Varljiv

Varljiv is a character in MORITURI TE SALUTANT.

Race
Originally, he started out as a divine byproduct, seven non-sentient anomalies created by seven lies a being of divine power told as it constructed its world. A Rival being of the creator gathered up the seven flaws in the world and combined them into one. The being gave him sentience, a body, and a purpose and released him into his rival deity’s creation to wreak havoc. Things didn’t go quite as expected, and Varljiv was tasked with the station of Aspect of Lies.

An Aspect is a pseudo-immortal being tasked with the care of a concept or thing in creation. They generally tend to be abstract things such as silence, swears, and lost things. Varljiv is the only Aspect with two creators.

Description:
In a world where function fuels form, his current shape is most physically similar to an anaconda of monstrous proportions. He was quite a bit smaller initially, but lies tend to grow overtime if left unchecked. Now he’s of similar length as a semi truck and with coils as thick as one of its tires. Varljiv is a swampy green which he believes quite compliments his orange, lantern-like eyes. If one were to look closely at his scales, they might seem to shimmer or ripple. A side effect of being words turned to flesh. He has two fangs, though they’re almost entirely ornamental. They’re not particularly large or sharp, and he’s non-venomous. Not to mention that he’s really not inclined to biting in the first place. I mean he has no idea where you’ve been.

He’s snarky, sarcastic, rude, manipulative, and maybe just a little germophobic. An entire existence spent cataloguing every lie anyone of his world has ever told has left him thoroughly disillusioned and jaded in his views. While he is a self-admitted liar, a cheat, and a thoroughly selfish, manipulative bastard, he adamantly claims not to be a hypocrite and takes great pride in it.

Sometimes the patron Aspect to magistrates, ministers, magicians, and storytellers. When he can be bothered.

He doesn’t trust you.

Weapons and Abilities:
As the Aspect of Lies, Varljiv can detect a lie no matter if it is said or written. This hardly ever covers statements of moral issue as there isn’t any particular “truth” to be determined. He wouldn’t be able to notice a lie in a mass murderer saying they were a good person if they did believe they were. He would though be able to find a lie in the same person saying that they have never killed a person before. All Aspects a have certain amount of natural resistance to mental influence from reality warping or otherwise.

Varljiv may not like people but he sure is good at talking to them. A stroke of the ego, a precise, crippling blow to ones trust; these can make for far deadlier weapons than a sword or dagger. Varljiv would much rather manipulate others to act than do so himself and risk his own neck. His serpentine form makes him capable of impressive bursts of speed and agility. His coils contain a crushing strength that squeeze the truth and life from the average beast. His lack of any limbs often leads to frustration in settings where fine motor control is required.

He produces ink from his fangs instead of venom. He has yet to find a useful purpose for this talent.

Biography:
''The being known as Varljiv was originally seven separate holes in creation caused by seven untruths The Adversary, may his teeth turn yellow and his crops die, tricked our most holy and perfect Creator into speaking with his vile villainy. The Adversary, may his children grow humps, then gathered up the seven lies across the boundary of creation and corrupted it into one twisted and unholy mockery of our own great and exalted Creator’s creations, For The Adversary, may his face be blighted by boils and his hands with running sores, cannot create but only distort. The ever jealous Adversary, may his toes curl and his heels be crippled with bunions, gave the flaw in The Creator’s design a body, sentience, and a purpose to let it loose on The Creator’s world to destroy and undo Her creation. The jealous, hateful Adversary, may his liver rot into a black pudding, knew The Creator would have to come down Herself to slay the creature and end its rampage, and in doing so be devoured by Her own words.''

''But The Creator, in Her infinite mercy, chose instead to reason with the creature than destroy it. Though in part a creation of the jealous one, it was too a creation of Herself and so worthy of Her love. And through Her love the creature was liberated from the dark hold of the Adversary, may he be forever plagued by all insects that fly or crawl, and embraced as one of Her greatest children. The Aspects.''

- End of The Second Chapter of The Book of Beginnings, Abridged Edition