Kore Tazuka (KOR-ay tah-ZOO-kah)
Kore Tazuka
Kore used to be one of Drusai's shining stars. Having been lucky enough to escape most of the physical alterations typically sported by mages of his caliber, he was known throughout the city for his striking appearance, sharp wit, and skill with the enchanted rapier he always kept at his side. For most of his life, he felt as though he was observing everyone else from above. When he fell, he fell hard. An obsessive fear of growing older combined with overconfidence in his own abilities combined to result in him attempting something only the Deities are capable of: looking into the Inevitable. Whether it was something wrong with the spell he used or simply the act of trying to peer into the farthest Realm, the experience shattered Kore. His Emotional Facet was separated from the rest of his being and his Physical Facet was damaged, leaving only his Mental Facet in working order.
Kore's Mental and Physical Facets used to be stronger than his Emotional Facet. Currently, his Physical Facet is eroded and his Emotional Facet has been scattered, though his Mental Facet is still fully-functional.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Kore's body barely meets the criteria to be considered alive. His heart rate is sluggish and irregular, as is his breathing. His skin and hair has lost most of its former luster. Moving quickly, feats of agility, and lifting heavy objects are all difficult for him, but oddly enough, his endurance has increased.
Body Features
He was formerly lean and lithe, but after his body was damaged, he became emaciated in appearance. His extremities have begun to darken and discolor.
Facial Features
Kore's facial structure used to be angular and handsome. Now it's gaunt and nearly corpselike. His eyes have begun to cloud over, limiting his vision slightly.
Identifying Characteristics
Kore's corpselike appearance makes him easily recognizable. Though he usually tries to hide his body and face under layers of veils, this is also highly distinctive. He draws attention wherever he goes despite his current wish to remain unnoticed.
Special abilities
Kore's Boon is the ability to read at speeds that would be impossible for an ordinary person while still absorbing the information he's reading about. Use of the Boon tempts Kore to become more and more absorbed in his reading the longer he uses it. With practice, he has obtained the ability to snap himself out of it, but in his youth, he spent hours reading, unwilling and unable to stop until someone else drew his attention away.
Along with his Boon, Kore is also an accomplished spellcaster. He specializes in both short-term and long-term symbol magic, with a secondary interest in divination magic.
Apparel & Accessories
In his prime, he wore flashy clothing in various jewel tones, particularly green. These clothes were meant to be stylish yet practical so he could look good and cast spells or engage in a duel at a moment's notice. He currently wears gray drapery over his entire body to cover as much of his physical form as possible.
Specialized Equipment
He carries a personally-enchanted rapier with him at all times. He ordered the weapon to be constructed for him, after which he began carving symbols into its surface in order to enhance both his and its qualities when he uses it. His ability to wield the thing has declined since he was elementally dismembered, but he can still use it if necessary, partially thanks to its enchantments.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Childhood
Kore was born to a privileged mother and father. Both were in the industry of producing and selling high-quality musical instruments. As such, the Tazuka name is synonymous with luxury instruments, often created using unique materials and personal specifications for wealthy clientele. As a child, Kore was moderately interested in his parents' work. He enjoyed the meticulous nature of the instruments' construction and admired his parents' singleminded dedication to their craft, but he was always more interested in his uncle's magical studies than anything else. From a young age, he pestered his uncle in an attempt to get the man to teach him minor spells, but he always told Kore that he was too young to learn. This might have discouraged another child, but it only reinforced Kore's desire to become a mage himself.
Adolescence
As Kore grew older and his insistences on learning to be a mage continued, his uncle began to take him under his wing and prepare him for a life of spellwork. He was the one who taught Kore about the mechanics and history of the Realms of Athanya. Along with that, Kore's uncle honed his already-naturally-keen memorization skills and encouraged the use of his Boon, helping him practice taming its side effect on his own instead of relying on others to do it for him.
In the time before he was able to officially study magic, Kore also took up fencing and began to hone his skills. His access to his parents' funds assisted him greatly because it allowed him to work with a highly-skilled swordsman as his instructor.
Adulthood
It was only after Kore reached official adulthood that his uncle began to teach him anything magic-related. Their pace was slow, starting with the complete mastery of very simple spells, despite Kore's insistences that he was capable of more. Kore's previous training, along with his natural strengths, combined to make him an outstanding pupil. He proved to be excellent at the memorization and retention of spells. Luckily for him, when he did make mistakes, he was lucky enough to avoid any side effects that affected him in a majorly-negative way, a fact which only increased his confidence in himself.
As he continued to age, Kore's uncle taught him more and more complex and dangerous spells. Kore absorbed them all eagerly. He began to find work across Drusai, usually creating security systems for homes and businesses using symbol magic. He also became well-known in many social circles due to his outgoing, dynamic personality and handsome appearance. It was during his early adulthood that Kore commissioned his rapier and began to enchant it (an endeavor which continues to this day.
Elemental Dismemberment
Growing older granted Kore a new, steadily-increasing insecurity: the fear of aging and dying. He was terrified of losing his looks, his memory, and his agility alike. He was still a young adult, but the mere thought of seeing wrinkles appear on his face in the mirror or aches beginning to creep into his joints agitated him greatly. He loved his life and the attention he received for his qualities. The twin ideas of strengthening his body so that he wouldn't age and finding out what the Inevitable was like occurred to him quickly. The study of medical tattoos, a subschool of general symbol magic, proved to be a great starting point for his goals regarding his body. He steadily began to create and self-apply tattoos intended to slow his aging and maintain the integrity of his physical form. For the most part, he kept these tattoos in places where they could be easily-hidden and attempted to make them as aesthetically pleasing as possible. They were likely the only thing that prevented full elemental dismemberment during the events that followed.
Even though Kore didn't specialize in divination magic, viewing it instead as an intriguing side interest, the praise he'd attained throughout his life combined with his significant lack of past setbacks to convince Kore that he would be able to pull off the impossible by viewing the internal workings of the Inevitable. He spent a few months studying and combining the most potent spells he could find for observing another location before finally making his attempt. His endeavor was throughly unsuccessful. The last thing Kore remembers is a blinding flash of light and an unbearable wave of pain, not just in his body but in his entire being. He woke up on the floor several hours later, disoriented and overwhelmed with a sense that something was very wrong. Though his body seemed unharmed aside from nagging soreness, Kore eventually came to the conclusion that his Emotional Facet was gone. He felt the effects immediately. He'd never been the best with categorizing his own emotions, but now that ability was entirely absent. Even his previous social skills had evaporated overnight. Kore tried to cope with the effects for a while, but once his body began to degrade, he decided he needed to do something about it and set off on a quest to repair his very essence.
Current Day
Kore's Emotional Facet was never strong to begin with, but he feels the consequences of its loss on a constant basis. He now strives to discover a way to cure Elemental Dismemberment by drawing them back together again. Whereas his old self thrived in the center of attention, he currently wants to remain anonymous until he finds his solution. He is presently wandering the Middle Realm in search of tomes and spells that could aid him in his goals.Gender Identity
He identifies as a man and has not questioned the gender he was assigned at birth.
Sexuality
While such thoughts have faded to the background of his mind and become difficult to decipher as of late, Kore is attracted to other Suktu men.
Education
Kore is extensively educated in areas such as history, the workings of the Realms, and magical practices (particularly symbol magic and divination.) In previous times, he constantly sought to improve his knowledge and understanding of his preferred subjects; now, however, that all-consuming desire has faded in favor of reuniting his Facets of Consciousness.
Mental Trauma
The experience of being elemental dismembered irreparably altered Kore's mind as well as his body. Mentally, he now experiences a constantly-aching feeling of being incomplete, almost as though he recently lost a limb. His emotions are dulled and hard for him to distinguish between. Art and abstract emotional concepts mean little to him. Understanding and relating to others is extremely difficult for him now. He knows something integral is missing, but it's impossible to put into words.
Intellectual Characteristics
His intelligence types are spacial, linguistic, and logical.
Morality & Philosophy
Kore is generally good-aligned, albeit slightly selfish, especially in the years preceding his incident.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Kore used to be an exceptionally ambitious person. He was driven by a constant desire to learn more about his chosen subjects and perfect his strategies with his rapier. One of his previous goals was to find a way to extend his lifespan while preserving his looks, potentially using a modified version of medical tattoos. He was also obsessed with learning what the Inevitable was like. His current goals are much simpler: all he wants is to reunite his Facets of Consciousness and feel whole again.
Virtues & Personality perks
Kore is highly intelligent and capable of feats of admirable mental acuity. Though he was self-centered before his fall, he still had a sense of morality and would perform good deeds for others.
Vices & Personality flaws
In his previous life, Kore had a habit of overestimating his own abilities. He also had a tendency to place himself before others in a rather self-absorbed manner. In the current day, his arrogance has been significantly mitigated, but he's indisputably single-minded regarding finding a cure for his condition.
Hygiene
Though he doesn't look great in his current state, his hygiene was and is excellent. He used to take great pride in his personal care, and even though his looks and health have declined, he still tries his best to take care of himself.
Social
Family Ties
Kore's mother and father are still living. His relationship with them is good. He is very close to his uncle. He gets along well with his older brother and various cousins.
Social Aptitude
Kore was previously highly sociable and extroverted despite not being traditionally charismatic. He enjoyed engaging in intellectual debates and having discussions about new magical innovations. He currently finds socialization difficult and prefers to keep to himself.
Speech
His voice was firm and strong, though slightly monotone. It has since become frailer and softer. He bears a mild accent from his home region.
Wealth & Financial state
Kore has access to a fair amount of funds, both from his family and his own work.
Current Status
Current Location
Species
Conditions
Year of Birth
313 AB
37 Years old
Children
Pronouns
He/him
Sex
Male
Gender
Man
Presentation
Masculine
Eyes
Dark brown, almond-shaped, slightly clouded
Hair
Waist-length, black, dull and lifeless
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Pale, sallow
Height
4 feet 6 inches