Aphelios

Aphelios is a thin man with pale skin and dark hair. He wears elegant, sacred clothing with large shoulders and a deep collar with a distinctive palette of black, gray and turquoise. Hanging around his neck is a notable bright scarf made of a very silky, turquoise material etched with markings of the Lunari. The most distinctive ornament he has is the Targonian gold necklace with the symbol of the moon on it hanging below his neck. Aphelios's face has markings and makeup resembling more moon iconography that is common with the Lunari faith, most notably a circular marking across his whole face that correlates with the markings on his sister's face as well.

He is roughly 25 years old.

Aphelios is an incredibly enigmatic person, but he is unwaveringly faithful to his people and protective of his family. In the past, he was a loner and rarely engaged in any social interactions or events with anyone other than his twin sister Alune. As their differing duties forced them apart more often, Aphelios felt a sense of loneliness and purposeless that encouraged him to embarked on a spiritual journey to find his own orbit in the universe, leading to the discovery of the noctum flowers.

After becoming an honored agent for the Lunari, Aphelios remained extremely faithful and eternally loyal to not only his sister but to his Lunari faith as well, following its beliefs almost blindingly. Though he mourns the pain he endures and causes in his duties, he is comforted by his sister and reminded that everything he must do is in service to protecting his people from the oppressions of the Solari.

Aphelios does not enjoy hurting or killing people, often feeling an extreme sense of disgust towards himself whenever his duties force his hand in it. He secretly yearns for another place in the universe that lets him nurture his more sensitive side.

Aphelios and Alune were twins born to the Lunari during a lunar convergence; when the moon of the Spirit Realm eclipsed the physical moon. Because of the significance of their birth on a significant lunar event, the twins were celebrated as children of destiny. Growing up as loyal zealots of the Lunari faith, the two embraced the night and hid in the shadows, away from the oppressive Solari that ruled them as heretics.

Mirroring the two moons that marked their births, Aphelios trained tirelessly with mystical moonstone blades, becoming physically strong as a symbol of the physical moon. Throughout his rigorous training he only truly bonded with his twin sister Alune, who was gifted magically and trained to be a seer as a symbol of the spiritual moon, using her magic to reveal hidden paths and truths using the light of the moon.

Eventually, Alune's training would require her to leave the Lunari temple that the two had been raised in, causing Aphelios to separate from his sister more often. Saddened by his sister's increasing absence and desperate for purpose, Aphelios underwent a ceremonial journey in order to discover his pathway in life, or his orbit, as the Lunari call it. On his religious journey, Aphelios discovered a pool full of poisonous noctum flowers hidden in a cave. These rare flowers bloomed beneath the water's surface, allowing the poison to be distilled into a liquid that, if consumed, was thought to open one's mind to the power of the moon. Drinking the noctum's essence as part of his ceremonial journey, Aphelios felt a pain so intense that his entire body became numb, allowing Aphelios's body to be completely immune to pain. However, Aphelios's vocal cords would tighten up and render him almost completely mute while under the influence of the noctum essence.

Not long after completing his journey, an ancient Lunari fortress called the Marus Omegnum began to phase in from the Spirit Realm; an event that hasn't occurred in centuries. Lunari from all over Targon gathered to the location of the ancient temple, hoping to witness the event as a sign of a new era for the Lunari and a shifting of power in the cosmos. Traditionally, the Marus Omegnum would open up to a magically gifted individual to occupy it every time it phased into existence, with this year's chosen occupant being Alune. Aphelios, to the Lunari's surprise, personally requested to witness the event and see his sister move on to the spiritual fortress.

As the Marus Omegnum phased into reality under a veil of moonlight, the oppressive Solari discovered the gathered Lunari and initiated an ambush to purge them. Aphelios fought bravely to protect his people but got defeated, left with his moonstone blades shattered and reaching towards the noctum flower he retrieved from his journey. As Alune rushed into the temple, she reached the heart of the fortress while Aphelios consumed the noctum flower at the same time. As Alune's magical abilities were amplified within the spiritual fortress, Aphelios found he was capable of feeling his sister's powers embrace him, hearing her voice as she materialized a new moonstone weapon in his hand. Within the Marus Omegnum, Alune's powers would be magnified and allowed her to project her magic anywhere in the world as long as it found a focus-in this case being the noctum poison coursing through Aphelios's veins. Using her newly amplified powers, Alune pushed both herself and the temple back into the spirit realm while Aphelios fought off the Solari with a new arsenal of moonstone weapons.

By using the poisonous noctum, Aphelios found he could hollow himself out by numbing his body, becoming a living conduit for his sister's lunar magic. Alune on the other hand would remain alone within the spiritual fortress, guiding her brother from afar, seeing through his eyes and providing him with his mystical arsenal. Their souls were simultaneously close yet realms apart, converging into something they couldn't wholly understand. Now realizing their true destinies, the twins became the weapon that the Lunari needed; an agent to protect them in the newly shifting power balance of Targon between the Solari and Lunari.

In order to protect the faithful Lunari from oppression, the twins would go on many missions together, combining their newfound abilities as Aphelios's assassin training was complimented by Alune's guidance and magical assistance. Over the course of their many missions, Alune would perfect the arsenal of weapons she provided her brother; each weapon being uniquely tied to a spiritual creature within the Marus Omegnum. On most of their missions, Aphelios would be sent by his sister to assassinate many Solari targets that threatened their people. One of these targets would be a talented 4 Sunforger who enchanted Solari weapons with the power of the sun, who Aphelios would assassinate under the cover of night.

While preparing in a cave temple for a mission, Aphelios felt his sister comforting him from the spirit realm, sharing his senses and sending him visions of both the past and of his next target: a mysterious barbarian from outside of Mount Targon. After drinking the poisonous noctum flower and numbing his body, he felt Alune's presence as she summoned Gravitum in his hands.

Aphelios then emerged from the cave and scaled the mountain, guided by his sister and armed with his new gravity cannon, he drew floating islands towards himself. After finally reaching his destination at the side of the mountain, Aphelios witnessed a group of Solari warriors infamously known as Burning Ones surrounding the same outsider he saw in his visions. After successfully killing the Solari with Severum and Crescendum, the barbarian outsider thanked Aphelios for saving him from the Solari warriors. Aphelios, though unwillingly, was forced to kill the man as part of his mission to retrieve a mysterious scimitar stolen by the barbarian.

After fully realizing what the weapon was, Alune stated that the scimitar's owner was fleeing from something-- though unsure of what. They knew that their next mission was to locate her and bring her back to the Lunari people. Aphelios, intent on completing his mission, walked into the night with the crescent blade in hand.

Celestial Aesthetics: Appreciates artwork and environments with a cosmic or night sky theme.

Craftsmanship: Enjoys the process of meticulously crafting moonstone weapons.

Tranquil Nights: Finds peace and enjoyment in calm, moonlit nights.

Botanical Exploration: Likes discovering unique flora, including the mystical noctum flower.

Silent Companionship: Enjoys spending time with individuals who understand the value of quiet moments.

Crowded Events: Disapproves of large gatherings and prefers more intimate settings.

Unjust Conflict: Frowns upon conflicts driven by prejudice or oppression.

Lack of Purpose: Dislikes feeling directionless or without a clear goal.

Dependency on Noctum Poison: Resents reliance on the poisonous substance for enhanced abilities.

Noise Pollution: Dislikes environments with excessive noise and disturbance.

Artistic Expression: Values individuals with a creative and artistic mindset.

Practical Independence: Respects those who can navigate life with self-sufficiency.

Empathy: Appreciates people who show genuine understanding and compassion.

Resilience: Admires those who face challenges with determination and adaptability.

Appreciation for Nature: Values individuals with an appreciation for the natural world and its wonders.

Prejudice: Strongly dislikes individuals who harbor biases or discrimination, especially towards the Lunari.

Arrogance: Frowns upon those who exhibit overbearing self-importance or superiority.

Indifference: Dislikes people who lack empathy or fail to understand the struggles of others.

Insubordination: Finds it challenging to tolerate those who resist or undermine cooperative efforts.

Recklessness: Disapproves of individuals who act impulsively without considering the consequences.

Male

He knows sign language, often using it to communicate when the poison takes his voice.

He is a bit of a prankster to the surprise of many.