Arcus Miursa

Bulwark of the Material Plane

Arcus Miursa

Arcus Miursa was a member of now disbanded Lost Star Detectives, who saved Elturel from its damnation in the late 15th century, and is the youngest son of Alcor Miursa, the current High Rider of Elturel.

History

Early Life

Arcus was born on the 30th of Uktar, 1472, to Callista, a farmer's daughter, and Alcor Miursa, a Hellrider, in Triel, a village of Elturgard. The Miursa family, which included Arcus' older brother Kaiden and his grandmother Tori Miursa, another Hellrider, lived in Triel for most of Arcus' early life in a fairly idyllic household.
In 1478, Arcus fell victim to a curse by the hag Zilly Redwood, who lived in the woods outside of Triel and to whom Arcus mistakingly traded his voice, rendering him mute. Alcor and Callista were unable to dispell the curse and knowing that Elturel had a small mute community and believing that a change of scenary would do Arcus good, the Miursas, minus Tori, relocated there permenately. Arcus also started being followed by a pink toad he named Dipper, that would always find him no matter where he was and, if killed, turned into a cloud of pink smoke and would reappear within 24 hours. Unsure what to do about Dipper, the Miursas ignored him, but the toad was actually a tool crafted by Zilly to keep an eye on Arcus.
The Miursa's life in Elturel proved to be a boon to Alcor's career and for Arcus' ability to handle his sudden disability. Callista began practing with Arcus Common Sign Language, and the two obtained fluency, while Kaiden and Alcor managed to learn enough to be conversational. Arcus continued to grow closer with his mother, especially after they discovered a shared love of gardening. The two spent most of the 1480s together working together at the Silent Garden, a private recluse Callista discovered an hour's walk from Elturel. During this time, Alcor had been growing closer with Kaiden, who was proving to be a prodigy in swordfighting and a true Hellrider in the making. Though Alcor tried to train Arcus as well, the younger boy didn't take to it, and so Alcor's attention turned back to Kaiden, who became a Hellrdier in 1487.
Inspired by his years gardening, in 1491, Arcus planned on impressing the staff of Elturel's Gardens on Highharvestide with a rare and impressive bloom of Grizzly Tide flowers. However, the night before the festival, Arcus' mother was magically stolen away, destroying the Miursa family and destorying Arcus' desire to keep gardening. Unknown to the family, Callista was not killed but taken by Zilly Redwood, who stole her to prevent Arcus from finding his metaphorical "voice" as a gardner.
In the years following Callista's disappearance, Alcor began blaming Arcus' for her loss, believing in grief that he or Kaiden could have stopped it. He also started becoming unhealthly obsessed with training Kaiden, creating a rift between him and his sons, but also driving them closer together. Arcus also began changing, recognizing that there were certain creatures and things in this world that should not exist and only cause harm to mortal creatures. Arcus asked Kaiden to train him in swordfighting, but was unable to grasp it fully until an older man named Buddy Novs stumbled upon Arcus training in the Silent Garden and offered to mentor him. Arcus agreed, adapting his style to be more patient and defensive than Kaiden's.
A year after their training began, Buddy began to request favors from Arcus, revealing himself to be the head of a small smuggling group in Elturel that often ran items between Elturel and Baldur's Gate. Feeling that smuggling wasn't really hurting anyone, Arcus began working with Buddy, eventually becoming something like a right-hand man and earning enough of an income to buy his own flat in the Dock District. In 1494, Arcus and Buddy in assisted the Mourning Dove, the Guild kingpin of Tumbledown in Baldur's Gate, in raiding the merchant ship Aremag's Blessing to steal the Helm of Torm's Sight, which Buddy would then sell to a broker in Elturel. Though the raid was successful, Buddy skimped out on paying the Mourning Dove.
In 1495, Arcus began distrusting Buddy, noticing that he was being treated less like a friend or mentee than a henchman. One night, Arcus overheard Buddy bragging about how he intentionally recruited Arcus to make sure their operation had a Miursa on their side if they ever get caught. Incensed, Arcus latter quit, not telling Buddy what he overheard in order to avoid retaliation, but Buddy made it known that if the operation was ever comprimised, Arcus better help them or he would be incriminated too.
Without a clear vocation, Arcus returned to the Silent Garden and began putting in the work to restore the now weed-strewn area, treating it as seriously as he would have treated working in Elturel's Gardens. After six months of hard work, Arcus was visited by a large, docile bear, that bade him to follow it. Doing so revealed a cave, inside of which was a bracelet made from a Grizzly Tide flower. Upon wearing it, Arcus began speaking, and he realized the goddess Eldath, who favored the Silent Garden, had blessed him with a fascimile of a voice. Honored and overjoyed, Arcus began to worship Eldath. His relationship with his father also improved, as Alcor had begun attending meetings of the church of Lathander, allowing him to realize his mistakes and apologize sincerely to his sons.

The Disapearance of Elturel

(See the Lost Star Detectives)
On the 2nd of Eleasis, 1497, Arcus was tending to the Silent Garden when Elturel was damned and teleported to Avernus. Hearing the noise and seeing the debris coating the air, Arcus rushed back to the crater where the city once was. Unsure of what to do, Arcus joined a caravan of refugees traveling to Baldur's Gate, which included the other members who joined the raid on Aremag's Blessing three years ago and who, along with Arcus, would journey together for the next year.
In Baldur's Gate, Alesine found that she was the only one that could enter the city on account of the recently declared state of emergency, and so she and her former heist partners began working for Flame Ronald Zodge, commander of the city's Basilisk Gate. Flame Zodge, who was shorthanded due to the Flaming Fist Succession Crisis caused by Duke Ulder Ravengard's presumed death in Elturel, offered to let the entire caravan into the city if the group could solve a series of recent murders connected to the cults of the Dead Three. The group, now calling themselves the Lost Star Detectives, agreed.
Over the course of their investigation, the group discovers that every murder has been of either a descendent or an active member of the Hellriders. The Detectives trace the murders to Duke Thalamara Vanthampur and ultimately kill her and her son Thurstwell, but not before Duke Vanthampur's plan to assassinate Duke Dillard Portyr succeeds. The Detectives also discovered the Shield of the Hidden Lord in the basement of the Vanthampur estate, which they took with them, giving it to Arcus to use. Throughout this time, Arcus continually used often brutal methods to achieve his ends, and the goddess Eldath gave him cryptic omens and signs, attempting to steer him to a more pacifistic route.
After causing the death of one duke and witnessing the death of another, the Detectives were rewarded by Zodge and his commander, Marhsall Liara Portyr, but were instructed to leave Baldur's Gate to let things settle down. Deciding that was prudent, the group left for Candlekeep to learn more about the shield and the infernal puzzlebox they had taken from Duke Vanthampur. There, the Detectives unlocked the puzzlebox and discovered Naja Bellandi's Pact with Zariel and learned that Elturel wasn't destroyed but was instead taken to Avernus. The Detectives also met the amnesiac hollyphant Lulu, who remembered that she was Zariel's friend and companion during the Charge of the Hellriders. Lulu asked to come along, and while Arcus did not trust her as an extraplanar being, the group ultimately agreed.

Hellturel

Arcus and the other Detectives were teleported into Avernus by the otter wizard Traxigor, appearing in Elturel's Dock District. After meeting the vampire and once Lord of Elturel Klav Ikaia and doing their part to help the living survivors in Shiarra's Market, the Detectives crossed the bridge into the city's High District, briefly clashing with the bounty hunter Delle Bellfiend who wanted to the Shield of the Hidden Lord.
On the other side of the city, the Detectives met with Ulder Ravengard in High Hall and retrieved the Helm of Torm's Sight to recieve a vision on how to save the city. The Detectives also relieved the Siege of Helm's Shieldhall, where Xifira Mistmore was killed and where Arcus was reunited with Kaiden, though the two had a fight when Arcus tried to get Kaiden to join them and Kaiden refused, beliving he was on a suicide mission similar to Alcor, who had led a group of Hellriders out of the city to try and find a solution. Later, Dzarya too was temporarily killed by Delle Bellfiend. When Alesine Zadava suggested giving her the shield in exchange for Dzarya's life, Arcus threatened to take the sword and plunge it and himself into the River Styx, as Arcus had grown increasingly distrusting of the shield and why devils wanted it. Alesine backed down, and the Detectives killed Delle, and Dzarya was revived by Caelum Eridanus.
After securing Elturel as best as they could, the Lost Star Detectives realized they had three goals in front of them to save the city. They needed to break or release the chains holding the city, destroy or invalidate Zariel and Naja Bellandi's Pact, and inverse the polarity of the Companion. Lulu advocating for attempting to redeem Zariel, to convince the once-angel to rejoin the side of good, which the god Torm seemed to support, as he encouraged the group to find Zariel's Sword. Arcus, who had grown steadily more annoyed with the overbearingly good Lulu, was extremely skeptical that Zariel could be redeemed, but the sword was nonetheless a powerful artifact and agreed with the plan.

The Search for Zariel's Sword

On the ground of Avernus proper, the Detectives met Mad Maggie, who offered to reveal Lulu's memories via her Dream Machine. Arcus agreed to this plan, but without making any commitments himself, unwilling by his oaths to be bound into any pacts or deals.
The first item the party located strove to retreive was Phlegethosian sand from Bel's Forge at the suggestion of the Shield of the Hidden Lord. The shield, realizing how despised and mistreated it was, stated that taking it to Bel's Forge and throwing it into the lava would destory it utterly, a better fate, it said, than having its memories erased in the Styx or being given to devils to be misused. Though Arcus distrusted the shield greatly, the party went along with its plan, ultimately resulting in the shield's destruction and the release of the archfiend Gargauth, who was sealed inside the shield by Asmodeus centuries ago. Gargauth instantly turned his attention to fighting his old rival Bel, but not before letting Arcus know the hatred he harbored against him. Escaping the forge also came at a great cost to Arcus, as Eldath, who had realized Arcus would never be a true follower of hers, used the remaining power in his bracelet to guide them the Detectives to safety, but destroying the bracelet in the process, leaving Arcus mute again. While Arcus was able to continue conversing with the group through Lulu's telepathy, he was left unable to cast most spells.
Arcus and the Detectives were able to secure thee three remaining items needed for the Dream Machine to work, while also making a stop to attempt to rescue Katya Sinaran's wife Emmeryn from Tiamat. At the Bloody Crescent Arcus also discovered a connection to Kelemvor, a god of death, and Kelemvor blessed Arcus with a shield of the Doomguides.
Arcus' growing confidence in devil hunting, one that grew alongside a strange friendship with the Avernian exile Whisk, meant that he was once again finding his "voice." Zilly's attempt to to capture two storytellers was interfered with by one of them, bringing the Detectives with them to the Material Plane, outside of Triel. Panicking, and realizing they needed to return, the Detectives tracked down Zilly, who had made a pact with Gargauth in fear of Arcus. The group killed an empowered Dipper, and Arcus spurned a deal by Gargauth to return to Hell while Katya killed Arcus, leading to Arcus brutally attacking her in a rage. This frayed the already strained bonds of the Detectives, who confronted Arcus and forced him to recognize his own poor communication and get him to back down on forcing his beliefs on others. This excursion also resulted in Arcus rescuing his mother, Callista, who had been imprisoned in the form of an old servant, and Arcus gaining his original voice back. Callista was left in Triel while the Detectives returned to Avernus.
Back in Hell, the Detectives sabotaged the controls of the chains binding Elturel in Zariel's Flying Fortress and used the Dream Machine to discover the location of Zariel's sword, which turned out to have a spark of Zariel's pre-corruption soul inside. When the Detectives arrived at the sword, the piece of Zariel's sword inside quesetioned each person who approached on their beliefs and motives. Arcus, willing to sacrifice his own morals to save Elturel, was found unworthy because of his hatred for celestials, and Dzarya was denied for believing that she needed to attune to the sword to make herself better. Alesine, however, was found to be a true inheritor of Zariel's will, and upon grasping the sword Alesine was blessed with angelic features and power. Together, the party killed the demon Crokek'toeck and returned to Elturel, assissting the remaining factions in preparing for a final assault of demons that believed if they killed all the inhabitants before Elturel was submerged in the Styx, it would deny the devils their new soldiers.
During the Battle of Elturel, Arcus fought with the other Detectives defending the Companion against Zariel's minions before being confronted by Zariel herself. Arcus, despite his disdain for celestials, joined the other Detectives in encouraging Zariel to redeem herself, which was ultiamtely successful. Arcus then fought to defend High Hall alongside until Elturel was teleported back to the Material Plane. As one of her last acts as Archduke of Avernus, Zariel negotiated teh release of Alcor Miursa, who had been captured by Gargauth.

Life After Elturel's Return

Following Elturel's erturn, Arcus joined the other Detectives in helping to rebuild city while dealing with their newfound fame. For Arcus, that fame also propelled his family, and Alcor was named the new High Rider of Elturel. Arcus, however, generally stayed out of politics. Instead, most of his time was spent tending to the Silent Garden with his mother and continuing to honor, if not worship, Eldath.
Arcus also was connected to the Emerald Enclave through Caelum and Vela Eridanus, the parents of fellow Detective Kinsey Eridanus. Drawn by their mission of protecting the Material Plane, Arcus joined their order to assist them when he was needed.

Physical Description

Specialized Equipment

Following his alignment to Kelemvor in Avernus, Arcus was given a shield most often wielded by the god's Doomguides. The shield is defined by its two forms. In its default state, the shield is a small buckler with Kelemvor's symbol on the front. When activated, the shield expands greatly to a massive tower shield, becoming much sturdier and heavier, the extra mass presumably summoned by magic.

Personality Characteristics

Vices & Personality flaws

Arcus is infamous by those around him for his complete and unwavering faith in his own beliefs and morals, often struggling to to internalize the conflicting thoughts of his companions. Though Arcus recognizes the world is not black and white, he nonetheless treats it as so. He additionally possess a complete disregard and disdain for any extraplanar beings. While this attitude towards extraplanar entities does not prevent Arcus from working with them as necessary, it can color his beliefs and means that he never fully trusts them. Such a combination can often have explosive consequences, such as when Arcus attacked his companion Katya Sinaran, nearly breaking the Lost Star Detective's ability to work together.

Social

Contacts & Relations

Arcus' standoff personality put him at odds with most of the other members of the Lost Star Detectives, particularly Katya Sinaran, who he viewed as foolishly devoted to her wife Emmeryn and far too willing to make deals with devils for help. The two of them often came to verbal, and at one point physical, blows.
Acrus also grew disappointed in Alesine Zadava, especially following her warlock pact with Lulu and her acceptance of Zariel's celestial nature to become an angel after the Battle of Elturel. Similarly, Arcus never grew to liike Lulu, viewing her as hopelessly naive. while he knew she was trustworthy, he couldn't resist often needling her, despite Lulu's best efforts to befriend him.
Suprisingly, Arcus' closest friendship in the Detectives was with the earth genasi Whisk, whose go-with-the-flow attitude and desire to be an Avernian warlord was fairly similar to Arcus' own desire to hunt devils.
While Arcus did have a tense relationship with his former mentor, Buddy Novs, due to the latter threatening to blackmail him, Buddy's affiliation with the vampire Klav Ikaia and Arcus' status as a hero has rendered that threat moot.

Family Ties

Arcus's family is extremely important to him, all the more so in the events following the Damnation of Elturel. Though he has had difficulties with his brother Kaiden and his father Alcor in the past, today the Miursas are all very close.
Arcus has also always been close with his mother with none of the hiccups he felt with his other immediate family. The two of them bonded and continue to bond over their shared love of gardening.
While not a Hellrider, Arcus nevertheless grew up hearing about his family's storied history as Hellriders, with their origins even, by family lends, tracing back to Shiarra, the first High Rider, herself. Arcus' own connection to his family's past came through in the Crypt of the Hellriders in Avernus, when he made sure to free his ancestor Justine's soul before any of the other trapped spirits.

Species

Human

Date of Birth

30th of Uktar

Year of Birth

1472 CR 26 Years old

Birthplace

Triel

Current Residence

Elturel

Sex

Male

Eyes

Blue

Hair

Brown, often with a cowlick

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

White

Height

5'6"

Weight

170 lbs.

Belief/Deity

Kelemvor

Aligned Organization

Lost Star Detectives

Other Affiliations

• Elturgard
• Emerald Enclave

by Ashley

Arcus fighting the walking hut of the hag Red Ruth.