Elios Sosayel

A venerable and stalwart man. A teacher, role model, and avatar of law. And - much to his chagrin - the living saint of a stalkers' religion.

Sergeant Elios Fortanis Sosayel (a.k.a. Ol' Ironwood)

Sgt. Elios Sosayel (known by his subordinates as Ol' Ironwood) is a high-ranking member of the Petalcap Vale Customs Authority. Born with a unique Caudal lichen symbiote mutation which has lent his already sturdy verdial flesh an additional degree of resiliency, Sgt. Sosayel has become a sort of folk hero for the Vale Verdial people for his unmatched endurance and durability.

Divine Domains

Law, Protection, Plant; Retribution, Family

Physical Description

Physical quirks

Miko Slaus-Braun at the Ghostleaf Foundation has studied biopsies from Sgt. Sosayel's Caudal lichen symbiote and determined a number of important distinctions it holds in comparison to other specimens she's examined. Notably, Sgt. Sosayel's symbiote produces a substance very similar to megaxylem latex, which is subsequently exuded in small quantities from his pores; this makes his sweat styptic and many injuries quick to heal. Slaus-Braun believes that this may have been related to the fact that his mother had undergone her Elderhood Rite at some point around when he was conceived, suggesting that horizontal gene transfer to symbiotes might not strictly be limited to conspecifics.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Elios Sosayel was born in 9964 into a broken family, his mother having died in birthing him and his father having descended into a lazy alcoholism in grief over this loss. Young Elios soon found that he had to fend for himself, as he lacked any functional parental figures in his life.

Sexuality

While Sgt. Sosayel is attracted to women, he does not believe that he deserves love or family due to an abiding sense of personal inadequacy. Ol' Ironwood believes that he wouldn't know how to treat a lady or raise a family right due to his own lack of functional role models in this regard. In lieu of such attachments, therefore, Sgt. Sosayel raises up each class of PVCA cadets with the stern care of a surrogate father, considering the Ironwood Crew to be his real family. Time will tell if he encounters a woman who will be able to change his mind.

Education

Sent to a boarding school operated by Petalcap Vale University, Elios was bullied constantly for his precocious height and gangliness, an experience which the boy sought to shield his weaker peers from by fighting in their place. In time, however, his reliable nature and willingness to stand up for others (with help from his unnaturally solid jaw) earned Elios a great degree of respect from his peers, many of whom followed him into the Petalcap Vale Customs Authority academy recruitment program in hopes of returning the favor. Much of "Ironwood Crew," as this PVCA academy class came to be known for their tenacity in investigations and pursuits, still serves with distinction in the Authority to this day with Sgt. Sosayel at the helm.

Accomplishments & Achievements

As the PVCA is sometimes involved with Vale militia operations where the War of Reunification or other small-scale conflicts spill over into Vale territory, Sgt. Sosayel has seen more direct combat than most law enforcement officials currently active in the Manifold Sky. Even in more traditional law enforcement roles, or several occasions, Sgt. Sosayel has faced serious danger and come out of it little worse for the wear.
In one notable incident, a NavGuard had gone AWOL, knocking out his Navigator charge and breaking into a customs impound lot with his Auto-Armor to steal an aircraft in which he could make good on his abscondment. Sgt. Sosayel confronted the man and attempted to negotiate; the ex-NavGuard, not interested in facing the Navigator's Guild's wrath, decided to fight his way to freedom instead.

PVCA Badge by BCGR_Wurth

The man struck Sgt. Sosayel repeatedly with blasts from his BX-9 "Smokestack" Automatic Scattergun - only to quickly be confronted by Ol' Ironwood, furious and charging him down with his own shotgun, unfazed by the hail of birdshot as it plunked harmelessly against his hardened flesh. In close quarters, the ex-NavGuard stabbed Sgt. Sosayel through the shoulder with his Smokestack's bayonette, but by that time, the Sergeant had his shotgun past the Smokestack's ballistic shield and was able to put two slugs into chinks in the auto-armor's hull. The ex-NavGuard collapsed and was extracted from his armor for emergency medical treatment, but died before the medics could arrive.
For his part, Sgt. Sosayel had the wound in his shoulder stapled shut and had one of the Ironwood Crew drive him back to the office to handle all the required paperwork. Sgt. Sosayel is noted as stating that this was the second time he had fought an auto-armor operator on foot, though he didn't feel the need to explain what he meant by this statement.

Failures & Embarrassments

In 9991, one of Sosayel's cadets was kidnapped by the Midnight Griller, a serial killer who targeted Verdials out of a twisted belief in the Creeping Lichens Conspiracy. Sosayel took a group of his best men from the Customs Authority and pursued the killer in the Petalcap Vale warehouse district. While they were able to recover the cadet, they failed to find the killer, and the cadet suffered extremely deep burns due to Midnight Griller's eponymous method of killing. To this day, Sgt. Sosayel regrets failing to capture Gordon Druce.
Because of certain exploits, Sgt. Sosayel enjoys a modicum of local fame. This makes it difficult for him to keep a low profile, especially as many bar toughs and small-time crooks would like to test their mettle against the supposedly fistproof Ol' Ironwood as proof of their masculinity.

In 9999 AR, this fame came to a head when, drawn by rumors that Sgt. Sosayel was physically immortal as a result of his symbiote's mutations, a small local coven of Biocosmists began to treat him as a figure of worship. This coven began to stalk Sgt. Sosayel, leaving offerings at PVCA facilities where he might be and preaching to any who might hear that he, with 'flesh as wood' and 'blood as sap,' is the chosen 'speaker of the Biocosm' and a 'living saint.' For his part, Sgt. Sosayel is thoroughly embarrassed by the antics of his burgeoning cult of personality - especially as he is moderately Forgist himself - and would very much like to hunt down whoever is responsible for starting the coven down the path of what he sees as unhealthy idolatry.

Biocosmism by BCGR_Wurth

Intellectual Characteristics

Sgt. Sosayel is of average intelligence, but is very worldly as a result of his work and personal experiences. He has been described as a 'man's man,' a 'reliable' individual who has a 'clear vision what needs to be done' and who 'pursues his duty with implacable dedication.' On the other hand, he is inscrutable to those who might seek to understand him, has difficulty adjusting to life outside of his work, and tends to stoically bear problems rather than trying to solve them with understanding or finesse.

Social

Religious Views

Sgt. Sosayel is a member of the Forgist faith. His beliefs - mainly personal refinement by stepping outside of one's comfort zone - would best align with Knappism, but he has had little to no opportunity to learn about that religion. Sgt. Sosayel believes that the Creator 'made' him with such durability for a greater purpose: the protection of others in the face of overwhelming odds.

Divine Classification

Folk hero (Petalcap Vale Living Saint (Cult of Sosayel)

Alignment

Lawful Good

Current Location

Petalcap Vale (municipality)

Species

Verdial

Ethnicity

Vale Verdial

Church/Cult

Cult of Sosayel

Year of Birth

9964 36 Years old

Gender

Male

Eyes

Blue-green

Hair

Yellow-brown petals

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Average (~25% striation)

Height

6'6"

Weight

265 lbs

Aligned Organization

Petalcap Vale Customs Authority

Other Affiliations

• Petalcap Vale

Related Plots

• The Roots of Evil