Achileus Demos the voice from the abyss [contest][complete

Real Name: Achileus Demos
Hero Name:
Title: Seahorsewomen envoy
Alignment: Lawful good
Age:  250 years
Gender: Male as of now
Race: Seahorseman
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Sea Blue
Height: 6 feet 1 with human legs, 12 feet with a fish tail
Weight: 160 lb with human legs, 400 lb with fish tail
Blood type: AB-





As a merman, he looks the same, except instead of legs he has a fish tail with rainbow colored scales.  He loves to complement them with shells and anemons in his hair and beard.


Despite his young age, merpeople age ten times longer than human being,  Achileus appears as someone wise and tactful. Being a pacifist, he will always go out of his way to find a non violent solution to any kind of situation. He abhorres violence in any shape or form, thinking of hurting someone make him sick. He'd rather decorate his person, or decorate his cave in vivid colors than do any kind of labour requiring strength.

Because truth being told Achileus sees himself as an artist and his esthetic is so high that he could be debating for hours on the pros and cons of salmon color instead of peach color. But even so he is more of a follower than a leader. Well if he was trying to impose, this would be so much trouble not only for him but for the natural order. Because you see, Seahorse folks are a matriarchy. And being a man in this matriarchy gives you close to no rights.

Being a man he learned at an early age that women were his superiors, why wouldn't they be? They were stronger, faster, and their magic was so much more agressive. So he doesn't see himself hunting, not with rainbow colored scales, prey would see him miles before he arrived. Nor would he be a good warrior, first, the thought of hurting himself make him sick, second starting puberty, males grow a pouch in their belly to carry the eggs. Because yes, Seahorse people lay eggs and male carry them. It doesn't mean that the carrier is the father. It allows the tribe to get more involved with one anothers.  So males tend to the youngs more often than not with eggs in their pouch and females hunt, fight and expand the tribe. It is the natural order, and knowing that in his belly grow the future of their tribe make him feel warm inside.

That's why he feel so much respect towards females, that's why his people is referred to as the seahorse women. Not that he envy them, sure a little bit more respect wouldn't hurt, but he really can't see him take a weapon and fight ennemies, nor can he imagine being able to take a life. Cooking, decorating, singing, bringing peace to other seafolks by speech, this however he could do. That's why he was sent to appease the gods.



Achileus was born and raised in the atlantic ocean. People say that there is no trace of merpeople, but truth is for whomever knows where to look at, merpeople tribes are as varied as there are drops in the ocean. Governement just didn't want to let people know. But back to Achileus. He was born an Alterationist and a male at that, why was it so surprising? Well some things are to be explained first. As can be understood, technology cannot  grow underwater, because technology is first and foremost born from the fire, be it hardened wood, steel, cogs, everything depend in one way or another to the fire. That's why magic is everything to merpeople and seafolks, it can bend the law of nature to their whim. So much that the power of someone willbdirectly affect their future. And for the seahorse tribe, magic has two fundamental aspects. It can either be masculine and serve as as a tool, a calm power that will be used to warm people, grow edible and/or curative plants, bring light in dark places or it can be feminine and all powerful, used to protect the tribe, to kill the beasts, to destroy the ennemies. And if the power is divided in those two aspects, it's because never in the tribe was seen a woman with masculine powers or a man with feminine powers. The exception being the almighty power of water, only one individual in the millenia was granted this power, and this individual was their queen. So what's so surprising about alterationist magic.

Well there was a reason for such a separation of aspects, an alterationist is as the name implies not only able to change themselves, but the thing and people around themselves, their magic is second to none except for the queen.  That's why water magic always belonged to the queen, they were bestowed this power by the alterationist. They also had the role to make sure that everyone was at the place they felt they deserved. So being born one way or another wasn't a fatality, those of peaceful nature with a gentle power were men, and powerful warrior were females. Of course a male could ask to become a female and a female to become a male. There magic would be altered in consequence, the new male would be stripped of all their right and placed under the authority and protection of their closest female relative, if none then they would be protected by the queen. The new female however would not get her right immediately, she would be treated as a stranger wishing to be part of the tribe, and wpuld be a full fledged member after ten years. Naturally, an alterationist also had side job, like changing the type of magic, for example if one had earth magic andcwanted to be a cook, they could ask to replace earth by fire. One could alsoask to change their estethics or to beget more strength or speed or agility. Of course due to her influence in the tribe, an alterationist could only be a female, whatever gender they were born with.

So here was the problem, normally alterationist past the age of choice, girls were sent to military camp at the tender age of 70 years to learn how to fight and boys learned to tend for the tribe various needs. The most able can get an apprenticeship. Because of course, healers were exclusively male. So normally, alterationists were destined to military camp, it was a necessity that they understood the military and politic reality they were in, be it their allies, their ennemy, what location would benefit the tribe. However, Achileus saw himself as a creature of peace and of beauty. No way would he lose his beautiful scales and bring suffering to other creatures. And he told it in such  a way, that there was no doubt to what his heart truly wanted, even as such a tender age.

But his magic was too important for the tribe to just leave him be, however, traditions were to be held, and no male would be seen on the holy training ground. Instead he was to learn the whole history, each and every laws, the victory and defeats of the tribe. They were hoping that by learning of such a glorious lineage, his heart would be swayed. But instead the child grew in grace and beauty, his artistic sense growing with him. He preferred a million time caring for the young that fighting for the glory of the tribe. However his heart did sway, such warriors deserved the best he could give so they could bring a new era of peace and prosperity.

And then he reached the age of 150 years, it was time for him to be a Protector. He would carry the eggs in his pouch until they would hatch. Women protected the tribe as a whole, but men ,they protected the future of this tribe. They were cared for. But they had to prepare the eggs for their new life. And even the toughest woman under the sea had been a child that was cared for. That's why, as a man he was granted the privilege to see them at their weakest. He was allowed to bring to such courageous creatures some warmth in their hardened heart.

He also was to join the other aspiring alterationists in the current alterationist cave. Despite the aprehensions of his peers, the other alterationists took a liking in him, they were dotting and overprotecting, he was litterally their little brother. Plus his rainbow scales were bringing some life in this so plain grotto. There he learned the tools of the trade. The dangers of alteration magic. The importance of alterationnists in their history.

He was then to alter his brethen under supervision of course. So their life would always ring true with their desires. However, at the same time he started his apprenticeship monsters made of metal started roaming the abyss, attacking indiscriminately whoever was on their way. There was sighting of those monsters during his age of choice. But they weren't as agressives. It was a proof that the gods were displeased with these exceptions they were giving this lowly male. It was divine punishment without doubt.

This punishement was four years long. Until Achileus finished his training. It was another proof, that a male shouldn't be granted so many privileges. Due to his pacifist natire, he was sent as an envoy to strengthen their alliance with other tribes. It was a way to make him experiment life out of the tribe. Plus, it was kind of expected that those monsters would finally kill him. And then the gods would be pleased.

He learnt alright, he did learn a lot, first it was a shock to see that their were tribes who had different systems. Democraty, patriarchy, oligarchy, plutocraty, all with their systems against the very laws of nature. But why were these tribes not punished? A male could become a warrior and not end boiled alive by the gods? Not that he wanted to be ine? But that was so, so against every beliefs! Where they really wrong tho? If the gods didn't act against them, then who was he to judge them.

His mission was peace. And of peace he spoke. And the words used were so true, that even the most hardened warrior sheded tears. Little by little, during twenty years, his word united those who were ennemies, the queen had her magnificent warriors and the voice of the abyss as he was starting to be known as. For his voice was uniting the thousands of hearts that were living in the abyss.

Then the gods showed their ire. The beasts were back with vengeance and during 5 long years of blood and scream, they rampaged! Not only against the merfolks, but also between themselves. During this twenty year of peace they multiplied. Some brave heroes tried to reduce their number, be it by sheer force or by destroying their eggs, but for each egg destroyed, a brave would be engulfed into a giant ball of fire. It was truly horrific, but it was just the beginning.

The monsters were still multipliing, but they stopped attacking. However, other tribes accross the seven sea were litterally annihilated in an instant, and the seas so cursed that whoever coming there would decay slowly for years after. And then it stopped.

Some people were expecting that at long last, the gods were at long last satisfied. The previous wars were forgotten, tribes united themselves to survive. A lot of sisters and brothers were killed during these dark dark years. Only three alterationists remained in the tribe. But the gods weren't finished.

As they did before they started showering the tribes with gifts from above. Strangely shaped artifact, soft little statues, bags filled with multiple delicacy. This just wouldn't stop! But the people were dying from strange illness, algae was killing other fishes. In their cruelty, the gods returned what was supposed to be a blessing against those that followed their laws. And this just wouldn't stop! The ocean was plagued by so many horror, water would change color and become sticky, jellyfish like monster would take their life slowly, plague was assaulting them, some people had litterally their skin torn out of their flesh. The gods had forsaken the Ocean.

Then the last alterationist died,  Achileus was 250, he was to replace her, he was to give up his peace and accept his more brutal feminity so at long last the gods would be pleased and the old way would be followed. It was his duty as an Alterationist, for the tribe, for the Ocean. He was resolute for this kind of sacrifice.

But then a god descended on them, he had chosen to apear as a male, grotesque as he was bloated, as if he was protecting thousands of eggs, in lieue of a tail, he had instead two sticks. He could hardly move and yet, not even the queen magic, the holy water magic could hurt him. He explained that there was a lot more gods than what they thought as much as there was drop in the ocean, and that if no one told them, then the ire of the gods would never cease.

For his heart, Achileus was chosen to plead with the gods. He would swim to the summit of the world and bring to the gods the voice of his people so the unending curse would end. He would reach the holy beyond water Youaissai.

2. Agility
3. Endurance
1. Reaction
4. Strength




Physical alteration: Achileus can transform himself and all things around him on a radius of 10 meters.

Changing aspect: Magic that makes the target be the opposite of what they are (including gender). Permission based.

Magical alteration: Magic that can change the target power by changing one aspect of their personnality.Permission based.

Speechcraft: Achileus can understand the meaning of what is said and can be understood by anyone even if they don't speak the same language.


You can't change what you are: Achileus can't change organic matter into inorganic matter, nor can he change the atoms composing said matter.

Nothing gained, nothing lost: Achileus can't add mass nor retract it to what he alters. He can however mix what is in his ten meter radius as long as it's viable. No cyborg, no monsters.

No incredible feat: Achileus can't change someone into a superhuman being, he can however alter their body so they can reach gold medal level in strength, agility and endurance. He can also grant them wings, gill, fish tail etc...

Authorized personnel only:Changing aspect and Magical Alteration are so intrusive that they need the consent of their target, else the soul won't let it happen.

Starting somewhere:A new power doesn't come with the notice, so there is slim to no control in its usage also it will start weak. For example if someone change superstrength for fire power, they will be able to only throw fire ball one time out of ten.

Alteration end: If Achileus change his alteration magic by another type, he won't be able to go back.

Liar Liar: Perfect communication doesn't make him immune to lies.








Achileus speaks only by rhymes

He needs to be close from water or he won't feel at ease .