Tianxia:Dzintars Lielais

Dive deeply into the coffers of Latvian mythology, and you shall eventually discover for yourself the tale of Kurbads the Devilslayer. You shall hear of how he, in the 1st Century AD, rose among three brothers in a land wracked with rampant death and danger, how he brutalized all of his foes, and how he ultimately met his end by a terrible poison. However, what that story does not recount is his return to the Earth, and his journey of studying the world's magic as a spirit. He assumed a new name for himself as Dzintars Lielais, or "Amber the Great", after his deeds in a war between Hiidet and magicians.

Magicians are not usually renowned for their strength, but for their wisdom and skill in weaving magic. However, Dzintars is known for all of these qualities, turning his skills in combat into military prowess as a general and actively combining them with his magic. Strangely enough, he is also the high priest of the Romuva-Suomenusko Alliance, a position that one would not usually expect a powerful general to possess.

Personality
Though he is a warrior by all means, having an especially bloody history even past his death, Dzintars is rather gentle-spirited when conversing with most people. This is not limited to humans, for he is kind to most, if not all, beings of nature. If he finds a frail being who is in need of assistance, he will not hesitate to come to their aid, be they Hiisi, animal, or human. To say that he is somewhat of a gentle giant is not inaccurate, though the term "giant" would certainly not be used to describe his physical size. It is somewhat ironic that Dzintars expresses such a benevolent and benign nature most of the time, since he was once known as "The Devilslayer" in the past, mercilessly killing demons and Hiisi who stood in his way. Such an irony is likely due to the notion that he is far older now, having revoked his past of killing for a more studious life of learning and virtuous actions.

It is not very difficult to befriend Dzintars, for he is often a mightily pleasant soul. This is especially brought out when offering to assist him with something that he is doing, since he is interested in learning much in the way of new information and appreciates virtuous actions. Within a short amount of time, Dzintars might invite such people to go on journeys with him through forests or mountains, or even have a few drinks with him. If someone stays with him long enough and earns his respect, he might allow them to be blessed at the temple of Romuva, where he is not only the chief general, but also the chief priest. Further respect may requisite him taking individuals under his wing to train them in magic, battle, and other areas of learning, usually for the purpose of building Garme's army.

To his troops, Dzintars expresses himself in a mixture of well-meaningness and tenacity, making sure that they maintain unwavering levels of discipline. He is willing to show them the harsh consequences for not being disciplined properly, but does not do so ruthlessly. Instead, he subjects his warriors to teaching in various areas, drilling battle tactics into their minds and divulging unto them some important wisdom.

The aforementioned traits may seem to portray Dzintars as an individual who prefers not to fight and has rid himself of any trace of viciousness, but that would be a fallacy of the utmost delusion. He is ever employed by the god Garme Autras to lead armies of skilled sorcerers, shamans, and warriors to deter the hordes of Hiisi in the Baltic from killing too many humans or expanding their territory further. Assisting the protector of a certain part of the world in doing their job is no matter for one who lacks ferocity and brutal intent - Dzintars possesses just that. He is still capable of fighting without remorse, but does such a thing in a far more subtle way. Now, instead of immediately plunging into the thick of battle, he creates meticulous diversions and draws out plans such that he will always be a fair amount of steps ahead of an adversary.

Power/Combat
I was born a child of iron A mother of steel gave me life I put on a jacket of iron A coat made of steel They struck at me, stabbed at me Like a block of oak They couldn't hit or stab me Like to a chunk of steel...

Dzintars has not lost any of his ferocity and strength from when he was properly alive. Instead, he has had more than a thousand years to improve upon his enormous physical strength and learn a vast quantity of magic from traveling across Eurasia. He studied magic under individuals such as Nischergurgje and Garme Autras, individuals whom he may as well have matched in some areas by now. He is capable of uttering vile incantations that spread curses among opposing armies, or invoking the powers of earth spirits to both cure and cause disease. He has even learned how to use some of the curses that were used against him in his last days as a human, and also the very poison that ultimately laid him low. Generally, he seems to have a propensity to use Earth magic, making large fissures in the ground with his spear.

His sheer physical strength has been proven time and time again throughout his past, certainly comparable to what a giant possesses. Surely, though he is a wizard, his strength is of greater merit to him than his non-conceptual magic. He has proven capable of crushing the bones of a dragon or hydra with his bare hands, rolling large boulders as if they were peas, and pounding the bodies of Hiidet and demons into dust. He has held claim to his title of "Giant-Strong" for some time, being far stronger than even Lāčplēsis, the Latvian hero who could rip a bear apart. In a bare-handed fistfight or a match of brutal wrestling, he has few peers, and will stop at nothing to literally break his opponent. This also transfers over to his ability with the blade, which could be considered foremost among any wizard or warrior of the Baltic. He can even keep up with some gods in his prowess with the sword, allowing him to train with his superior.

One may also think that he is simply a brute that crushes all in his path with his strength akin to a giant, but no, such a thought is fallacious all the same. He is not only a leader with vast strength and great magic, but a general with a keen mind for planning and battle tactics. If a tactical maneuver exists, he has probably studied it in a book or seen it in practice. His most effective use of tactics lies within the realm of ambush, directly connected with an ability that he has developed in strictly-guarded secrecy. That ability is the manipulation of the hiding and hidden, a very broad and sly power. He can blot out any indication that something is present by hiding it among the surroundings, hiding even the energy that it gives off. Whole armies could be disguised among a forest with this ability, giving absolutely nothing to tip off a reconnaissance unit or someone with sensory powers. Dodging attacks would be difficult with this, too, with only the effects of an attack being visible to an adversary. The feeling of a hit could also be hidden, which would be extremely dangerous since death from infection, loss of blood, or something else could occur without the afflicted even knowing it.

Weapons and Artefacts

 * Zariņš Sašķelšanās: (Lit. "Twig of Partition") A heavily pattern-welded and broad spearhead mounted on a long shaft of wood. The spearhead was forged by Garme Autras in an open Icelandic volcano, blessed with immense power, and given to Dzintars as a gift for his good deeds in battle, scholarly pursuits, and friendship. If he were to strike a metal weapon of lesser quality with the spearhead, the weapon on the receiving end would have its microcrystalline structure subtly messed with. Thus, in conjunction with his ability to manipulate what is hidden, the spiritual properties of the weapon become "hidden" from the user, unable to reply to or connect with their spirit. To the user, the hardened metal would appear dead or unresponsive. Combined with its enormous durability and strength of the material, this spear is not something to be taken lightly.

Major

 * Garmē Āutrās: The Baltic god of semi-terrestrial blacksmithing had heard the story of Kurbads during his first duties in Finland back in the 1st Century AD, and Dzintars had heard of Lemminkainen from the people he had encountered. The two befriended one another, formed a lasting bond of comradeship, and sought to form a group of powerful wizards in the Baltic, since Vainamoinen had ascended to heaven to become a celestial being.


 * Sarvik: Sarvik, being one of the current three members of the Great Wizards of the South Baltic, frequently interacts with Dzintars to discuss political and territorial manners. Dzintars has only been to Pagarbas once, and such a visit was for the purpose of being judged by Veles. Since Sarvik resides in that area, he provides a good set of eyes for both Dzintars and Garme.


 * Jakamas: Jakamas is the youngest member of the Great Wizards of the South Baltic, but he is still respected highly by Dzintars due to his prowess in economic matters. The abilities of Jakamas are highly useful to Dzintars, since he can gather people, animals, and various magical creatures with the magical properties of amber. His magic has a number of other properties, such as healing, which are also essential for Dzintars and his army.


 * Simargl: Traditionally, learned Baltic mages control any sort of Hiisi as a "helper" of sorts to their deeds. Dzintars may call upon this fiery, winged wolf-lion to aid him if a situation may call for it. To some, Simargl is a god of crops and life, and to others, they are a being of fire who feasts on silver and gold. Simargl is among one of the Hiisi members of the Romuva-Suomenusko alliance, and holds great respect for Dzintars. They are never really treated as a pet or a steed - such titles would sully Simargl's purpose.

Trivia

 * Back when he was still Kurbads, Dzintars helped a blind man regain his eyesight.


 * Dzintars possesses a strange book known as the Rohonc Codex. It seems to detail events that occurred in Europe earlier than 1000 AD, and perhaps some magical incantations. Sarvik gave it to him one day and instructed him to work on deciphering even a small portion, if possible.


 * Dzintars is an extraordinarily-accomplished sailor and boatman. He has experience piloting craft of all sorts down the mires, rivers, and lakes of Latvia and, of course, the Baltic Sea.