High Priest Darius - Splinterlands Character Profile
A staff is a staff
And a crutch is a crutch,
Until they are leaned on
A little too much.
A spell is a spell
And a dream is a dream,
But in the Untamed
Things are not what they seem.
Splinter - Khymeria
Set - Untamed
Class - Legendary Mage
Size - Darius used to be an average-sized Khymian, but now he is an old man with a hunched, diminutive stature. He moves slowly, often with the help of a cane, but his lack of mobility makes him no less of a threat in the Mount Mox Arena.
Lifespan - Like Humans, Khymians usually live for the better part of a century. Khymian Priests, who use a wide range of spells and tricks to prolong their lives, tend to live a great deal longer. High Priest Darius is 132 and counting.
Habitat - Like all the most important Priests of the Silver Shield, Darius lives in the Peace of Light Monastery between Cloudgard Castle and Shimmer City. Darius is an expert at astral travel, which allows him to instantly visit any place in an instant. So while physically he always remains in the monastery, Darius is always busy throughout the Splinterlands, especially in recent light of the Untamed.
Weapon - The staff that Darius carries doubles as his walking stick, but it is not widely known that this staff is actually a legendary weapon called the Reach of Kronius. The Reach allows him to resurrect the recently fallen on the battlefield, an ability previously thought to only be reserved for the Angel of Light. Darius has carried and protected the legendary staff for years. When the prophecies of the Untamed began sweeping the land, they were followed by many strange events. Villages have been burned by their own residents, and normally stoic animals have turned suddenly into vicious, insatiable predators with a taste for blood. Deep in the night since the Untamed, as High Priest Darius sleeps, the Reach of Kronius glows with a dark, golden sheen and whispers into his dreams. When he wakes, Darius believes the ideas of the staff are his own, and the Untamed seeps into the Priests’ interpretations of Khymian law.
Diet - Khymian people require less food than Humans, since they are creatures of light. Most of what they need is gathered from the various Provision Trees that grow throughout the Life Splinter. Priests of the Silver Shield require even less food than most Khymians, and they spend much of their time fasting in the Peace of Light Monastery. High Priest Darius has grown so advanced in Life magic that he never needs to eat.
Allies - Darius is the senior Priest of the Silver Shield, meaning that he is entitled to exclusive access to Khymia, the living goddess of Khymeria. The spiritual arm of the Order of the Silver Shield holds many secrets. They are trusted and expected to receive, interpret and distill all information from the goddess for the people. These Priests have the respect and support of nearly every Khymian, but most people abroad consider them corrupt. If High Priest Darius has friends, they are just as secret as his magic.
Enemies - With their warlike ways, the Order of the Silver Shield has made more enemies in the generations since the Splintering than anyone, perhaps even more than the Dragons. The Priests have kept so many things hidden that they are trusted by none, except for their Khymian followers (who are required to do so). On top of that, Darius is incredibly short-tempered and rude to everyone with whom he interacts. It is safe to say that Darius is despised by at least 80% of the people he meets.
Pastimes - The time of High Priest Darius is reserved entirely for meditation and astral travel. No one knows where he goes, but in his chamber of solitude he sometimes sits for days at a time without moving. It is presumed that during these times he is embarking on his greatest adventures and in some distant place, making monumental moves for the Splinterlands. But what are these moves? Does the High Priest truly have the greatest interests of the Planet in his heart, or is he simply another victim of the Untamed?
