The Transatia (Tran-sah-TEE-ah)

Get in touch with your inner monster...
When the neophyte witch Diadah shed her former identity, one of the first artifacts she crafted was a twisted cauldron full of an elixir which would bring out an imbiber's innermost darkness and remove inhibitions. As the patient zero of her own creation, the former housewife became a powerful demoness brimming with magical power. Not long after, Emperor Talpa recruited her as one of his lieutenants, granting her the title of "Beast Warden of the Dynasty". Not merely satisfied with expunging her own humanity, she wanted to offer the same opportunity to other wicked souls. To this end, she spent centuries recruiting the blackest, basest, bestial hearts humanity had to offer.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

The Transatia can be conjured at will by Dygra but commonly remains on display in her personal study. Pharaohn has used it at times himself, both when creating the Mutant Warlords and empowering the Gargoyle Soldiers. An individual seeking power need only prick themselves on one of the sharp spines lining the rim and shed a drop of blood into the frothing elixir within. The potion's resulting effect tailors itself to the deepest desires of the individual. Warriors become more merciless, hunters become more savage, magic-users gain greater power, and the scorned crave greater vengeance.
Because imbibers think so little of their humanity, their forms become twisted and their vestigial human appearance greatly diminished, except in the case of Black Hawk who wanted the "best of both worlds". Initially the transformation is permanent and irreversible, but Pharaohn later devises a method to allow an imbiber to retain their humanity by transforming at will. Dygra incorporates this into the cauldron, which facilitates the use of Dynasty agents as infiltrators among Mortals.

History

After disposing of mortal attachments, Diadah threw herself into study and mastery of the occult. A cauldron is a staple for any witch, but Diadah wanted more than just a simple rusty pot. Drawing inspiration from the ancient witch Circe and the primordial dragon Tiamat, Diadah took metal cursed by blood and sorrow and fashioned it into a twisted basin ringed with spikes. As an initial offering to the powers of darkness, she presented the souls of those she had slain and her own blood. Pleased with the sacrifice, the dark powers filled the cauldron with dark bubbly fluid. Diadah drank of the potion and took the form of a demonic sorceress with wings and foreboding armor. After her recruitment by the Dynasty, she sought out suitable candidates to serve as her captains. Few were willing to surrender their handsome looks in exchange for the promise of power, but Diadah-now Dygra-only needed a few.

Notable Consumers

Pharaohn

(Deceased) Disgraced sorcerer from a royal court, he craved more than a prolonged existence as a dried corpse wrapped in linen locked in a stuffy sarcophagus or displayed for gawkers in a museum. A sip of Dygra's potion revived him, giving him an almost statuesque appearance and amplifying his magical power and knowledge second only to Dygra herself.

Balkak

(Deceased) The demon reptile, a former gladiator who cared not how many scars he bore, only how many matches he could win and how many lives he could take. He wanted impenetrable armor and the strength of twenty men and thus became a hulking scaly brute.

Rujek

(Deceased-for reals...) A fallen warrior on the brink of death, he cared nothing about his body only that he could keep fighting and feel no pain. Dygra offered her elixir to him, and his flesh rotted almost instantly, yet his wish was fulfilled. Now a shambling armor-clad corpse, he feels no pain or remorse only the singular drive for battle.

The Were-Pack

(Deceased) A clan of hunters formed over the decades from various regions in the Mortal Realm. They wanted to be the best hunters of their time and viewed themselves as apex predators. As such, they took the form of canine beasts suitable to their individual personalities.

Black Hawk

(Alive?) The embittered Jennifer Carole flew half-way around the world in pursuit of the former friend she blamed for her misfortunes. Pledging herself to Dygra and the Dynasty, she eagerly quaffed the offered cup, transforming into a ferocious bird of prey while retaining aspects of her human body.

Mutant Warlords

(Alive?) Formerly the Night Warlords, Pharaohn offered them enhanced power to tip the balance in battle. He had devised a way to modify the original formula to allow individuals to transform back into human at will. The three gained monstrous forms patterned after Egyptian gods, and their physical strength and resilience increased greatly.

Gargoyle Soldiers

(Destroyed) After the defeat at the Battle of the Citadel, Pharaohn once more used the cauldron, on a wider scale this time. His modified potion transformed the rank-and-file Dynasty Soldiers into metallic monstrosities capable of harrying their targets relentlessly. Although formidable, they ultimately perished with the death of Dygra.

Significance

Events of Aftermath

Used to create Black Hawk and Mutant Warlords.

Events of Foes From Another World

Used to create Gargoyle Soldiers.

Events of Fight Alone

Cale reveals that Dygra attempted to goad the Dark Warlords into ingesting her elixir.
Its current status or whereabouts is unknown. Dygra and Pharaohn were the only individuals well-versed in its use. It has not been seen or used as of recently and was thought to have been destroyed by accident when the the Thangiens attacked Talpa's fortress in retaliation for the attack on Danae. If by chance it remains intact, it entirely possible a new user could attune with it. If it were to fall into the hands of an ambitious geneticist, the marriage of genetic tampering and dark sorcery could prove dreadful indeed.

Dygra stepped back again and raised one arm. She pointed a claw downward and began drawing a circle in the air, muttering words from a strange ancient language. Crimson vapor streamed out from her fingertip and swirled into a wide funnel. Jennifer leaned forward and peered into the chaotic mist. The vapor solidified into a large bowl resting atop four spiky legs. Twisted spines of metal poked up from the rim, and when Jennifer unconsciously placed her hand on the rim, she gasped and yanked her hand back, swearing under her breath. A few drops of blood fell into the dark, frothy liquid inside the bowl. While Jennifer nursed her injured hand, pressing her thumb over the puncture in her finger, Dygra smiled. The girl had unknowingly contributed the first and most important ingredient.

— Aftermath Ch. 7

“If you’re proposing the same thing you did decades ago, you know just as well as I Dygra would never permit it, even if we wanted to,” Chaizar sneered.
“Ah, but my techniques have improved since then.” The Egyptian armored giant leaned down slightly. “What if I told you I could enhance your strength while allowing you to retain your…‘humanity’, to a degree?” he whispered temptingly. “My new formula would allow you to change at will from your puny human bodies into powerful beast forms, more than capable of overwhelming the Ronin Warriors. Seeing as how you can appear human whenever you choose, well, I’m sure Dygra would have no problem with that, would she?” The Night Warlords looked skeptical and whispered amongst themselves. The three finished consulting one another and turned to face Pharaohn.
“What do you want us to do?” Chaizar asked. Pharaohn’s lips spread in a wide grin.

— Aftermath Ch. 8

Item type

Magical

Deep inside the inner-most chambers of the Citadel, Pharaohn worked laboriously with his elixirs and spells, trying to formulate a way to revive Dygra’s army and fortify it.

— Aftermath Ch. 13

“I have learned much in my studies, and as you are aware, I have my own retainers whom I have blessed with increased power and ferocity.” Dygra beckoned behind her and several figures lurched into the light of the throne room. Anubis and the others recoiled at the sight of the vaguely humanoid monstrosities. One looked like a tall muscular reptile covered in deep red scales. Another looked like a skeleton clad in lacquered armor. The tallest resembled a proud king of the deserts with magical talismans strewn over his broad shoulders. “I make this offer to you, Dark Warlords, that I bestow such power unto you,” Dygra spread her lips in a wicked smile.

— Fight Alone Ch. 4