Zev Arvind

Cult of Ecstasy
Kin of the Silver Chain Pride
Advanced Adept of the Vratyas
Agent of the Court of Shooting Stars

Description


~There is something terrifying about this innocuous foreigner who may be determined as a Nepalese national in his late 20s or early 30s. It's difficult to finger what that fearful focus may be, for Zev Arvind is not tall or muscular, nor is he particularly handsome or fashionable. What he typically wears is hardly consequential at all. Raven-black hair is commonly styled and golden-brown skin radiates a contained heat. So, in fact, Zev hardly stands out at all. But when one boldly looks upon the man, his dark eyes gaze back. Deep-brown pupils seem to penetrate the observer's very mind, drowning out reality and drawing the victim into an empty abyss of soul-churning oblivion. Zev's fluid gesticulations and considered utterances strike a nerve with their deliberate potency. Yet, a viewer may soon be distracted by apparent inconsistencies in the man’s movements. Hand gestures "hang" a moment too long, spoken phrases overlap and "echo", and knowing smiles flash on the edge of consciousness. There is something terribly wrong about Zev Arvind: everything he says and everything he does seems to herald a frightening and impending future nobody wants to accept.~

OOC: Appearance 2; Arcane 3, Pure Breed 2; Animal Magnetism, Strangeness

"Reading the ripples of time, one realizes that there is only one constant."

"And it is not death. Death is an ending. The cycle of creation and destruction is the only true constant of nature."

History


Pre-destination

Before Zev Arvind was ever even born, his unAwakened parents, Ekambar and Charu, knew he was going to be special. Not only was Zev’s birth in 1969 predicted, but also his future Awakening. Ekambar and Charu were loyal Acolytes, if lowly farmers, in service to the Vratyas. As soon as Zev could walk and talk, the boy’s parents sent their only beloved son away to the boarding school not far from the secreted Forgotten Fortress of the Vratyas. This school housed all the children of that small but dangerous sect, for here all potential disciplines could be screened and given the fundamental education required.

Deep in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal, the Vratyas extended their tendrils only a short, prudent range. They hid their “heretical proscriptions” from common knowledge and even other mysticks. Among these silent and deadly hermits, Zev was raised. Basic Hindu morals were taught as well as requisite academic skills. But in Vratyas tradition, Zev learned that the sect adopted the destructively purifying ideologies of Kali. This confused many Western minds: did Hindis have many gods? Not at all. Kali was just a different, darker face of the same One God. And it was to her apocryphal beliefs that the Vratyas subscribed, and with which Zev was inculcated.

Dreams, Visions, Fantasies

And yet, for all that doom and gloom, the Vratyas celebrated life. Because Kali was not a goddess of death and destruction, but of change and rebirth, of joy and eternity. Why else would such a sect find its home within the Cult of Ecstasy instead of absorbed into the Chakravanti? Furthermore, Zev in particular demonstrated a wholesome, outgoing attitude toward life and other people. He made friends readily among his classmates, despite that he was starting to have prophetic flashes as early as age nine. The visions never disturbed the boy; the spiritual environment in which he was raised made them seem normal – and they were certainly expected.

Of course, even better as far as Zev was concerned was a leading instructor at the school. A beautiful woman named Baijayanti watched over Zev’s progress since he was a child. As he matured through adolescence, her interest in Zev became more than grading history papers. He received the “honor” of dallying with Baijayanti on a frequent, erotic basis. Zev was remotely aware that there was more to the world than most of the other school kids knew, and that Baijayanti was part of that secret behind the veil. He just didn’t know what yet.

Grace of Oblivion

It happened when he was 14. Zev and Baijayanti were fooling around again as they had the past year or so. But she took him deeper than he ever had been before. Complete sensory deprivation clutched the boy’s mind, stripping away all outward consciousness – even his sense of time. As his mind spiraled without an external link to the great beyond, he began to panic. Baijayanti soothed him through it but would not release him, forcing his brain to either shut down…or adapt. A keen sense of peace finally crept over Zev, as his mundane senses were replaced with a steady, supernatural awareness. Once calm and guided by his own intuitive understanding, Baijayanti stole him into one last fling of bliss.

At last, the inevitable occurred. For the next several years, Zev was to learn all about the real essence of the universe. He left the school and Baijayanti behind, transferring to the Forgotten Fortress, nestled somewhere deep in the Himalayas. Multiple instructors began Zev’s training. He studied advanced martial arts, including weapons such as the chain whip, and of course kukri knives. But there was more to his training than combat lessons. Zev learned how to meditate, garden, and above all dance. Beautiful, traditional dances to invoke the gods and spiritual essence of the divine were learned, such as the Khyak (to recognize and dance among the shen), the Devi Daitya Sangram (a knife-dueling dance), and the Dasain (a major annual festival, in which his own personal kukri was blessed and sanctified).

Another Khyak

Continuous sensory deprivation regimens were also implemented in accordance to the vital seasonal cycles. The darker, more destructive necessities of Kali were also shared with the disciple, and Zev adopted them readily without ever deflating his friendly, outgoing attitude. Indeed, it was in large part because of the humbling Epiphany he gained in 1986, when he mastered the Khyak dance. Zev realized at that moment that he was just one among countless shen in a vast Hidden World.

Yet, that humility did not blunt Zev’s skill and youthful lust to use it. And he got his chance in 1990: Nephandic forces stumbled across the location of the Forgotten Fortress. A veritable army of demons and foul things were summoned to battle the Vratyas. But the battle-hardened and fearless sect repelled the assault with terrifying mastery. It was such an intense fight, however, that even apprentices like Zev were dragged into the fray. In that bizarre and brutal conflict, he distinguished himself among the other disciples, slaying more monsters than he could remember. After the dust settled, Zev was accepted ceremoniously as a full member of the Vratyas sect.

Repelling Hell

And Zev fully joined the Vratyas just in time for a fast lane push in his training. The assault on the Forgotten Fortress stirred the patient sect into action. An earnest campaign against Nephandic forces began, and with an ambitious target at the end of it all: the vile barrabi, Voormas. Only a young mage, Zev was essentially a foot soldier in this war. Like other disciples, his magickal instruction was accelerated, however, so that he could fight off the minions of hell more effectively. And Zev’s bright mind soaked up all the lore and secrets he could fathom.

Because of the edge of the knife that Vratyas walked on between purity and corruption, Zev discovered that demons frequently targeted all members of his sect, no matter how inexperienced or insignificant. Indeed, for almost two years straight, he was visited nightly in his sleep by a succubus-like demon, with whom he psychically dallied with, but always rebuffed.

Such attempts had little impact on Zev in the middle of a war. He was constantly called to battle in the mountains and valleys, secret fights against the minions of Voormas. He and his brethren fought a variety of demons: hordes Yomi-spirits and bakemono. Those battles were truly terrifying to behold, and prudently kept out of view of the public. Monsters of corruption and decay clashed with agents of pure chaos and destruction: it left little but puddles of blood and mounds of ash. It was near the end of this series of conflicts that Zev came to truly understand and appreciate the distinction between true evil and the amoral essence of nature (as found in the inevitability of time and death). The Vratyas could not, would not, fail!

Unfortunately, by Zev’s twelfth battle versus the Nephandi and their infernal allies, the war effort was souring for the Vratyas. Though their campaign began strong, baiting the Nephandi into fights of the Vratyas’ choosing, the enemy’s numbers were endless and became harder to predict. That last fight proved especially disastrous. Zev was powerless to stop the brave death of Baijayanti when she was overwhelmed with a black sky full of winged monsters. Frustrated and angry, he retreated with the survivors.

Ring of Shadows

Now more experienced and talented, after that battle Zev was elevated from the role of warrior to a seer. It became his task to discern the enemy’s intentions and movements. It was a struggle, and like the other seers, he was largely unable to effectively puzzle out the Nephandi’s schemes. Battles over the next several years became bloodier and less fortunate for the Vratyas. Zev himself rarely left a fight unscathed.

But the Vratyas were like the Gurkha warriors: fearless and determined. As the forces of Voormas pushed, the Vratyas drove back. The only way for the Nephandi to make further progress was to get involved personally. When actual fallen mages clashed with the Vratyas, the fights became more metaphysical and spiritual. Souls were flayed and essences sundered. In those fights, Zev witnessed the defeat of the barrabi, Asura, a devoted disciple of Voormas.

Ultimately, the Vratyas were forced to yield the war to the Nephandi and retreated into hidden anonymity. Their Himalayan stronghold was mystically moved, and within Zev and his brethren recovered and planned anew. Zev was given the new task of assisting with regional patrols, to ensure that no enemy might stumble across the Forgotten Fortress. He was not privy to the sect leader’s plans, but he suspected what the Vratyas’ only real weakness was: a lack of allies. The Nephandi outnumbered them badly – hundreds to mere dozens -- and it was by far the main reason they lost.

Thus, Zev took opportunities to mingle with other shen when he was out on patrol and encountered them. He romanced a vampiress of the Laughing Rainbow sect named Vanida. He chased a mischievous Hanumen and learned humility anew. And for the first time, Zev felt real fear: he was chased by a pack of rabid werewolves until a panther-man, a Bagheera, intervened peacefully on his behalf. This werecat, who gave his name as Prabodh, explained that he spared Zev because it turned out the mage was actually blood relations to the Bagheera. Unsure of Zev’s loyalties, Prabodh refused to disclose any more information about the Bastet. Zev respected that and they parted amiably.

Cat-Man-Do

To be honest, Zev could only take Prabodh’s word for it. He did not feel any different than anyone else simply by merit of being Kinfolk to the Bagheera. Nevertheless, he returned to the Forgotten Fortress and offered his lineage in service to the sect. He could help make new allies for the Vratyas for their war against Hell. The sect leadership agreed, and dispatched Zev alone to Kathmandu in 2002 to seek out these future friends.

Once in the city, Zev lingered around the shadowy underbelly, and it was not long before he made new friends. They were also mages, these Gam Lung Akashayana. Through a friendship with this cabal’s commander, the notorious Ilesh Prabhavi, Zev met other shen. In exchange, he occasionally assisted the Gam Lung in their shady and often brutal business of policing the criminal underworld from within. On the streets of Kathmandu, Zev met mistrustful Nezumi wererats, mongrel Wantong werewolves, and Taoist hsien. None seemed to be interested in the plight of the Vratyas even if they shared a common enemy: there was enough plight in the city alone to go around.

Nearly five years was piddled away chasing dead ends. Zev at least kept up with his training and magickal education. Despite his lack of success, he was ordered to remain abroad. The sect embraced a hard-headed Gurkha stance against Voormas, and intended to go after him again. But they needed the allies.

The Great Beyond

But his efforts in Kathmandu got him nowhere and worse. Ilesh and the Gam Lung eventually became an impediment through their illicit activities. In 2007, they began to clash with the Nepalese branch of the Technocracy; though limited in power in that region, it was powerful in the city. The skirmishes were not devastating to the Gam Lung or seriously threatening to Zev’s life. Those back alley brawls did, unfortunately, partially expose his identity and damage the anonymity that Zev prized.

By the grace of Lakshmi, a new vision sent him on a new path before his own stubborn nature got him into trouble. He beheld a beautiful, wild meadow full of dozens of panthers. They all intently gazed at him, and they constantly shapeshifted and moved about, forcing him to focus and re-focus his attention to determine their purpose. And that, Zev realized, was their purpose: his purpose. Accompanying that epiphany was a flash of spontaneous insight: he was where he would one day travel. America waited, and within America, a city smack-dab in the center of the nation, with its own population of Asian immigrants and shen, called to the Vratyas. Zev knew his path lay there, so he slipped out of Nepal over the mountains and smuggled himself by airplane across the Pacific. Zev knew that if nothing else, this new city would reveal how to acquire allies for his homeland’s defense and the defeat of the enemy. It may even provide such allies, and Zev recognized that his Bastet lineage remained key. It could prove to be a vital advantage to exploit. And why not? Anyone who called demons their enemy was a potential friend to Zev. And anyone who refused to war against Hell was cowardly swine and would join Voormas in oblivion.

Kali Mandir (Sanctum)


~A transplanted bamboo thicket enshrouds Zev Arvind's quiet sanctuary in Little Asia. Located in the district's western edges, it borders the upscale suburban neighborhoods of the metropolitan area. Aloof from the rows of identical neighborhoods, the site upon which it was built is topographically deceptive. At once, the realty rolls into a small hill and dips into a small valley. Whether the ground level rises or falls seems to depend on a combination of the host’s mood and spiritual breath. Either way, the bamboo trees hide the strangely modest abode from the neighbors and passersby. Built from thatch and supple rattan wood, the hermit's hut is roomier than it looks from outside. Outside, aside from an aromatic herb garden, the plain and poorly constructed hovel seems like it might collapse at any time. But inside, the floors are clean and covered with Persian rugs. The walls are smoothly carved. Spartan fixtures allow for clean living, from a filtered well to a comfortable bed. There is space to eat at a low table with pillow cushions for seats. Incense and candles in the rear surround a Vedic shrine that praises an unknown primordial deity. This strange and reclusive home seems disconnected even from the rest of Little Asia, and its Vratyas owner wouldn’t have it any other way.~

OOC: Arcane 3

Significant Other


In winter of 2008, not long after Zev first arrived to Little Asia, he encountered Iona Thais when the Greek gal was touring the district and doing a little shopping. He pulled out all the stops on his charm to win her over, and they began dating. When he discovered they shared the same Tradition, albeit from very different origins, he was all the more ecstatic about the Venusian. Since their first romantic encounter, he has favored Iona in search of higher echelons of pleasure and sensuality. She has much to teach him and he her.

Iona

Significant Other


When Zev came to Little Asia in 2008, his alignment was obviously first to the Court of Shooting Stars. But he did not hesitate to announce his feline heritage to the local Beast-Court in the hopes of learning more about his ancestry. He thus became affiliated with the few Bastet of that organization. In fact, he discovered more than one Bagheera lived in the area. Young Lajila Andhra became the focus of his exploration by that summer, and the exceptionally sensitive young werecat proved quite receptive to his interest and affection. Because she is metis, breeding is out of the question (perhaps...), but Zev's interest in Lajila is understanding the hengeyokai state better anyway. To that end, he will continue to explore her mind, body, and soul as much as she entertains it. No doubt, he wagers, the young panther is just as curious about him, too.

Lajila

Weakness
Oblivion


Death and rebirth are part of the same cycle of metaphysical matter. They are issues of immense spiritual importance. The cycle should not be observed, tampered with, or hastened with such cavalier cruelty. But like all Vratyas, Zev sees it as his duty to bring about chaos and destruction when the forces of Stasis and Order get too tight a grip on reality. Such cavalier destruction will surely be revisited upon Zev, and he knows it. Karmic reciprocity, after all. But he believes it's a price that has to be paid. The world doesn’t correct itself without far worse death and destruction than he would inflict.

Likelihood of Corruption


Average.

Were Zev not so spiritually inclined and bent toward a purer force of chaos rather than entropy, he would already be corrupted. (So would his entire sect, at that.) But because of his internal spirituality, he tosses off wicked temptation as readily as he does his sense of mercy and fair play. He's an avatar of amoral justice and necessity. Then again, he's still only human.

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