#oghma

[cleric-of-ilmater-and-sune]

Priests of the Faerunian Pantheon via "Faiths and Avatars"

Sorry I couldn't tag everyone. There's a 30 tag limit

[naruysae]

🐍 🐍 🐍

[jbenn656]

Excerpt from Chapter V of The Gods We Choose

"Apologies - I'm usually better at this."

"At introductions?"

*he was not, in fact, better at introductions*

*******************************************************

Something that wasn’t the tadpole squirmed in the back of her mind.

“Hello!” he said when he had finally regained his breath. He thrust his hand toward her again, this time to grab hers in an enthusiastic shake. His face lifted to hers and she saw hazel eyes, high cheekbones, a square jaw, a glint of silver at his left ear—

—a ring, bearing Mystra’s eight-pointed star.

Tamsin’s heart stopped.

“I’m Gale,” the man continued, “of Waterd—”

Tamsin snatched her hand back as if he had stung her.

The wizard—Gale—cut himself off in surprise, instantly silenced.

“No,” Tamsin said.

He blinked at her. “I beg your—”

“No. No, not him. Absolutely not.”

She spun on her heel and started toward the crash site. Shadowheart took a small step back to let Tamsin pass. Her gaze snapped between the two of them, her expression shifting from confusion to realization to very keen interest.

Read more here!

[whomstbutalsojustmo]

Some Wren nonsense. Been trying to finish this page for a while.

Some general context:

- Wren Brightwater used to be an all-trade artificer for the Beggar's Brew guild, by the entrance of the Upper City, in Baldur's Gate. Her older sister Carmeyla (the tiefling dangling the amulet) and her got taken in when they were young by the guildmaster, an old friend of their parents (wandering merchants). Wren got snatched by aliens 2 years after leaving the guild for good, in the middle of her "pilgrimage" as a rookie adventurer.

- I made a comic about this, but she's currently a loremaster/novice in the clergy of Oghma, Lord of Knowledge and Patron of Bards. There is a lot of inconsistent data on him, but the way I portray him is a healthy middle ground between Johnathan Sims from The Magnus Archive and Hermes from Epic: extra, but terrifying in his awkwardness. He hasn't had novices for some time, so he's a bit hands-on with Wren's experience as a loremaster (mostly just snarky comments and the occasional traumatic vision from the past).

- Surprising no one, I romanced Gale with this one. Thinking of calling them either "WizSmithy" due to Wren being still big on her artificer experience or "PhoneticComponent" due to both these nerds being big on words.

- This last doodle doesn't have much an explanation ngl. I just wanted to show of the muscle definition of my girl. Look at those guns. Pew pew >:^D

[failingjester]

No this isn't another BG3 tav, leave me alone

His name is Sweetheart, a cleric of Oghma who very reluctantly fell in love with Astarion (and they both grew better about it, woaw)

He got his name because he grew up an orphan on the street and never really had a name, all the working girls just called this random child who wandered around Sweetheart and he just stuck with it

[thehazeldruid]

Forgive the mess, I’ve been doing a lot of work on this little corner lately. Both literally, spiritually and magically in order to get my altar to a place where it feels like new again.

And the result is not a disappointing one.

It feels like mine again. It feels like a small place of safety and spiritual awareness for me again. And I can tell this is only the beginning of me deepening my practice.

[thesilliestrovingalive]

Oghma

POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING: Viewer discretion is advised due to references to death, divorce, abandonment, crime, underage drinking and sexual intercourse, slavery, SA, and abuse.

Real name: Ernost Schloime Rosenzweig

Alias: Ichneumon Crow and Whipper Snipe

Nickname: Ern, Schlomo

Occupation: Right-hand man and bodyguard of Doctor Amadeus and contract killer

Retirement plans: To become a clinical pharmacologist

Special skills: Lethwei, soubenjutsu, master hitman, mastery of all weapons, and knowledge of corvids, pharmacology, and Tuatha Dé Danann technology and cultural history

Hobbies: Fencing, ephemera collecting, playing badminton after a rough day at work, enjoying long walks through bustling cities, and thoroughly cleaning his clothes and weapons after a mission

Likes: Old libraries, historical enigmas, trying out new wines, exotic yet beautifully interesting experiences, and the excited uncertainty he feels when deprived of his senses

Dislikes: Perversion, forgetting history, being assigned to dull, tedious jobs, how the rain ruins his neatly styled pompadour, and the view that ravens and crows are symbols of bad luck

Favourite food: Lavender honey popsicles, sabich, and macarons (preferably strawberry cheesecake and tiramisu)

Favourite drink: Wine

Sexuality: Omniromantic cupiosexual

Gender: Male

Age: 42 (in 2022), 48 (in 2028), 50 (in 2030), 52 (in 2032), 54 (in 2034), 61 (in 2041), 63 (in 2043), 64 (in 2044), and 67 (in 2047)

Blood type: O-

Weight: 134 lbs. (61 kg)

Design: He's a 5' 8.5" (173.99 cm) German ectomorph of Jewish and French descent with a slim, slightly athletic build, a hint of chiselled muscle, semi-sloping shoulders, and prominent cheekbones that give his face an angular appearance. He has drooping eyelids, a jaw reminiscent of a Tuatha Dé Danann enemy from Metal Slug 3D, and a short, slightly straight aquiline nose. He has pale olive skin, a black mole just below his left eye, and curly cappuccino-brown hair styled in a somewhat voluminous pompadour with a hint of grease and some noticeable greying. He has heterochromatic eyes with flecks of mahogany: his right eye is verdigris, while his left eye is a Bondi blue hue. Regarding wrinkles, he has tear troughs, bunny lines, and mental creases. As a result of his familial hypercholesterolemia, he has xanthomas on the skin of his elbows, fingers, and Achilles tendon.

Oghma wears a pair of black gloves, sinopia derbies, a silver-buckled leather belt, and gold-plated eyeglasses (their black case with the silvery green cloth is in the pockets of his trousers). He wears a silver-grey dress shirt, a rufous waistcoat with five gilt-brass buttons, and phthalo blue trousers with vertical orange copper pinstripes. He dons a double-breasted phthalo blue suit jacket with a single central vent, silver-grey cuffs, breast pockets, flap pockets, and alloy orange buttons—one at the top and one at the bottom. In his left breast pocket, he carries an old, weathered gilt-brass pocket watch with a silver-white dial, dark blue-purple hands, and light red fancy numbers from 1 to 12, interspersed with three semi-thin etchings.

He sometimes wears a dark auburn long coat with a lapel collar and five silver buttons. He switches between three different neckties: a metallic persimmon necktie; a necktie featuring diagonal lines in an alternating Oxford blue, gold, burgundy, silver, and petunia pattern; and a green gold necktie with dark red-violet polka dots.

Underneath his clothes, he wears a Kevlar vest with adamant reinforced plates, which Doctor Amadeus made for him. He also has a radio frequency earpiece connected to his walkie-talkie, which is tucked into his right breast pocket. He has a very familiar specialised back holster like Whip's from KOF XIV, but it's designed solely for his Jericho 941 semi-automatic pistol with a silencer. The space where the whip would typically be stored is replaced by rectangular pouches for three .41 Action Express magazines.

He has a powder blue crossbody messenger bag slung over his right shoulder, which contains a black pen, a blue mechanical pencil tipped with an eraser, a small rectangular container of lead refills, hair gel, two medication bottles for familial hypercholesterolemia (liquid statin and Ezetimibe tablets), a sheathed KM2000, a GAK 4, a data disc, and an orange ochre laptop. It holds a leather-bound burgundy notebook with a copper ribbon marker, filled with wine tasting notes, names, phone numbers, dates, times, schedules, behaviours, noticeable physical characteristics and personality traits, important events, personal thoughts, and ideas on how to conduct a mission.

It includes a disguise kit and any items he receives for completing an assigned job. It contains a medical kit includes vials of deadly poisons, bottles of fake medications laced with high levels of illicit drugs, hypodermic and insulin syringes containing tranquilizers, anesthetics, analgesics, anticoagulants, muscle relaxants, and nerve agent fluids. Additionally, it contains two specialized syringes: one filled with a potent tranquilizer capable of inducing a coma lasting 3 to 5 days, and another specifically designed for Wysteria that targets and eliminates all copper nutrients.

He carries a glossy redwood rectangular briefcase with a black handle, a gilded latch, and a leopard-print lining. The briefcase is spacious enough to accommodate a Barrett M82A3 semi-automatic rifle that's modified with a titanium muzzle brake and suppressor, three .50 BMG magazines, a qilinbian, two smoke bombs, two stun grenades, and a surveillance drone designed to resemble a common raven. This spy drone is equipped with a black flash drive that connects automatically via Bluetooth, indicated by a small button that glows green when powered on and red when turned off. When the button on the flash drive is activated, it powers on the raven, even from a far distance. The glowing red eyes of the raven drone serve as a camera that actively records everything it sees, streaming live video to the computer when the flash drive is inserted. The recording can be stopped at any time, and it creates a new video eight seconds after the previous one ends. It can also take pictures when commanded through a simple coding app by closing its eyes, with the images stored in a zip file connected to the flash drive. With this specialised app, Oghma can make the drone behave like a normal raven, directing it to fly wherever he wants and commanding it to attack with its beak when necessary.

Character summary: He's a highly successful hitman because he can easily switch off his emotions, ensuring they don't interfere with his grim work and lead to failure. He separates his gruesome contract-killing duties from any feelings of sympathy or mercy, viewing emotion as a detrimental weakness in these situations. There are very rare moments when he allows a hint of emotion to surface, but he strictly keeps them in check, not wanting to compromise his success, lose out on good money, and face severe consequences for failing a job. He's able to compartmentalise, depersonalise, and detach himself from his victims' humanity, viewing them solely as targets. He views killing as a means to a profitable end and considers it a normal business activity. His motivation for killing is strictly financial, and he fulfills the tasks assigned by his employers with relative ease, approaching them with methodical consideration and a sense of normality.

He's a logical thinker and an excellent problem-solver, always anticipating challenges and unexpected twists. He always thinks ahead, anticipating the potential decisions and actions of his foes, particularly when he has conducted research and observed them closely. He effortlessly recalls vital details and seemingly unimportant information, typically knowing how to respond to any situation. Oghma carefully plans each assigned kill as if it were a game with both predictable and unpredictable rules, adjusting his strategy as new developments arise. He attacks with agile grace and methodical precision, and is skilled in swift evasion and well-planned cleanup, greatly minimising his chances of getting caught or sustaining serious wounds. However, there are moments when he suffers significant battle damage, and his plans can go awry if someone manages to outsmart him, foil his strategy, and catch him off guard. He moves with practiced efficiency like a stalking predator, and is intimately familiar with the vulnerable parts of the body.

He's a pragmatic and serious individual who values professionalism and modesty in order to make a good first impression. Oghma doesn't easily share his vast and impressive knowledge as some of it is forbidden and could drive people to madness. He bluntly communicates this, especially to enemies and newcomer allies, as he prefers to maintain an air of playful mystery and avoid compromising his position during assigned tasks. He knows how to provoke others by delivering his clever insults in a sardonic or straightforward manner before rephrasing them in layman's terms to drive the point home. He directly targets the worst traits and weaknesses of those he insults, which he has carefully observed, to elicit a desired emotional response. Oghma takes full accountability for any failed kills, going as far as to repay his employers in full on the day of admission, but isn't afraid to slaughter or physically restrain them if they dare attempt to harm him.

He's a wise, resourceful, and enigmatic conversationalist, adept at using his environment to his advantage and manipulating others when it suits him. Due to his extreme patience, he carefully waits for everything to fall into place before striking and executing his plan, taking the time to observe his targets and understand their schedules, behaviours, and more. He's not forceful, allowing people to move at their own pace, but he'll occasionally urge allies to act quickly, especially during intense battles where hesitation can be a death sentence. Under intense circumstances and when fulfilling his duties and engaging in conversation, he remains calm, composed, and vigilant, ensuring that he never resorts to aggression or violence and that his surroundings are safe with no threats nearby—even when he appears to be distracted. There are very rare moments when he becomes menacingly violent and furious, but this typically occurs in response to people he cares about being hurt, feelings of betrayal or when things aren't going in his favour.

He's a flirtatious, physically affectionate charmer who knows how to sway people into being interested in him easily driving them wild with desire when given the opportunity. He often presents himself as gentlemanly, polite, and surprisingly gentle-hearted, while skillfully balancing his apathy, callousness, and cold indifference, especially when on duty, in combat or engaging with the enemy. Oghma is confident in his cunningness, extensive knowledge, efficient kills, and sense of dutiful loyalty, but this can sometimes border on boasting and narcissism. He's skilled at reassuring others either to create a false sense of security or boost morale by making them feel safe and comforted. He gets flustered by compliments and playful teasing easily, leaving him feeling a bit stunned and hesitant. This fully shows when he's on break, and it's only slightly evident when he's on duty.

He's skilled at keeping a straight face when necessary, not even blinking and maintaining unwavering eye contact that he'll never break when required. He's very loyal, reliable, and obedient, following every command given to him with great success and fully understanding what's expected of him, never questioning the instructions he receives. He even goes so far as to keep confidential secrets close to his heart, ensuring they don't fall into the wrong hands. However, there are moments when he slightly goes against the wishes of his employers in secrecy, offering some assistance to the enemy, especially if they're on the brink of a significant defeat. He believes it's necessary to share a few secrets and provide them with items that might help as he prefers a certain degree of fairness in the duties and warfare he's involved in, feeling that it can create a more worthwhile challenge.

He has a strong respect for ambitious and intellectual individuals, finding their pursuits admirable, even if the methods they use to achieve their goals are heinous and disgusting. He hates using certain people, especially children and innocents, as bait or human shields because it's cruel. However, he sets his true feelings aside and resorts to this tactic when absolutely necessary, understanding that sometimes desperate situations call for equally desperate measures. Oghma believes that history has no end and that even if life ceases to exist, it'll somehow resurface and flourish in new ways. He allows people to do what they believe is right, refraining from imposing his moral ambiguity, which is tinged with a strong hint of lawful evil and neutrality, onto others. He's known for lightly scolding misbehaving children and scaring them with frightening stories that convey real-life morals. However, he has a soft spot for kids, finding them both devilishly funny and adorably innocent. Whenever he sees a pair of glowing red eyes, he feels a spark of curiosity and hears echoing whispers of growth, but quickly dismisses them as a hallucination.

He despises the Ptolemaic Army, viewing them as a ragtag group of terrorists, religious zealots, child rapists, and slave drivers. He's particularly offended by how they've bastardised the Avatar of Evil, referring to their idol as a “visage full of lies". However, he reluctantly acknowledges how helpful they are to the operations of the Rebel Army and the Amadeus Syndicate, recognizing their superior expertise in magic, ambushes, and guerrilla warfare. Oghma understands his comrades' distaste for the Ptolemaic Army as they view them as perverted, unsettling, and vile. He actively avoids interacting with them and will even abruptly leave any meetings he attends between Doctor Amadeus and Ptolemaios, seeking to distance himself from what he perceives as a disgusting cult.

Although he's firmly against the Regular Army due to their corruption and the ignorance of most soldiers regarding this deep-seated issue—along with the cowardice of those who are aware but fail to take action—he respects their military prowess and willingness to maintain peace, even if it involves engaging in secretive and unsavoury activities. He's particularly fond of their special operatives, viewing them as the backbone of their successful and daring operations and the true definition of a competent soldier. He maintains a moderately cordial relationship with some of the smartest members of the Regular Army, including Marco and Tequila, often enjoying civil, intellectual conversations and bold mockery to rile them up for combat. He treats other members of the Regular Army with varying degrees of interest: extreme disinterest (e.g. Nathalie); a reserved measure of intrigue (e.g. Walter); profound respect (e.g. Tarma); and aloof disdain (e.g. Ralf). He's also aware of the secret behind the supposed immortality of the Chief of the Regular Army: that he's a cyborg who comes back in a new body every time he dies, but his current one is his last.

Oghma views the Rebel Army as a group of brainwashed, delusional fools dedicated to a dictator-wannabe, but he keeps this opinion to himself, knowing it would greatly infuriate General Morden and jeopardise the military organisation's alliance with the Amadeus Syndicate. However, he respects their ability to keep their promises and recognize when to set aside their differences to fight alongside the enemy for a common cause. He finds their extreme loyalty to be strangely amusing, especially among the fanatics, whom he considers as drug-crazed weirdos and sex-addicted killers. Despite his feelings about the Rebel Army, he maintains a good rapport with General Morden, his officers, and his best soldiers, treating them as dignified allies. Oghma will assert himself when necessary, especially if something seems amiss, but he meticulously walks on eggshells to avoid getting on their bad side.

He holds the Pipovulaj and Pipakhroz in high regard, viewing them as extraordinary psychic militaries dedicated to protecting Earth for their unique reasons. He believes it's unfortunate that they cannot get along due to their vastly differing perspectives, which leads to backstabbing and internal conflicts that contradict their benevolence and foster discrimination among their species. While he secretly fears the true potential of Rootmars and Pupipi, it's primarily rooted in respect and reverence for their power as leaders.

He's fascinated by the Phantom Strike and their ability to manage and execute global operations, which he finds incredible. In his view, they've proven themselves to be worthy rivals of the Ikari Warriors and more dangerous than the combined paramilitary forces of the Ptolemaic Army and the Amadeus Syndicate. He thinks it’s a shame that they allied with the Ptolemaic Army as the cult had a corrupting influence on the mercenaries, assimilating most of their previous worldviews into a disturbing belief system. This is especially concerning given how effectively they could operate independently and how sensible they were before the alliance. However, he understands that they're a mercenary group that relies on others for profitable growth. He feels disgusted by how many members of the Phantom Strike are consumed by a perverse thirst for power, working with others solely out of self-interest while convincingly hiding their motives behind a facade of fulfilling orders that benefit everyone.

He has never gotten along well with Macba, irritated by his blatant misogyny and sadistic tendencies. He harbours a secret disdain for Hilde Garn, viewing him as a poor excuse for a father. However, he respects his expertly used intelligence and his genuine concern for the needs of his troops. He finds it oddly amusing that he doesn't treat his allies like worthless pawns, despite harbouring resentment and mistrust towards some of them. Oghma is on fairly decent terms with Wired, seeing him as surprisingly normal for a battle-hardened, miserable man. He feels immense pity for Dilovar, recognizing how badly his father and Ptolemaios' cult have affected him. He secretly supports Dilovar's journey towards autonomy, helping him overcome his personal struggles and navigate his upcoming betrayal of the organisations he serves. He provides minimal assistance, such as sending him documents about comrades they have captured.

As he primarily serves the Amadeus Syndicate, he holds the utmost respect for them, impressed by their technological prowess and their application of intellect in the fields of science and military tactics. He admires their goal of uncovering the mysterious forces of the universe, appreciating their strong dedication to better understanding the world they inhabit, believing it could solve some of life's enigmas that intrigue everyone. However, he finds their aim of aiding Doctor Amadeus' true plan to be foolish and insulting, convinced that apotheosis is meaningless and restarting history under a maniacal, egotistical goddess would be a terrible idea, making the world a much more disturbing and inhospitable place. He keeps these heated opinions to himself, not wanting to compromise his healthy professional relationships or become a target of a wealthy corporation.

He's a good friend and trusted ally of Doctor Amadeus, captivated by her remarkable intellect and impressive accomplishments. He's responsible for sharing with her the ancient lore of the Tuatha Dé Danann and the concept of apotheosis, which sparked her fascination with advanced technology and deities. He's very obedient to her cause, but a small part of him is disturbed by her unexpected sexual assault on a vulnerable Marco, finding it inexcusable and odd for a woman like her. Despite this unfortunate reality and his displeasure with her true goals, he remains devoted to her ambitions, curious to see how they'll unfold. He enjoys going out on fancy outings with her to share drinks and engage in gossip about the latest news or humorous events that occurred at work. He often compliments her looks in a slightly flirtatious tone and spoils her with lavish gifts, which makes her smile with amusement. Unbeknownst to him, Doctor Amadeus is subtly manipulating him as he's too focused on the good work and substantial pay he receives from her.

He has a strained love-hate relationship with his older half-brother, Marx. He's extremely disgusted by Marx's slimy business practices, which primarily involve preying on the Regular Army and engaging in corruption to further the success of his multibillion-dollar defence contracting business. When in Marx's presence, he feels a great deal of resentment, often speaking to him with heavy disgust, displeasure, and cold distance. Their interactions frequently lead to arguments, during which he calls Marx out for his heinous crimes and power-hungry greed. He'll even express his shame over Marx's actions and insist that their mother would be horrified by what he does behind closed doors. However, a small part of him genuinely cares about Marx as he's the only living family member left. He goes so far as to save him from danger and provide protection, including giving him armed weapons and hiring reliable bodyguards. He finds Marx's bubbly, welcoming persona and charming smile to be somewhat relaxing, but mostly amusing as he's fully aware of what he's really like.

He has an on-and-off sexual affair with Sagan that they keep closely guarded, preferring to avoid any awkward discussions and the potential displeasure and irritation of Morden regarding their compromised professional relationship as well as the playful ridicule from Doctor Amadeus, who'll make off-putting, on-the-nose sex jokes. In public, they frequently exchange sultry glances and mischievous smirks while convincingly pretending to be good professional allies who enjoy each other's company, engaging in playful, good-natured teasing and introspective conversations. Behind closed doors, they're very flirty and seductive with each other, engaging in close, sexually charged physical affection, arousing touches, passionate and teasing kisses, and dirty talk. Sometimes they stay away from each other for a few days if their schedules are extremely busy, hooking up for the night would compromise their current missions and/or they're temporarily bored with each other and their sexual interactions, agreeing not to interact until things are resolved. This also applies when they get into a heated argument, especially when Oghma doesn't give Sagan enough physical attention and she's becoming too clingy and distracting for his liking. In such cases, they decide to give each other space for the next couple of days or a week before reconciling and apologising.

He's well aware that Sagan and her twin half-brother struggle to comprehend certain things due to their stunted emotional and mental growth as well as their difficulty in rebuilding their lives. However, he's always willing to clarify things for them and help them understand what they're struggling to grasp. He finds it amusing that Sagan has trouble being on time whenever she has a hangover or is preoccupied with a sexual encounter, while he's always punctual, no matter the circumstances. He finds her absolutely beautiful, even if she doesn't want to acknowledge it, and loves it when she's tantalisingly gentle with him. He relishes the opportunity to drive her wild during their intimate moments and bask in her loving compliments. Despite their 14-year age gap, he appreciates that Sagan gave him a chance to be with her, drawn to her playful charm and alluring beauty. He enjoys spoiling her with gifts of stuffed animals and expensive sweets, and occasionally shares a cigarette with her after a rough day.

Backstory: Ernost Schloime Rosenzweig was born on August 15, 1980 in Pirmasens, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. His father, Efroni Rosenzweig, was a Jewish-French who struggled with paranoid delusions, minor depressive episodes, and hypervigilance, lacking a clear purpose in life. He worked a variety of odd jobs, including some illegal ones, such as weapons maintenance for corrupt military officers, to make ends meet and find fulfillment. Efroni also immersed himself in writing crime fiction novels and domestic horror short stories that garnered cult followings, most of which have been lost to time; however, Oghma still has all of them in his possession. After making a substantial amount of money by growing medicinal herbs, fruits, and vegetables and selling them on the black market for exorbitant prices, he fled France during the Thule Expeditionary Conquest and moved to Germany, which was accepting refugees at the time and offered them adequate shelter from the war.

He took on part-time office, janitorial, and charity jobs to stay afloat and keep himself occupied while moving from place to place in Rhineland-Palatinate before finally settling down in Pirmasens. During his time in Pirmasens, he began taking on a couple of babysitting jobs for both working-class and affluent families in need of assistance with their children. One of these jobs involved caring for the preschool-aged son of a wealthy woman named Elthrida Rosenkranz. She was struggling to manage his bratty, rambunctious, and mischievous nature while dealing with a nasty divorce and the loss of a beloved family member. Upon meeting her, they both developed strong feelings of lust for each other. Efroni frequently babysat her son, Emil, and managed to handle his behaviour quite well, helping him to calm down and become less spoiled and demanding. Elthrida paid him large sums of money for caring for her son, and in return, they enjoyed fancy dates and sexual outings. These intimate experiences served as a coping mechanism for Elthrida to escape the exhausting turmoil of her personal life at the time.

One of these outings resulted in an unexpected pregnancy, leading to the birth of Ernost. Since he was born on the Assumption of Mary and day Elthrida finally won custody of Emil, his mother believed Ernost to be a God-given miracle. As Elthrida was a descendant of the Tuatha Dé Danann, he inherited her special lineage, leading her to think that her ancestors in heaven had finally chosen to bless her bloodline, especially since Emil hadn't received their ancient genes. However, he did inherit familial hypercholesterolemia, a condition present on Efroni's side of the family, much to his parents' dismay. Once born, his father was somewhat absent from his life, off doing odd jobs and battling his crippling sense of miserable unfulfillment. However, he would stop by whenever Elthrida needed help with babysitting the children, managing the household or desired physical intimacy and quality time, which Efroni never denied and was always on board with, providing him with a temporary distraction from his aimlessness.

Efroni was extremely paranoid about his son's rapid intellectual growth, worrying that something was abnormally wrong, but he couldn't understand why. He was quickly reassured by Elthrida that it was natural and everything was fine. Emil, his older half-brother, viewed him as an attention-seeking freak, clearly jealous of his impressive intelligence and the admiration and affection he received from their parents. At 3 months, Ernost was able to sit up independently without support and even crawl for a short distance before getting tired. By the age of 2, he had learned to speak some French and Hebrew, and could flawlessly understand these languages and similar ones, skills he had picked up from his father. By the age of 5, he was reading and comprehending George Orwell's books as well as exploring differing religious and philosophical perspectives on life's mysteries. At 6 years old, he had mastered solving complex mathematical equations involving distance and speed, and could also memorise significant global historical events.

Not wanting Emil to feel left behind, he frequently helped him with academic, cognitive, and social tasks, teaching them in ways that he could understand. Throughout his early childhood, he spent his time reading books, visiting cultural and historical museums, frequenting candy shops, and enjoying outdoor activities at the local park. During winter months, he often accompanied his father on recreational hunting trips, where he frequently spotted common ravens, carrion crows, rooks, and Eurasian jackdaws, sparking his fascination with corvids and their significance in nature and various cultures. At the age of eight, his father mysteriously vanished one sunny afternoon while Ernost was building sandcastles at the playground after promising to return with a couple of popsicles. After half an hour of waiting, Ernost returned home, and when Elthrida asked where Efroni was, he revealed that his father had left and never returned. This revelation broke his mother's heart, leaving her feeling abandoned and making her wary and distrustful of men. From that point on, Ernost and Emil were cared for by the mansion's butler and maids whenever Elthrida was busy with work or enjoying private outings at bars.

He performed exceptionally well in school, rarely failing any assignments, but often felt bored with the daily routine. He casually approached his studies, focusing only on meeting expectations and putting in extra effort when necessary. Occasionally, he purposefully failed a few assignments and skipped classes to draw and write mathematical equations on the bathroom stalls with markers. Ernost did experience bullying at times, but he was taking expensive martial arts classes and would often physically confront his bullies after school. This made them fear him, leading them to either avoid him or become overly nice whenever he was around. During this time, his struggles with familial hypercholesterolemia and the need to memorise his medication schedule sparked his interest in the field of medicine. He also began to show a genuine curiosity about the Tuatha Dé Danann, frequently asking his mother questions about them and extensively researching their culture and technology in libraries.

As Ernost navigated through school, he began to realise that Emil was performing much better than he was, receiving higher grades and significant recognition from their teachers. In contrast, those same teachers viewed him as lazy and inattentive, despite his high intellect and ability to easily grasp most subjects. This situation stirred up immense jealousy and genuine heartbreak as he felt overshadowed and betrayed by his older half-brother. Compounding his feelings of shame, Emil only offered superficial support and kindness. By grade 8, his mother was on her deathbed, suffering from cervical cancer that had returned after an initial successful treatment. In response to these challenges, he became a high achiever, even going so far as to starve and dehydrate himself for hours on end, rarely taking breaks during his studies. He hoped to earn academic praise and prove to Emil that he was better. However, he eventually abandoned this self-destructive behaviour when Elthrida sadly and unexpectedly passed away. It was then that Ernost realised his self-inflicted punishment in pursuit of success was ultimately futile and damaging.

Deciding that enough was enough and wanting to distance himself from home, he dropped out of high school, took most of Emil's university funds, and fled to France, becoming a nomadic vagabond who stayed in hotels for very short periods. During this time, he began to self-reflect on his life, realizing he never felt truly satisfied or happy. The pleasure he experienced from each opportunity was fleeting, and he was constantly craving the next big thing. Although Ernost was destined for great things, he questioned whether continuing his field of study would lead to anything genuinely meaningful or make a positive impact on patients in need of medical help. In search of reliable financial security and a sense of purpose, he turned to crime, seeking the thrill of danger as a means of finding meaning. A month before his 16th birthday, he became a hitman, discovering a strange shortage of them in the underworld of France.

Not much is known about this period, but he often drank wine and other fine alcoholic beverages and engaged in one-night stands with prostitutes after each successful or failed mission to cope with the emotional and moral weight of his actions. This bad habit was one he eventually gave up as he approached his mid-20s, but he still enjoys drinking wine, albeit in moderation. He also adopted the alias Oghma, referencing the Irish mythological figure, Ogma, from the Tuatha Dé Danann, who was the inventor of Ogham and the god of speech, language, eloquence, and learning. He had learned about Ogma during his studies of his ancestors and their depiction in Irish mythology, which scholars and historians believed might be partially real, yet remains an unresolved mystery. He perfected his killing craft and earned a massive amount of money from his employers, allowing him to operate beyond France and transition his work to a more global scale.

On a whim, he noticed some impressive whips for sale on the French black market and decided to purchase a qilibian. He ended up trying it out on a friend of one of his toughest targets, whom he had knocked out with a tranquilizer and tied to a chair in a dingy apartment. The individual refused to share details about their whereabouts, even after other torture methods were expertly employed. Discovering that their back was particularly sensitive to pain, he relentlessly whipped them until they finally gave in and revealed everything he needed to know. Since then, he primarily uses his qilibian for torturing captured victims that are close to his targets to extract valuable information. He also began incorporating his whipping skills into physical combat.

In his small, luxurious hotel room in British Columbia in 1998, he received a phone call from Ghyslaine, a 30-year-old French woman who had recently graduated from university. She offered him a job to assassinate her adoptive parents, providing their address and promising all the money in her father's safe, while allowing him to carry out the task however he pleased. After a few days of careful study, gathering valuable information from Ghyslaine, and making preparations, he easily eliminated the couple in a single night. He disposed of their bodies in a large lake and discarded their clothes and belongings in a trash bag, which he then placed in an alleyway dumpster.

He finally met his client in person and received his payment at her wealthy family home, where she invited him to stay for as long as he wished. While they enjoyed dinner and shared a couple of her adoptive mother's vintage wine bottles, they discussed various meandering, intellectual topics and their pasts before coming into contact with each other. Oghma also learned about her ambitions and how she had survived a war, while finding her high intellect impressive. He also saw a glimpse of his deceased mother in her, which led him to decide to stay by her side as a bodyguard. Ghyslaine gladly accepted, noting that it would be nice to have safe, pleasant company with a charming young man, which made him blush. He wanted to oversee her scientific journey and make his life more interesting, remaining loyal to her like a devoted companion.

After Ghyslaine accessed her inheritance money, they both relocated to Britain where she worked with the British government while he took on several hitman jobs for infamous criminals and corrupt politicians, earning substantial money. During this time, Ghyslaine became involved in a massive human and animal trafficking ring as well as a significant theft operation responsible for stealing and selling cultural and historical British artifacts. Oghma served as her right-hand man in these illicit endeavours, ensuring that there were no whistleblowers and dealing with anyone who attempted to assassinate her. He also shared with her all the ancient lore of the Tuatha Dé Danann that he knew, along with the concept of apotheosis. This information fascinated her and sparked a daring, ambitious goal for the New World, which both surprised and disturbed him.

Once the British government uncovered Ghyslaine's criminal activities and issued an arrest warrant, Oghma fled with her to the Republic of Bashkortostan, where they continued underground operations by peddling illicit substances, stolen artifacts, and sensitive government secrets. When Ikari Warriors mercenaries and bounty hunters were sent to capture them, Oghma was responsible for slaughtering each and every one, receiving a decent amount of money from Ghyslaine, who was now going by Manfrida Amadeus, for each successful kill. After the bounty on Doctor Amadeus' head was dropped, they stayed low for quite some time while Oghma completed jobs for people in the criminal underworld to ensure their operations remained uncompromised. During this time, he learned about a defense contracting business that had been around for a couple of years but had recently gained significant popularity for manufacturing impressive weaponry and machinery for national militaries. Deciding to pay them a visit, he managed to break into their main headquarters, where the founder was located, just before business resumed for the day. While he occupied himself with fixing his firearms and rummaging through the office desk for documents and personal items, the owner of the business and his two bodyguards arrived, surprised by his nonchalant and mysterious presence.

After being threatened by the gun-wielding bodyguards, Oghma promptly backed off, demonstrating his peaceful intentions. Following a few seconds of tense silence and careful observation of each other, the bodyguards were about to demand who he was and what he was doing there when the owner abruptly muttered his real name. Oghma then realised that the businessman before him was his older half-brother, Emil. After an awkward family reunion, which included Emil's giddy enthusiasm and a warm hug, they took the time to catch up on their lives and rebuild their brotherly relationship. With Emil's permission, Oghma even went so far as to do some shady work for him to help keep the business afloat, despite recognizing some of the less-than-ideal practices involved, which reignited his hatred for his older half-brother. Despite being aware of Emil's questionable practices, Oghma believed he would be worth Doctor Amadeus' time. He managed to arrange a meeting between her and Emil, knowing she had always wanted to start her own company but struggled to find the right resources and opportunities to do so.

As the Amadeus Syndicate was established and formed an alliance with the Regular Army, Oghma continued his global killing services. With the Regular Army as a new client, he began taking well-paid jobs for them, ranging from assassinating whistleblowers to eliminating the leaders of enemy organisations. He started to realise that the Regular Army was infested with corruption, but he remained indifferent to the matter, keeping his head down and fulfilling his obligations without refusing their hefty pay. He always found it amusing that the Phantom Strike were never interested in his services, claiming they didn't require a hitman to meet their militant quota and eliminate what they deemed easy targets. However, this earned him some respect as it indicated that they had the right tools to handle their own matters and reliable assassins and mercenaries to fulfill important duties. Hilde Garn was kind enough to keep Oghma in mind whenever they absolutely needed assistance, which he found commendable as most in his situation would not want to retain his contact information and might even forget about him entirely.

He rarely interacted with the more recognizable members of the Regular Army and their special forces units, except for their superiors and Sagan. Oghma developed a fairly close sexual relationship with Sagan after she contacted him to eliminate her abusive lover, Lohengram—one of the few times he didn't expect actual payment from a client.

He continued his work as a contract killer even after the alliance between the Regular Army and Amadeus Syndicate broke down and during the Great Morden War. The Ptolemaic Army became a new client, but after witnessing some of their depraved cult practices and learning about their unsettling beliefs, he made an effort to avoid them as much as possible. However, he never went against their assigned duties, mostly out of fear of unwanted harassment and the threat of being sacrificed by the cult as they had warned him that they would have his head if he failed to follow the commands of Ptolemaios and his deputies.

[l1g0ny]

Character design of my DnD/bg3 OC

Dr. Dune Cross, scholar from Candlekeep, medic and cleric of Oghma. Former sister of mercy of Ilmater, now a critic of his philosophy and renegade.