deathmasking

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A more realized version of this from many many years ago

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The restlessness of sleepless nights digs trenches where the corpses of memory are rotting.

Emil Cioran | Tears and Saints (1937)

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//tag dump 2

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//tag dump 1

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When the day met the night. (done by Pigeranima on fiverr!!)

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RULES

Preface: A few things to make clear before anything else. Firstly, my portrayal of Urick is canon-divergent from what was seen in Drakengard 2. Secondly, while Urick is from Drakengard, and this is a Drakengard/Nier related blog, it is also very AU and crossover friendly, and given the quiet state of the Drakengard RPC, its very likely that I will be engaging in more AU/Crossover stuff than anything else here-- this may as well be a fandomless blog in all but name TBH. Thirdly HELLO! My name's Mark, he/him, 29! Maybe you know me from @doomxdriven or @iinexorabile (where Urick was before this)?? Or maybe this is our first time crossing paths? (8 Either way, hello, and if everything I've said so far is cool by you, then please, read on.

ANYWAY, Actual rules

1. This blog is low activity, meaning that my activity can ebb and flow but will generally be pretty sparse. I work a very time and sanity consuming job that, well, eats up about 80% of my week and my energy e.e but I will try to be here as much as I can.

2. This blog is selective, and mutual’s only, a.k.a, I can be kinda choosy in regards to who I follow back, and I will only interact IC with those I follow back. If you follow me and I don’t follow you back in a few days, I’m probably not going to, sorry (unless i’m on hiatus or something in which case I’m not actively checking up on my blog or followers or anything sdfjhgsdfjghs). I generally follow back all types of blogs (canon’s/multi’s/oc’s/etc) provided I’m familiar with their fandoms and/or can see us interacting in some way. Deplorables please dni though.

3. This blog does practice mains, and exclusives, but the latter will only ever be used for my closest friends. The latter aside, I am definitely open to writing with multiple portrayals of a muse, though mains will get higher priority, should I have them.

4. GODMODDING/META-GAMING: Having to put this down as a rule feels so cursed in the lords year 2025 like, you’d think most people would know this by now, but, for the people in the back I guess; don’t god mod or try to control my muse without my permission and all that!

5. REPLY SPEED/LENGTH: I can be the slowest writer in the known universe so please keep that in mind when you are writing with me. sometimes it can take me weeks, or even a month or more than that to get to replies. i know that isn’t ideal for some people, and if that puts you off from wanting to write with me i completely understand, but that’s just how my brain works. sometimes i can put things out relatively fast, but thanks to the various factors of my life, most of the time my writing frequency is sporadic and my muse for threads can ebb and flow, so [insert shrugging here] that just how it be.

When it comes to reply length, i’m a big quality over quantity person. I literally do not care how big or small your reply is so long as you show enthusiasm and give me enough to work with when it comes to my response. likewise, i’d ask that you don’t hold me to any certain ‘quantity’ when it comes to my writing. i’ll make an attempt to match your length, but at the end of the day, i might not always be able to do that. i will, however, make sure to give you something to work with, instead of leaving the metaphorical ‘ball’ in your court all the time.

6. NSFW?: I don’t expect a ton of sexual-esque NSFW stuff to happen on this blog, but I suppose it's still remotely possible. NSFW of any kind will of course be tagged accordingly, and put under readmores, but as far as hard-core smut goes, I, do not see myself ever publicly writing that, so situations of that nature, if they do occur, will likely be taken down the ‘fade to black’ route.

7. SHIPPING?: Shipping is not a huge priority for me, but, that said, I am potentially open to shipping in certain circumstances (with good ic chemistry, and proper ooc communication being paramount for such things), though we'll see how that goes.

8. MUN SELF-CALLOUT: I suffer from crippling social anxiety and I’m horrible about approaching people first, so if you want to write with me, your best bet is to just hit up my inbox to talk about things! if anything i try to keep an eye out for starter calls but i dont usually keep up with the dash so, those tend to escape me unfortunately sdfkhjsdfhjksd. If I’m following you, chances are that I want to write with you, but if I haven’t approached you yet….. you know why: i’m too socially inept for my own good sdfkjhsfkhjsdfkhj

9. I prefer not to engage with callouts or drama, and would prefer to see you, as a follower of mine, not fill my dash with the latter and be wise about interacting with the former. I personally will reblog callouts if I find there is real merit in them and awareness to spread, but otherwise I will generally avoid such things.

OTHER IMPORTANT TIDBITS

– I can understand on some level why some people prefer their new followers to send in passwords or asks or something but I’m just not comfortable doing that I’m sorry sfhjkgsdgh if i’ve followed you, you can be assured that I have read your rules, but if you absolutely require me to send something in to confirm that then uh….. sorry its not going to happen ):

– I don’t engage in fight threads TOO often but I love them and am definitely down for brawls between our muses! That said I’d prefer we as mun’s sorta talk about where we expect those fights to go, and be realistic about our muse’s capabilities and such, especially if its a fight thread that may wind up with one of our muses being seriously injured!

– Mutual’s are welcome to ask for my discord, but I don’t talk on there very much or use it often– it is a better place to contact me for plotting or other rp related things, though SFHSGHJDF WILL ADD MORE LATER MAYBE? THANK YOU FOR READING THUS FAR THO UR AWESOME!

[deathmasking]

— FIND ME A NEW MADE GRAVE & HIDE ME LIKE A DEAD MAN

DEATHMASKING: an independent, low-activity, canon-divergent portrayal of URICK from drakengard 2. controlled by MARK. au/crossover friendly. mutual's only.

— I'M MY OWN STONE AROUND MY NECK

herein lies a story of perilous mistakes, regret, and all the tragedy it has wrought. herein lies a mess most loathsome-- a tortured caricature of a man hidden beneath a painted and undying smile, chasing forgiveness and his inevitable undoing with each step.

— BUT DOES ANYONE NOTICE? BUT DOES ANYONE CARE?

RULES ABOUT VERSES HEADCANONS PLAYLIST

PSA: (blog is still a big WIP, but hello, if you're here somehow!!) NOTE: art credit for the first banner image goes to ililancer on fiverr!

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Fun fact about Urick is that he literally has no heart, he lost it when he made his Pact with The Reaper (his Pact Price was Mortality, and his heart symbolized it, beautiful right). This aspect of his pact left Urick with one of the only wounds on his body that will never heal; on the right side of his chest is a giant, gaping hole where his heart used to be!!

Visually, you can imagine the hole in Urick's chest is not a pretty sight, in fact it makes him appear quite monstrous, a fact that many people have remarked on upon seeing it. This literal heartlessness has other impacts though, beyond being visually repulsive.

Without a heart, Urick has no blood flow, and almost no blood to speak of; The Reaper's magic sustains Urick in a way that makes up for this, ensuring his body functions as it would if he had a heart (along with regenerating from whatever damage comes its way), but this aspect of his Pact means that Urick is very cold to the touch (not freezing but corpse-like), and means when he's cut or injured, he doesn't 'bleed' so much as he 'oozes' or 'seeps' (the only blood left within him since his pact was coagulated long ago).

If there's anything Urick can say is positive about his literal heartlessness, its that it hasn't made him metaphorically heartless, but..... that's about it.

Pact's are REALLY GREAT.

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Urick & Atonement

One of Urick's main goals is atoning for his antics that wound up getting General Oror killed (that's the main driving factor anyway), and the end stage of Urick envisions for that atonement basically involves him dying for good, but before he does that, Urick feels as if he has to do something… important, something important enough to where he feels as if he has made up for what he did on that fateful day.  

At the top of Urick's list, however, is stuff that revolves around the people Urick cares for; helping them in some tremendous way, or dying for them if need be, the latter being a ’kill two birds with one stone’ situation for him  (he helps his loved ones in some way while dying in the process! Yay). In DoD2 Urick did a combination of those two things on Nowe’s behalf.

Urick will settle for other grand feats too though, like saving large swaths of people from certain doom, or maybe even the world if possible-- so long as whatever he does has great meaning, and positive effect.

          Dying in any scenario is a little complicated for Urick, though, as The Reaper needs to die before Urick himself can truly die, and getting The Reaper to die isn’t a walk in the park (unless you're Caim apparently)… but regardless, that's what a lot of Urick's overarching actions are leading to in his main verses and others.

That said, I like to think that Urick's various adventures will eventually lead him to realize (either with the help of the people in his life-- whoever they may be-- or on his own) that he doesn't need to die to atone for his sins, and that he can learn to forgive himself and keep going.

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The Reaper, and it's origins

A longstanding headcanon of mine is that Urick's Pact Partner, The Reaper, is more or less a sorta reconstitution of the Watcher Ezrael from DoD3. Ezrael, being the Angel of Death, and The Reaper, being self explanatory, (and both of them being purple) of course they would be connected.

The idea is that, while the manifestations of 'Death' can be 'destroyed' (as has been seen with Ezrael and The Reaper), their core essence and power can't be-- when their manifestations are destroyed, 'Death' goes on, and eventually reconstitutes itself as something that is, at its core, altogether still 'Death'.

[deathmasking]

THE HOLY FLOWERS, KEY TO SHINING LIFE

......The Holy Flowers,

          Key to the District of Shining Life, they are a bed of parasitic-like flowers that draw from the vitality of those around them. When 'fed', they release a powerful scent that neutralizes a seal's negative energies, keeping the area around it relatively stable.

....continue to bloom,

          Originally a holdover from the Cult of the Watchers (which was repurposed by former Hierarch Verdelet), the Holy Flowers typically feed upon the vitality of villagers from nearby settlements, and/or imperial martyrs, whom the Knights force to be sacrifices. People given to the Holy Flowers-- men, women, and children alike-- usually suffer a slow and agonizing death as the flowerbed steadily drains them of their life-force.                      However.....            .....when needed, those put at the flowers mercy can be hauled into one of three chambers within the District, where they will be offered as more immediate sacrifices; their deaths coming swiftly as the Holy Flowers ravenously devour their life's essence.

...their petals stained with the blood of those they consumed.

          Like all districts and their key's, the Holy Flowers are assigned a Guardian, someone who is not only tasked with protecting the key and the seal it contains, but is also bonded to it. That Guardian is Urick, and during his time as a Knight Lieutenant, he was responsible both for watching over the Holy Flowers, and feeding them. Though even after departing from the Knights of the Seal, Urick's link to the flowers remains, one that is perhaps stronger, and more intricate than any Guardian of any District....           The Holy Flowers are unique among the other district keys. While other keys can be destroyed on their own, the Holy Flowers are indestructible by themselves, immortal, if you will, a trait they share with their Guardian. Only once Urick and his Pact Partner are gone, will these wretched parasites be wiped from the world. until then, t̫̞̱̋̓̀ȟ̠̜̞̎͝ê̪̜͉̓͌ ̢̪̼́̊̉H͔̖̥́͒͝o̗͕͑̈́̈ͅl͙̩̗̒̅̚y̫̳̥̏̄̅ ̨̟̞̓͝͝F͚̲̒̑̑͜l̡̢͍̆̆͐o̰̖͖͌̿̚w̞̝͖̅̓͝e̠̠̲͌̊͘r̹̭̭̓̐͠ş̛̲̳́͛ ̬̖̇̒́͜w̭͇̰̃́̇i͚̱͕̔̽̑ḷ̝̗̓̋͠l͖̜͎͋̌͝ ̛̞̻̩̆̓c̜̜͕̉̋̓ȯ̗̟̟̉͑n̫̲͓͋̇͋t̼̳̘̽̄̑ǐ̦͎̪͗̓ṋ̤̻̇̎͝ù͉̙̘̃̅e̫̯̟̿̀̿ ̧͇̮̄͆̚t͓͇̜͑̋̚o̫̝͎̽͂͠ ͈̤̥̾͌͝b̜͕͍̈́̔̆l̩̲̲͗̿͝o̡̹͇̾͋̂ờ̧̩̣̈m͎͇͑̓̚ͅ

[deathmasking]

Urick & Courage/Cowardice 

As seen in DoD2, Urick has two very distinct qualities of courage, the first being 'lets get the fuck out of here' (when Caim appeared in the City of Rust), and then there’s 'I'm going to challenge the single most powerful person in the series yet to a fight' (at the District of Shining Life, twice).  

So, whats the deal ? Well at one time, Urick was genuinely cowardly, like, full stop. The incident with General Oror was perhaps the best example of that, but Urick had a bit of a cowardly streak going on long before (and not just with running from serious fights, you could look at his past relationship with Yaha or how he went along with the Holy Flowers situation in his District too among other things).

Post Pact though, or rather present day, Urick's at least gotten over his crippling fear of death, and his apparently questionable courage all has to do with his envisioned end-game; i.e he atones for the grievous sin he committed (getting Oror killed), and then dies, or dies and simultaneously atones, you know, however that guilt-ridden cookie happens to crumble.

Obviously, Urick doesn't want to die without doing that (during death or before). That’s why Urick was so eager to flee the first time the group encountered Caim (since Urick was pretty sure Caim could kill him indefinitely, and at the point Urick hadn't done shit to atone, possibly being killed for good without doing any of that scares Urick), and its also why he stood to challenge Caim the other two times.

The first time Urick challenged Caim ended up being a flop, both because everything had turned into a fucking mess (the knights were everywhere, and they had captured Manah), and because Urick realized that dying and leaving Nowe on his own at such a time was a bad idea. The mindset Urick had then and the one he had at the final confrontation with Caim were the same, though. Urick threw down the gauntlet because he thought that was it, he had atoned for what he did, so he could finally die with no qualms.

To summarize though, across all his verses, Urick will generally only flee from a serious fight (or any instance when someone is trying to kill him) when he feels the person(s) involved are capable of-- not killing him-- killing his Pact Partner, The goddamned Grim Reaper (which would mean actual death for Urick).  This is of course assuming that Urick feels he won't atone for what he’s done by dying in that moment, or he hasn't found some way to atone beforehand, because if he has, then he'll be comfortable taking that eternal L-- but otherwise? Nope, he's OUTTA THERE.

This does also mean that barring a threat of that sheer apocalyptic caliber, Urick won't ever back down from a challenge, not necessarily because he's THAT confident in his own skills or abilities but because he knows that worse case scenario, most people are unable to kill him for good, even if they can kick his ass seven ways from Sunday.

Does any of that mark Urick as harbouring true courage? Can Urick really be called 'brave'? That's debatable, especially since you could say Urick's still a bit of a coward in certain other ways, but at the very least, present day, he's far from the coward he once was.

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                  Chosen || Drabble

’They put up a good fight. I think one of them almost cut me back there,‘ slowly, Yaha pulled the sharp end of his scepter from the back of a bandits head, one of the many corpses that surrounded the blonde elf.

Urick was a couple of paces away, with no shortage of dead bandits laying at his feet as well. 

’One of these guys?' Urick would step over a severed arm, doing his best to not get his shoes dirty with blood. If there was anything that was difficult as hell to clean off, it was blood.

’I doubt that! I think you’re giving them a bit too much credit,’ Urick smiled, looking over at the blonde elf, his best friend.

Yaha was staring back, a smile, just as bright as Urick– nay, brighter, creased upon his lips.

’Ahh, maybe I am. It’s not like that is a crime, though.’ Yaha would make his way toward Urick, not caring for the corpses he stepped over/on. There sure was a lot of them, just how many had he and Urick dispatched? Ten? Twenty? Thirty? It was so hard to tell. There were lots of bodies laying on that cave floor, many of them cut into a myriad of different pieces.

Their numbers may have been lost, but if the mass of bodies and body parts said one thing, it was that Urick and Yaha were a great team. There wasn’t anything they couldn’t accomplish when they worked together.

’I would not be giving you too much credit, if I said you fought like a true knight back there, would I?’ four or five feet away from Urick, and Yaha stopped, his eyes focused on Urick’s own.

Urick chuckled, giving his friend a nod of approval, ’Haha, no of course not! I know when to take a compliment.’

The white haired Lieutenant would then turn around, stretching, and giving a loud yawn. It was about time they returned to headquarters, they had achieved their goal. Find the bandits planning who were planning a raid on one of the districts, and end them, that’s all they had to do, and now that they were done, Urick saw no reason to stay around this corpse gathering any longer.

Turning around like he did is when he first saw it though. What did Urick see? A scythe. Toward the end of the cave, laying upon a wide stone table, sat the most interesting weapon Urick had ever seen. He hadn’t noticed it before amid all the fighting, but now that everything was calm, it had finally caught his eye.

Curious, Urick moved across the cave, once again carefully avoiding any piles of innards or blood. The weapon looked nice, but he still didn’t want to get his shoes dirty, especially with Yaha present, they were gifts from the guy after all.

’Hey Yaha, do you see that?’ Urick says, gesturing to the scythe.

’See what?’ Yaha had only focused on two things during this whole trip, the bandits, and Urick, and now that the brigands were lifelessly scattered about, he hadn’t given much thought about anything else but his fellow lieutenant in this dank cave.

’This weapon–’ Urick had already gotten close to the scythe, his eyes looking directly down at the masterpiece before him. ’– look at it. It must’ve belonged to the bandit chief.’

Yaha eyed the weapon, a cold chill traveling down the back of his spine in effect. There was something about that scythe that didn’t feel right. Yaha was not one for religion, but that scythe simply felt, and looked..unholy. There was no better way to describe it. The table it sat upon didn’t help either; some sort of macabre altar, by the looks of it.

’Are you sure you should be touching that?’ Yaha voiced his concern, concern that was also evident in his golden eyes.

’It’s just a weapon!’ Urick, jovial as always, picked the scythe up from its resting place. The weapon was heavy, heavier than expected. Even so, it was nothing Urick couldn’t handle. ’A very nice weapon. Better than that rusty heap of metal I was assigned.’

Yaha frowned; he wanted to tell Urick the weapon didn’t seem right, he wanted to tell him to put it down, but Yaha could not work up the will to do so. Urick seemed so excited about the scythe, and the last thing Yaha wanted to do was make Urick of all people sad. When his fellow Lieutenant finally turned around, the scythe still in hand, Yaha forced a smile onto his face. ’It certainly looks more imposing. Are you going to keep it?’

Urick would look down at the scythe once more. From the tip of the blade, all the way down to the skull-themed ornament below the handle, this weapon seemed..perfect. It wasn’t an axe– the kind of weapon Urick was familiar with–, but it was shaped like one.

Yes, Urick was going to keep it, he was dead set on that. ’I think I will! I’d be crazy to pass something like this up.’ Urick would bring his eyes up off his new weapon, looking back toward his friend.

The two of them continued on talking, no doubt speaking on their plans for returning to the Knight’s headquarters.

Unbeknownst to either of them, there was a dark entity listening in, watching them, but mostly, watching Urick, from the skull on the scythe’s handle.

          F̢̩͍̠̅̒̀̀ḯ̫̬̙̙̌̈́̉ǹ̪̱̭̲̑̓̕a̛̯͉͙̖͂͊͗l̜̗̖̭̾̔͒̋l͓̼̱̬̇̇̽͝y̡̗̣̎̀͑͠ͅ,̦̞̬̰̃̿̓̕ ͖̹͔͇̀͛̏̃a̧̡̳̩̎̋͒͠ ̢͖̱̂̓́̍ͅv̧̼͇͈̍͗̽̐e̙̤͉͖̽́̃̏s̡͉̝̖̔̂͆̋ŝ̮̱̺͇͑̈̈́e̳̞̦̗͐́̊̏ľ̠̻̦̟̈́̾̍ ̦̰̤̆̃͋̚͜ḧ̡̦̫̳́̽̇́ą̩̮̥́͛̉́ṣ̭͕͍̋̓͌̓ ̙̳̮̬̊̎̀̊b̭̤͇̬̋̄͛̏è̛̤̪̝̱̌͝é͎͖͓̬͛̕̚n̦͙͖̖̊͐̊̉ ̣̙̩̞̈̿͊̔c̜͉̹͔̄͊̅͂h̦͉̤͍͋́̑̈́ơ̞̣̫̯̑͌̋ș̢̯̗͑̂͆͝ė̘̖͘̚͜͜͝ṇ̙̹͎͌́̉͠.͚̯͔͍̏̈́̃̓

[deathmasking]

What happened between Urick and Yaha was a true tragedy tbh. Two people who were very close, who harbored a strong friendship that (at one point) blossomed into romance, but one that burned out quickly and ultimately crashed because (and these are understatements) one side was too selfish and cowardly (*cough urick cough*) and the other side FAR too obsessed (looking at you Yaha).

anyway, siri play fourth of july by fall out boy.

[deathmasking]

Having an entity like The Reaper as one's Pact Partner is definitely a harrowing experience to say the least, and not necessarily because of the way his Pact-related Immortality functions.

Urick and The Reaper, being bound to one another as they are, are able to directly communicate with one another through their minds whenever they wish. Urick often doesn't wish to speak with The Reaper, but The Reaper, through this communicative link, are often speaking to him, and it's not fun.

The Reaper can't force Urick to do anything he doesn't want to (unless they are entering his body to Resurrect him-- that's a discussion for another day too) but having a voice in his head that's often telling him to brutally murder those around him and spill their blood can be grating on the psyche.

Making matters worse is the fact that The Reaper can be quite cruel toward Urick specifically, sometimes taunting him, or shaming him about past failures (they like to copy Oror's voice and berate Urick with it for example but there's more than that), further compiling the grief and guilt he has to wrestle with on a near daily basis.

All of this, and Urick kinda has to just deal with it, because he can't turn the communication off. The only thing that ever truly quiets The Reaper down is when Urick happens to kill people with his scythe (usually in defensive situations or with people who truly deserve it like bandits and other evil ilk), those incidents will usually quell The Reaper's lust for death for a while, but it always comes back at some point.

The price of Urick's Pact was his Mortality yes but sometimes he feels that having to hear and deal with The Reaper is the true price he's had to pay.

[deathmasking]

VERSES

— DoD2 | DEATH WALKED THE EARTH

For years Urick has wandered Midgard, running from his past, the mistakes contained within, and death that he so rightfully deserved as a result of them. Twas a life that Urick had grown accustomed to, and one he had intended on continuing, until he encountered a dear friend from the past, Nowe. Against the Knights of the Seal, Nowe was a raging war, a war that Urick soon agreed to help him with.

To say that Urick didn’t care about the plights of the people that were suffering within the Districts would be a lie, as he did feel bad for them, and was gladdened at the prospect of securing their freedom, but Urick was mainly undertaking this quest for two reasons; to help and protect a dear friend, and to die in a manner he saw most fitting.

No longer would he run from death. Instead, Urick would now fight to feel it’s cold embrace.

Atonement for his cowardice, would it finally come to be? …..

— DoD3 | AT THE GATES OF SLEEP

Dead, Urick was supposed to be dead. The fight with Caim and the fatal blow that psychopath had delivered, his final moments with Nowe, Urick experienced all of it. Yet here he was, alive, and as he soon discovered, in the past.

What a cruel fate this was, to still draw breath, to still walk among the living. The atonement he had fought so hard for, it had been dangled so closely in front of Urick, and at the last moment, it seems that it was ripped away from his grasp.

A blow had been dealt to his soul, but it would not stop Urick. He was lost for a while, wandering aimlessly across this land that was both foreign and familiar to him, regret and pain eating at his conscious day in and day out, but one day, Urick found purpose. That purpose would come in the form of five sisters , whom he soon swore his services to.

Will assisting these women, these 'Intoner's' as they are called, one day give him the chance to atone for his most grievous mistake? it's unclear, but should the day ever come when he see's that atonement is possible, Urick will be there to greet it, though, he is now starting to have doubts about it..

— NIER | INSIDE THIS MACHINE

WIP but follows Urick's DoD3 Verse, where he has once again (after the events of the Final Song) been cast adrift on the currents of time, being spit back out in the timeline around when Nier takes place, and where he then stays all the way until the events of Nier Automata (after having awoken from a sort of stasis), where he might finally get his 'canon' end. He frequents the Amusement Park area and can often be found interacting with the various friendly machines there.

AU'S AND OTHER VERSES

— A DARKENED PLUME TO STAY | CROSSOVER

(general crossover verse, mostly mirroring Urick's base Drakengard 2 Verse with the added caveat that his, Nowe's, and Manah's quest has allowed other timelines/worlds to leak into their own).

— FANDOMLESS MODERN!FANTASY AU | WOOD AND NAILS

Urick is a former high-ranking member of an organization known as S.E.A.L (a secretive group who safeguards a number of ancient seals that hold the fabric of the Human world together, even in this modern age) who left after getting it's leader killed, but not before he saved his own hide and forged a Pact with The Reaper, the very personification of Death itself.

Given the controversy surrounding his abandoning of S.E.A.L's leader, Urick inevitably made an unceremonious departure from S.E.A.L, and while his former comrades pursued him for a time, they eventually gave up, leaving him to his own devices, where, over the years, he tried to put as much distance between him, his former responsibilities, and his gravest mistake, his greatest sin.

However, what didn't give up its pursuit of Urick throughout his subsequent years of wandering, was his past, or more specifically the guilt that spewed forth from it, because while he could travel to the farthest ends of the earth or to realms unlike his own, he could never quite get away from his conscious; he couldn't forget his sin, no matter how hard he wanted to, no matter how hard he tried.

After so many years of wandering, so many years of trying to evade or drown out his past, Urick came to the conclusion that the only way to achieve true peace is through atonement, and then a final, true death. In pursuit of that idea, Urick created an alter-ego by the name of 'Deathmask' and through that secret identity he has since been acting as a heroic or vigilante-esque figure (depending on who you ask). To say that Urick has any real plan of what 'atonement' is and how to get it, or beyond that, how to truly die, would be a lie, however.

How Urick will reach 'atonement' and find a way to truly die is a great mystery, but perhaps it is one he will unravel in time...

(this can work for general fandomless settings that still involve fantasy or supernatural phenomena of any kind, and can maybe be a placeholder for specific modern fandom AU'S that I haven't charted out yet).

— FANDOMLESS FANTASY AU | FALL AWAY

Urick was at one time a Knight Lieutenant in the 'Knights of the Seal', a theocratic empire and order who rules in a land known as 'Midgard', and is dedicated to guarding the supposed seals that keep the fabric of the world in check. After a horrific incident surrounding Urick's former leader, General Oror, Urick left the service of the Knights of the Seal, and set about wandering the land, trying to put as much distance between him, his former responsibilities, and his gravest mistake, his gravest sin.

Urick would find that he was unable to truly escape anything, however. The trauma and guilt from Urick's greatest mistake, and Death, as he was so aptly joined with now (having formed a 'pact' with an entity known as The Reaper, the very personification of Death itself), would not relent, and continues to follow him day after day, no matter how happy he seems on the outside.

After so many years of wandering, so many years of trying to evade or drown out his past, Urick came to the conclusion that the only way to achieve true peace is through atonement, and then a final, true death. With that idea in mind, Urick created an alter-ego by the name of 'the Masked Man' and through that secret identity he has since been acting as a heroic or vigilante-esque figure (depending on who you ask). To say that Urick has any real plan of what 'atonement' is and how to get it, or beyond that, how to truly die, would be a lie, however.

As Urick wanders through Midgard and other lands searching for that atonement, he is sure to encounter all number of peoples and situations,and who knows how that may impact his quest...?

(this verse can work for general fandomless fantasy interactions, and can maybe be a placeholder for specific fandom AU'S that I haven't charted out yet)

— BAULDRS GATE 3 AU | FALL APART

At one time Urick counted himself among the Knights of the Seal, a prominent order of Paladin's dedicated to the greater deity Torm. Within the Knights of the Seal, Urick held the rank of Paladin Lieutenant, under the command of the famous Paladin General Oror, a man Urick saw as a father figure as well as his superior. However, after nearly being killed during an attack on one of their order's holdings, and after failing to assist Paladin General Oror in said holding's defense (a choice which led to Oror's death), Urick forsook his oath and left the Knights of the Seal in shame.

Urick left the Knights of the Seal with something else, however-- during the battle that nearly claimed his own life and saw the death of Oror, Urick was approached by a mysterious and ghastly entity that referred to itself as 'The Reaper', offering him a 'Pact' that saved his life, at the cost of his own mortality and the binding of his and The Reaper's souls together.

Ever since leaving the Knights of the Seal, Urick has wandered the lands of Faerun, running from his past and the mistakes contained therein, but recently, he has found himself desiring an end to his troubled existence, though not before he atones for his perceived 'sins'.

Now situated in the Sword Coast, Urick, acting as 'the Masked Man' seeks out purpose, purpose that will lead him to that 'atonement' and the end he so desperately desires…

— FGO AU | UNCAGE THE NIGHT

Brought forth from a failed timeline of humanity's history, Urick is summoned into Chaldea under the Foreigner Class. According to the Guardian Heroic Spirit Summoning System "FATE", Urick is officially recognized as The Reaper (his timeline's spirit/personification of the Grim Reaper, or Death), though his personality is dominant and only ever subdued when his noble phantasm, The Reaper's Pact, is activated (at which point the actual Reaper takes control, for a time) .

Urick aligns himself with the interests of Chaldea immediately after his summoning, and tries his best to assist his master, the staff, and his fellow heroic spirits in furthering Chaldea's goals, and he will continue to do so, until he decides his continued existence is no longer needed.

— ELDEN RING AU | EVERYTHING EVIL

Urick is a former Death Knight, and was once Godwyn's right hand, serving as their chief protector and one of their closest friends-- that is, until the Night of Black Knives where Urick was gravelly injured and, instead of protecting Godwyn, was overcome with fear and fled, leaving Godwyn to die.

On the verge of death, Urick was approached by the aspect of an Outer God (the same that governs Deathblight / Ghostflame) that referred to itself as 'The Reaper', and forged a pact with them, becoming their vessel in the Lands Between.

Over the many years since Godwyn's demise and the Shattering that followed, Urick roamed the Lands Between, sometimes running from his past, but always suffering for it, always reminded of it with each step he took throughout this now twisted and decaying world. Recently, Urick has found himself wanting an end to this troubled existence of his, though not before he atones for his haunting betrayal of Godwyn, and the chaos their death led to, a desire that has led him to take up the semi-heroic mantle of 'the Masked Man'.

Whether Urick will find that atonement or not, remains to be seen.

— JUJUTSU KAISEN AU | SLIPPING FARTHER

WIP but Urick is something like a Death Painting, formed from a Disaster Curse that recognizes itself as 'Death', and who still has some semblance of consciousness within Urick.

— FE3H AU | THE NIGHT'S DECOR

WIP but Urick is a traveler from the continent south of Fodlan, Dagda, who's adventures have thrust him into the fray of the events unfolding between Fodlan's various powers. Urick carries with him a dark secret, a secret that is tied to the strange powers he appears to wield, most notably, his inability to die (or so it seems).

[deathmasking]

URICK INFO

NAME: urick ALIAS(S): the masked man, bearer of death OCCUPATION: former knight, current wanderer AGE: late twenties (biologically immortal) SPECIES: human (pact partner) PACT PARTNER: the reaper EYES: purple HAIR: white, with lilac highlights HEIGHT: 189cm (6'2") WEIGHT: 200 lbs (91 kg) ALIGNMENT: chaotic good

About:

The MASKED MAN, he who bears the mark of DEATH, Urick was once a KNIGHT OF THE SEAL, someone who was sworn to protect the very keys that kept the stability of the world in check. Once, anyways. When his district and its key came under attack, Urick found himself badly injured, and to preserve his own life he fled.

By giving into the SIN of COWARDICE he not only turned his back on the oath he took to defend the key’s and everything it stood for, Urick also left his general alone to die at the hands of a monster. Scared, and barely alive himself, Urick was approached by THE REAPER during his escape and offered the chance to make a PACT, and Urick was in no position to refuse.

Power befitting a pact with DEATH was granted, and Urick’s life was saved, a body that would never perish being made his. Urick gained something else that day, however. 

Within Urick, the seeds of guilt were sown, the thorny stems and wilted petals that sprung from them coiling tightly around Urick’s conscious. Eventually, this guilt drove Urick to desert the Knights of the Seal altogether, and live a life in secrecy as the Masked Man. 

Now, Urick wanders the land, never forgetting the grievous mistake he made, and hoping that one day he will be able to atone for it. 

Personality: 

Urick plays the part of a carefree, confident, and lively person on the outside, and to those that know him, he’s quite the joker as well, maybe even an certified fool. Urick can, of course, be serious when necessary, but he rarely lets difficult circumstances or difficult people ruin the good mood he presents. Keeping a leveled head and a wealth of good humour is something Urick does with ease, even when enduring situations that would see others lash out with anger, struggle, or crumble under pressure. Urick could be staring down certain defeat, and you wouldn't find him complaining– the man will still appear to be as jestful and unflustered as ever. 

Going a bit deeper, however, you’ll find that Urick isn’t what he displays to the world.  Beneath all of the smiles, bravado, jokes, and the warmth Urick might show to others, is a man tormented by the demons of his past. The jovial demeanor Urick puts forth is nothing more than facade, one that is well put together, yes, capable of almost fooling himself at times, but a facade nonetheless. In reality, Urick is a melancholic, self hating, and arguably suicidal mess of a person who moves through life with perpetual anguish and guilt simmering beneath the surface, eating at his soul day in and day out.

These issues mainly stem from Urick’s greatest failure, the betrayal of General Oror, an infamous act of cowardice that will forever haunt him until he finally embraces the eternal sleep. On particularly rare occasions, Urick’s true emotions might surface, but most people will only ever bear witness to his painted smile.

One thing that isn’t fake, however, is Urick’s kindness. At his core, Urick is a good person who wants nothing more than to do good by others, and while he doesn’t fancy himself a hero, he’s always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need, or stand against evil in general regardless of where that evil hails from.

Special Abilities:

— Pact | The Reaper's Embrace: Urick possesses an array of abilities, some greater than others, but most of them are the result of his Pact with The Reaper, known also as The Grim Reaper, Ezrael, or more commonly, Death.

A Pact itself is an ancient ritual undertaken between Human and “Beast” that results in their souls becoming one, making them “Pact Partners”. Humans in this ordeal are bestowed great powers, whereas the “Beasts” of these pacts take something crucial from the humans as payment, known as the human’s Pact Price. The stronger a pact Beast is, the heavier a price it will demand from its partner. A partner’s Pact Price will also determine what area their “Pact Mark”— the symbol of their pact– is located. 

Urick’s Pact Price, the loss of his Mortality (signified by the removal of his heart), was unique, in that it was also responsible for the main ability he gained through his Pact– “a body that would never perish”, or, immortality, a form of it.

Urick was also bestowed with minor abilities like superhuman strength, endurance, regeneration, and a form of magic resistance that makes him immune to hostile spells he has first suffered the effects of, but Urick’s form of “Immortality” is the core aspect of his pact. 

Urick can be “killed” like many others, but should he “die”, Urick’s pact partner will temporarily enter his body and resurrect him, restoring his body to its original state (he has Resurrective Immortality, basically). While this doesn’t seem like much of a “price” on the surface, Urick’s “immortality” comes with serious drawbacks.

The entire process of being brought back from the dead is excruciatingly painful, and is stressful beyond imagination. Being functionally immortal also denies Urick his ultimate wish for the most part– dying permanently– and has left him a victim of cruel irony.

Urick can theoretically be killed for good if someone manages to kill his Pact Partner while it’s in the process of resurrecting him, but that is far easier said than done (killing Death would be quite a feat). When it is present for a resurrection, The Reaper takes control of Urick’s temporary corpse, combining its own otherworldly and supernatural power with the abilities it already bestowed upon his body.

Killing The Reaper therefore poses a massive challenge to all but the powerful foes, but if it is slain, then Urick will go with it, for good. Again, this may seem like more of a “perk”, but it is a facet of his pact that Urick dreads. The Reaper is a violent, bloodthirsty entity, and while it is in control of his body, it tends to wreak havoc on Urick’s foes and friends alike, the latter being an area of major concern for him.

Weapons/important items: 

— Urick’s Scythe The scythe is short for the type of weapon it is, but it is powerful, possessing a blade that is capable of tearing through even the toughest of hides. This scythe is also imbued with a dark magic known as “Deadly Fang”, that allows it to unleash dark blades of energy akin to fangs that can strike entire groups of enemies at once, ignoring most defenses. Groups are where this magic shines, however, being less effective against single targets.

Beyond that, every enemy killed with this scythe serves to “feed” Urick’s pact partner through a process known as the “Cycle of Blood”. Killed enemies serve to strengthen The Reaper, and in effect strengthen Urick.

— Broken Iron An oversized iron sword with a blade as long as Urick is tall, it becomes heavier as it is stained with blood. This oversized hunk of iron is imbued with an ancient magic known as "Horn of Nightmares", a spell that awakens the spirits of the dead and urges them to kill surrounding foes.

Urick came into ownership of this unwieldy sword during his travels, having taken it from a wrecked caravan he happened upon. Who this weapon once belonged to is unknown, but it's been Urick's for some time now.

— Death's Helm / Urick’s 'Mask' The helmet Urick frequently wears possesses few remarkable qualities, but it does possess supernatural durability. The helmet has taken countless blows from magic and blade alike, and has never received a single scratch. The eye sockets will occasionally glow as well.

— Strange Bracer Made of the same material as the helmet / mask Urick wears, it is supernaturally durable, and Urick often uses it to deflect or catch blows with his left arm that would otherwise cause him a bit of grief.