because of this, Adam Arran and Esmerelda had already won the test of will and secretly watched him from the shadows. Vesuvius, weakened but determined, encountered the verglas, an ancient group of defensive beings created in a mutual effort of men and vairy to guard anyone from taking the staff. Vesuvius eventually fought his way through, losing all of his men, but achieving his goal. However, before he could take the power once and for all, he was confronted by Adam and Esmerelda. In a battle of fire, Esmerelda wounded Vesuvius before they were stopped by the verglas. The species proclaimed that they had come to worship the staff, and that any man who could defeat them and earn the right to the staff, they would proclaim as a god. Adam stood at the top of the dark throne. Much to Esmerelda's horror, he simply handed it to Vesuvius and was proclaimed it's rightful owner. Before he could use it on Esmerelda, however, Adam convinced him not to as she ran away.

Vesuvius, drunk with his new power and freedom, eradicated the verglas, and traveled back to East guild with Adam. He presented his pursuit to Pernicious with arrogance, saying he would soon be free of him. A disparaged Vesuvius then attacked Pernicious. A bitter and near silent Pernicious simply dodged every one of Vesuvius' attacks and took the staff from him, motioning for his guards to restrain Vesuvius once more, saying it was for his own good, and that he would not stand idly by as Vesuvius destroyed their friendship because he could not control his anger.

At Caglar, Vesuvius stayed behind before Pernicious noticed that he would be there. In a quick flash, he raised his bow to shoot Icari in the shocked. Pernicious looked up at him shocked, realizing now the full extent that his longtime friend had gone to to completely betray him by killing who he loved. This is when the two armies clashed. Vesuvius was then separated from Perncious and fought an enraged Adam. His emotion overpowered him however, and Vesuvius stabbed him in the gut. This is when he confronted Georgina and wounded her as well. This eventually led him to Hercules, who, on the honor of his tribe, sacrificed himself to mortally wound Vesuvius. In his last moments, the brute, badly burned with one of his arms severed attempted to lift a falling rock off of himself. Georgina simply walked up to him, and in one swift motion, violently stabbed him in the chest, avenging the lives of her friend, her two sons, and lover.

### Ressurected

Ononoch, a vaporaal who would been brought back to life upon the resurrection of Adam Arran, found Vesuvius' body, and using the little of his power he had, brought him back to life as well, to use as a puppet of destruction. However, the resurrected Vesuvius became confused, conflicted on the things his life had brought him. It seemed death had sobered him to his misdeeds. He lamented, begging to be brought back to death. However, the unforgiving, cunning Ononoch merely ignored his pleas. Vesuvius would eventually be turned into a goliathan when Ononoch found how to do so. He used Vesuvius' body to destroy the fordlands, hoping to do so to the entire world. Adam Harbinger, unknowingly, gave Vesuvius his final peace, when he cut the giant down with his brightsword, ending the once greatly powerful but exceedingly cruel man.

## Appearance

Vesuvius' physical appearance is that of a brutish man, strong, fearsome, but flawed in the eyes of pretrenists due to his obliviance. His outside armor is a heavily modified arsonal guard outfit. The helmet has been given a jagged appearance, and designs have been meticulously carved into it.

As a goliathan, Vesuvius' former visage is none present. His face has been heavily distorted and turned devilishly demonic. Stalactited horns exist everywhere, protruding from his back and shoulders, and his hands are clawed.