Malik Neravus

"'Have you ever thought about society's 'rules?' Keep your composure in public; eat this meal sitting in this position with this utensil; never wear these clothes without those as well; organize your space and belongings exactly like this. But why? What purpose does it all serve? Life is precious and fleeting; there are always things that matter, things worth fighting for. But adhering to pointless rules made by those long dead to do nothing but waste time and suppress your nature? I abandoned those restrictions long, long ago.'""- Malik Neravus, philosophically explaining his erratic behavior to an unknown listener"

Malik Neravus is a well-known electrokinetic Ascendant, as well as the former Sovereign Lord of the Nihlessian Ascendancy before the rise of his brother, Davik Neravus. While often described as unpredictable, eccentric, and aloof, he is nonetheless reported to possess keen intellect and an intimidating presence, striking an odd range of emotions in his observers. Some have speculated him to be an incarnation of Tantallis the Eternal, but as he has never commented on this, it remains unknown, and as stories of Tantallis often portray him as open and bold with his identity, the theory has garnered very little attention.

Early Life
As a secretive individual who kept few public records, little is known about the elder Neravus's childhood. Those who knew him claim that, even as a boy, his range of knowledge often eclipsed even that of the adults around him. Above all else, his hunger for information regarding current events and political alliances unsettled those close to him. Regardless, he spent much of his free time teaching and mentoring his younger brother, Davik. This mentor-student relationship eventually became much more pronounced when Davik became Ascendant.

Rise to Power
Not many who lived through Malik's ascent to power can recall exactly when he entered the public eye. It seemed in hindsight that he had always been somewhat present, standing in shadows and whispering instruction. It was not until his 32nd year that he held his first public office, after being elected consul of Nihlessium. It was at this point that his wife, Senna Neravus, appeared in the public eye as well, yet even less was clear regarding her own origins. Malik served as consul for two years, skillfully managing the goings-on of the Obsidian City until the end of his term. Around this time, Justiciar Strassos was killed in battle, and when Malik handed off the consulship to the next elected official, he was almost immediately elevated to Justiciar to take Strassos's place.

Life as a Justiciar
Malik stood out as a Justiciar by preferring to command rather than act personally. While he is noted for his ruthless efficiency in combat when directly threatened or insulted, or when the same occurs to those in his inner circle, Malik was noteworthy for his dismissal of opportunities for personal glory, which had often been a defining trait of most Justiciars within living memory. Instead he preferred to direct from behind the scenes, seemingly able to anticipate the movements of his opponents and deploy his own forces with deadly precision and minimal loss of life. On the same token, however, Malik was often criticized for his nonchalant demeanor and disregard for social norms. Many observers describe "bouts of madness," where he would begin spouting nonsensical jargon or interrupt conversations with the playing of musical instruments, yet seeming fully in control of his own actions throughout. Regardless of criticism, however, when Sovereign Lord Lyconos passed away, his final decision named Malik as the new Sovereign Lord.

Ruler of the Ascendancy
While his simultaneous reputations as ruthless and unhinged persisted, Malik was a well-loved ruler after his inauguration, devoting resources to building public works, expanding assistance programs, and refining Crüstos's economic system in ways that benefitted the people. New criticisms arose at this time as well, however; while Malik had already built a reputation for secrecy and absentee leadership, many citizens were much less willing to accept this trait in a Sovereign Lord than in a consul or Justiciar. This criticism was only elevated when, after he took office, the people of Crüstos began to notice long absences, with no trace of where to look for him.

He also faced tremendous difficulty keeping the Aerium Imperium in check; multiple defeats at the Ascendancy's hand years earlier, in addition to ongoing border disputes, had made them bitter and angry, giving rise to nationalism and expansion of military. Through tense, repeated negotiation, however, he was able to keep the peace, and the Imperium never attacked or declared war during his reign as Sovereign Lord.

As his Justciars, he chose the Ascendant Fenrik Atalos, Strassos's daughter Runias Strassos, and his own brother Davik Neravus. While there were public accusations of favoritism in regards to selecting Davik as a Justiciar, not many seemed to object to Davik himself, and over time most decriers grew to accept the decision.

During his reign he also commissioned a number of new ships to add to the Acendancy naval fleet, as well as the refitting and modernization of many existing vessels. These commissions included his personal ship, the dreadnought Eternal Tempest, named in reference to his own Ascendant powers.

At some point in his reign, he engaged in single combat against an opponent possessing a claw-type ion blade, resulting in a disfiguring set of scars across the left side of his face. This, in fact, boosted his popularity, as the warrior society of Crüstos saw the scars as a mark of personal glory.

Disappearance
During the eleventh year of his reign, Malik's behavior abruptly became more erratic and unpredictable than ever. In hindsight, observers would find parallels between this and the disappearance of Senna Neravus. Then, one day, his personal shuttle was seen rocketing out of the atmosphere at notably unsafe speeds, toward the Eternal Tempest. The Tempest and its battle group were then immediately scrambled, and made a warp jump out of the Hastryx solar system. This is the last documented sighting of Malik Neravus; as of the modern day, he has not been found, nor are there any records of where the Tempest jumped to. He took with him both Justiciar Runias Strassos and Justiciar Fenrik Atalos, who also have not been located. The only Justiciar remaining was Davik Neravus, who was not present on Crüstos on account of a mission. In the aftermath of Malik's exodus, after the public began to feel that he was not going to return, Davik Neravus was elevated to Sovereign Lord by proxy.