Zarsul

Witch. Maniac. Monster. Confused. Lost. There are many words that can be used to describe Zarsul. You see, she used to serve amongst only the best of mages at the hand of a long forgotten king. The kingdom that she resided in wasn't expansive, but rather a secluded fortress amongst the mountains. Nevertheless, it held a high political status. As opposing powerhouses competing for resources tend to do, the kingdom eventually found itself locked into war. The incredible defense of the fortress-like kingdom created a false sense of security amongst the people, but like the walls, that feeling would soon come crumbling down. The opposing empire looked to expand their territory out of their peninsula, but with Zarsul's kingdom standing stubbornly in the way, they were locked off of the mainland. And so, the opposing empire struck with inhumane force that no one could prepare for. Using methods lost to history, they created a mighty fissure that scorched the very mountains with raw magic energy, leaving nothing behind.

At the time of the attack, Zarsul was abroad in a desperate effort to negotiate for assistance with nearby kingdoms. Even being so far inland, the tingling energy and violently shaking ground could be felt. In that moment, her heart sank into her stomach. The rush back to her homeland was a dread-filled one, to say the least. The young mage hadn't actually seen what had caused the force, but she knew that it was nothing that her small kingdom was capable of. Zarsul's worst fears would be confirmed upon reach her kingdom, or rather the ashes that remained of it. In front of her was the sight of split mountains, torn earth, and stinging energy floating around as ash and dust, despite the event taking place several days ago. The once proud and mighty kingdom that she called home was reduced to a flattened land surrounded by cracked and collapsing mountains. To say she was defeated would be an understatement. Having lost anything, the young Zarsul ran off into isolation and seclusion for quite literally ages.

Having lost everything in quite literally the blink of an eye, it wasn't unexpected that Zarsul's mind would take a heavy, heavy toll. She began to fear death itself like the plague, and refused to interact with any living being in fear of losing them. This downward spiral led her down some... questionable paths, and through methods that would most certainly repulse most, she eventually achieved an immortality of a sort. While not immortal, Zarsul did manage to halt her aging completely. Still shaken from the immense loss she experienced, this wasn't enough. She still feared interaction with anything, and so she devoted her now-limitless time to figuring out how to make others stay with her safely without the extensive and repulsive measures. Eventually, she had done it. By "freeing" people from their vessels, she had figured out a way to channel their spirits, and with it, their will into intricately carved masks. Once one had become one of her masks, they could truly never die unless Zarsul herself perished. Being under her control, the trapped spirits of those who she has "cleansed" from the possibility of death have limited free will, and are forced to obey her without question.

As horrible as that may sound, not all is bad for those who fall to the witch's imprisonment. Zarsul's fractured, broken mind retains what could almost be called a childlike innocence, and she truly does care for the people that she binds to masks. Rather than treating them like slaves, she instead treats them more like equals; bending their imprisoned minds to see her as a friend, as well. While the masked ones have their own free will and can move on their own, Zarsul even goes so far as to alternate which person gets a turn to be worn on her face as to let them experience the sense of smell and touch once again. Truly, Zarsul believes that she is not in the wrong and is instead ensuring the safety of those who she deems as her friends. In reality, Zarsul is a lost, confused girl who simply seeks to make friends. Her scattered view on reality however, makes it so it's in Zarsul's utmost interest to make sure that her "friends" will never, ever be taken from her.