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See ya, villains! Don't do anything in Limbo I wouldn't do! And watch out for demons! |
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— Himself |
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Ilya is a student at Sky High. Originally from Russia, he is the Sorcerer Supreme of the pocket dimension known as Limbo.
Personality
Ilya is a typical teenager -- albeit one with literal demons. He can be bright, bubbly, engaged, boy-crazy, and a lot of fun to be around. But he also has mood swings, exacerbated by his quick temper. His mood swings, due to the corruption in his soul, can get very dark and his fits of temper can border on sadistic. In his realm of Limbo, this is increased due to demonic influence. While a true and loyal friend, Ilya is definitely someone that you want to stay on their good side as much as possible.
Background
Born in Siberia, in a farm on the shores of Lake Baikal, Ilya Rasputin was a welcome surprise to his older parents, who already had two fine sons, one of whom had gone to the stars and perished just a year before his birth. Referred to as their 'little snowflake', he was much beloved of his parents and his older brother, Piotr, who was already in his teens when he was born.
When Ilya was five, his brother left for America and greater fortunes. This made Ilya very sad, for he was very much enamored of his brother. This sadness grew, and his parents worried for their son. But the darkness caught the attention of someone else.
The demon lord Belasco, ruler of the dimension known as Limbo, caught sight of a seven year old Ilya playing on the shores of the lake, and sensed the deep malaise that crept through the child's soul. That, coupled with the lightness of his pure soul, was just what the sorcerer king needed to create the portal that would allow the Elder Gods back into the Universe. The Elder Gods had promised him power, and he intended to see their gift bestowed.
He sent a demon, S'ym, to kidnap Ilya and bring him to Limbo. There, Belasco created the first of the Bloodstones, mystical gems created from Ilya's lifeforce that would be the focal points of the Elder Gods' power. But he needed Ilya corrupt, so he began to teach him his dark magics. And all the while, he collected the Bloodstones.
Lessons were brutal and unforgiving, and Ilya suffered many 'discipline' sessions at the hands of S'ym, whose beatings were harsh but precise. Ilya endured this for years, until he managed to escape Belasco's citadel, with two Bloodstones yet remaining. Fleeing into Limbo, he wandered, lost, until he encountered unexpected aid in the form of two of Belasco's former disciples, now living in exile in the shrouded land.
One of those disciples hoped to counter Belasco's dark influences by teaching Ilya white magic instead. Ilya proved as adept at this as with dark magic, and did quite well in studies that didn't end in beatings. The other disciple was more practical, and taught Ilya how to defend himself, both with a weapon and without. And as the years passed, the boy grew stronger. And older.
One night, the most amazing thing happened. Without magic, he summoned a circle of light that sent him across Limbo in the blink of an eye. Stunned, he began to explore this new ability, uncertain if it was magic or something else. Whatever it was, it allowed him to teleport anywhere he could think of, although he could not escape the magics binding him to Limbo.
It was also during his training with these disciples that Ilya made a weapon of his own. Using his own lifeforce and magic, Ilya created the Soulsword, a powerful weapon that is the sum expression of his magic. With the power to disrupt even the most powerful magic, it became Ilya's weapon of choice, appearing whenever he willed it to.
Belasco couldn't be ignored forever, and he eventually found where Ilya was hiding, leading his demon horde to retrieve the boy. The former disciples were killed, and Ilya was returned to the citadel, where Belasco intended to create the last two Bloodstones. Ilya rebelled, summoning his Soulsword, and in a battle of magic, managed to defeat Belasco and banish him to the ether outside of space and time.
As the new Ruler of Limbo, Belasco's magics no longer bound Ilya, and he returned to his family farm via one of his 'stepping discs', only to find that while a decade had passed for him, it was only minutes since he'd been taken. All this time he'd been lost, he'd been outside of space and time, and now was closer in age to his older brother than ever.
His parents didn't know what to do with their new magical teenager, and they struggled until a letter from America offered a solution. Ilya, it was determined, was a mutant in addition to being magical, and had been offered a place in the superhero school Sky High. So, with tears in his eyes, and a Soulsword in his heart, he left his home to head for Metropolis, and whatever future awaits.
SIGNATURE ABILITY
Darkchilde
Ilya has a demonic form called The Darkchilde. This form only appears when Ilya is wielding great magics or is enraged past the point of reason. While in this form, his magic, strength and invulnerability approach god-level ability, but he lacks the mental control to actively cast spells, preferring to give in to his hellish nature and tear and rend his enemies. What magic he does wield is instinctive and does not differentiate between friend and foe. While the form only remains for an hour or so (longer, if evoked in Limbo), after entering his Darkchilde form, Ilya becomes withdrawn and depressed for several days, having seen his 'true nature'.
SKILLS
Armed Combat - Competent Level
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Ilya was trained by one of Belasco's minions in the use of many ancient weapons, including swords, axes, and polearms. He is proficient enough that he can hold his own without magic against demon hordes for a fair amount of time.
Ilya took ballet before his abduction, and upon his escape, continued his studies.
Ilya speaks Russian and English fluently.
Ilya is learning how to access and utilize Earth magics, although he's pretty new at it.
Meditation - Competent Level
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In Limbo, Ilya learned to meditate to navigate his soul's magic. Now he uses it to still his mind and control the demonic influence within.
Unarmed Combat - Competent Level
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The same minion that trained Ilya in weaponry also trained him in unarmed combat. Ilya is capable of fighting a foe larger than himself effectively, often to a win.
ABILITIES
Power: Eldritch Armor - Supreme Level
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The more that Ilya uses powerful magic, the more his body is being covered in an eldritch armor. This armor is impenetrable and covers his right arm from shoulder to fingertips. Eventually, with -enough- powerful magic, his entire body might be covered, including his face. This is something Ilya wishes to avoid, as each addition of armor indicates another step closer to the complete corruption of his soul.
Power: Limbo Control - Supreme Level
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As the Master of Limbo, the pocket dimension responds to his will, shaping and forming to create whatever he desires or needs. These things only exist in Limbo, although they are as powerful as he requires within those demesnes. Control of Limbo also extends to control of its demon denizens.
Power: Psionic Shields - Supreme Level
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Ilya has powerful psionic shields taught him by Belasco. These are almost impossible to penetrate, even for the most skilled telepath, and render him invisible to psychic detection.
Power: Sorcery - Basic Level
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On Earth, Ilya's magical power is limited, capable of only simple spells, mystical sensitivity, and astral projection. However, Ilya is Sorceror Supreme of the pocket dimension known as Limbo, and there his power jumps to Supreme levels. The extent of his power there is all-powerful, and the demons of Limbo do not dare challenge him. His sorcery is a unique mix of black magic that he learned from Belasco, and white magic, taught by a former disciple of the demon lord.
Artifact: Soulsword - Supreme Level
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Ilya has a sword, forged from his own lifeforce, known as the Soulsword. Normally kept in Limbo as as a reminder to mutinous demons of his absolute power, this sword appears on Earth whenever he summons it, although it can also appear on its own when Ilya is in danger. Presumably of the same soul-forged eldritch material of his armor, the sword is indestructible. It has the potential to disrupt even the most powerful spells and to be deadly to psychics and astral images. The sword only affect magics and passes harmlessly through regular people and objects.
Power: Stepping Discs - Enhanced Level
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Ilya can teleport himself and others any length of distance via 'stepping discs' -- portals of light that are connected to the pocket dimension known as Limbo. By moving through these discs and Limbo, he can teleport to any point in the blink of an eye, regardless of distance. He also has the ability to use these discs to move through time, since Limbo exists outside of time and space. This ability is untrained, though, and can result in his being lost in time for a bit.
ADVANTAGES
Limbo is full of demons, and Ilya commands them all. In Limbo, his rule is absolute, and his minions will do whatever they're told. Occasionally, Ilya can and will use them as muscle, extra hands, or just to intimidate an opponent.
Ilya is the ruler of the pocket dimension known as Limbo, which lies outside of Time and Space. There, he is Supreme, and he can retreat there for any length of time. (Literally. Time does not touch Limbo.) His magic there is unparalleled. From Limbo, he can also scry the Earth for people or items, in any time or reality.
Ilya's right-hand demon is one known as S'ym. A large, cigar-chomping purple demon, S'ym rules Limbo in Ilya's stead whenever Ilya isn't there. He's also been known to be dispatched to Earth for special missions, or when Ilya needs extra muscle. A demon with his own agenda, he is unreliable at best, and a rabble-rousing mutineer at worst. It's anyone's guess who'll show up when he's summoned.
WEAKNESSES
Ilya is tainted. 3/5 of his soul belongs to darkness, and he is keenly aware of that. As such, it is vital that he maintain a balance between light and dark in order to prevent the ultimate corruption, which would result in his becoming the Darkchilde and ushering in the Elder Gods. This balance is immediately reflected like everything in the demesnes of Limbo, where such imbalance can have dire consequences. Therefore, he avoids the use of magic as much as he can, opting for more physical or cerebral solutions whenever possible. Still, the lure of corruption is there, strong and seductive, and Ilya is just a teenage boy.
Ilya has the taint of demonic corruption in his soul which grows with each expression of dark magic. Excessive use of these magics or intense negative emotions can trigger this corruption's manifestation as Ilya's Darkchilde form (see signature ability). The more his corruption takes hold - as evidenced by the Eldritch Armor that's slowly covering his body - the closer he comes to becoming the Darkchilde permanently. This is a Thing Ilya Wishes To Avoid(tm), so he is judicious about applying magic where physical ability will suffice. At least on Earth. In Limbo, the influence is harder to resist.
Ilya has a temper. It can flare. This is dangerous, for reasons stated elsewhere.
Ilya's magical abilities are severely reduced on the Earthly plane. He is only capable of minor spells, mystical awareness, and astral projection.
The further Ilya tries to teleport using his stepping discs, the more likely the chance that he will get lost in time. This can be unsettling, as he must return to Limbo and scry for the proper time in order to return, which is time-consuming. So to speak.
