Alaric

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Alaric

"Champion of the Neo-Vortixx"
♫ — Cloudscape Architect
Status	Alive
Location	Adytum
Species	Neo-Vortixx
Element	None
Kanohi	None
Tools	Gatling gauntlet, energized Thornax launcher

Alaric (Pron. al-ər-ik) is a male Neo-Vortixx whom Jotun met and tried to help in the past. Now, Alaric is their leader in the Post-Reformation world, a strong voice for all male Vortixx and beacon of hope for equality among his race.

History[]

Early Life[]

Like all Vortixx, Alaric originated from the island of Xia. As a male, he was assigned the most menial of duties and was not allowed to leave the island. Indeed, Alaric was a simple janitor for most of his early life, stationed at the southern coast of the island. Over time, he grew more and more dissatisfied with his lot in life even though he knew he was powerless to change anything in his current state. He had already seen so many of his fellow workers, servants chained to hard labour with dreams of a better future like himself, attempt the ritual only to have been eaten by the Mountain.

Ironically, the only way for him to escape his pitiful existence was to undergo the very same Xian Rite of Passage he loathed. Doing so as a male was more often than not a death wish as any female partner would not think twice about sacrificing him. This is the vicious cycle so infamous among Vortixx. Males have no status and therefore do not have any protection from their fellow Vortixx and are therefore easy prey in Passages. On the other hand, females often belong to a merchant group and have their backing during the Passage, affording them a degree of immunity from attempts on their life. As males have no status, they do not have the same protection and are therefore a free ticket to the easy life. Those who wish to test this soft immunity can attempt to backstab a female partner but must then contend with the late Vortixx's "mob", as it were. This sequence of events is why surviving the inevitable lynching that follows a murder grants a Vortixx a high status in life.

Like many of his kin, he heard rumours of a Toa who had taken up residence on a nearby speck of land just off the coast of Xia. According to the scraps of information he picked up over time, he learned this island, Jotun's Respite as it was called, was home to a reclusive Toa of Earth who would do small odd jobs for little or no payment, or simply just lend an ear to those who visited him.

Sensing this sliver of hope, Alaric stole a rowboat and, in the dead of night, paid this Jotun a visit. The Toa was rather surprised at seeing a male Vortixx, as the oppressive Xian customs were well-known throughout the Matoran Universe. They talked at length, of Alaric's convictions and the current state of affairs between Vortixx females and males.

The Toa of Earth warned Alaric that he had no right to pry into Xian business. Nonetheless, Jotun gave what advice he could, telling Alaric that those who underestimate him in the Passage do so at their own risk. Jotun sensed a kindred spirit in the hunched-over, grimy Vortixx before him, as he, too, had gone through his own journey to escape Stelt. The Earth Toa's parting words admitted that their situations may have had been different, but even he understood Alaric's Passage would be just the first step in the long road ahead of him.

Rite of Passage[]

As was customary with the Vortixx, Alaric began the month-long fast prior to presenting himself for the initiation. For males, this was a two-fold challenge as their employers often kept working them to the bone even as they grew steadily weaker. Alaric's case was no different.

At last, he was ready, only to be meet with sneers from his fellow prospectives. Yet, he met no further resistance. It was as Jotun had said; None of them expected anything from a male Vortixx such as him.

Alaric would never forget his Climb. All the stories were true. The grass under his feet wept acid wherever he stepped and embers that fell down continually pricked at him, threatening a death by a thousand burns. And, there was the Mountain itself. It would shudder and moan, showers of rock pelted him and every time he looked down, he swore he saw a cavernous mouth on the face of the Mountain, even though there was nothing there.

His partner was a black and brown-clad Vortixx, a unique armor he had never seen before among his kind. He knew not her name at the time but she was respectful enough, if dismissive. Near the summit, it was the brown Vortixx who slipped and struggled to recover. Never had there been a situation like this, a female at the mercy of a male Xian. Alaric knew that if he sacrificed her he would instantly become a vaunted member of Vortixx society. It would not be the first time a male rose to a position of power that way.

But resorting to brutality and conforming to the norms would change nothing. At this point, he and his partner were high up enough where no one would be able to see them with the naked eye so Alaric did the unthinkable: He saved her. It was an awkward moment. The female Vortixx refused to make eye contact as he pulled her to safety nor did she speak even a single word of thanks. The two eventually summited and grabbed a flag, signifying their victory and made their way down the Mountain where cheering crowds awaited them.

Tiamat[]

Sparing the brown Vortixx had a multitude of unintended consequences, thrusting Alaric deep into the morass of Xian underground culture. His partner was Tiamat, the heir apparent of the most powerful Vortixx trading conglomerate in the entire Great Spirit Robot. Even before her Passage, the young Vortixx wielded more power than most. It was also around this time when Alaric made first contact with Ryuko, Tiamat's handmaiden and guardian. Alaric was genuinely trying to do the right thing when pulling Tiamat from the brink of a long, ugly fall but to her and most other's eyes, he only did so since he was a coward and was trying to curry favour with a prominent Vortixx.

Tiamat was instantly distrustful of him, and rightfully so. Her entire life was spent putting up with the endless requests of potential trade partners and those who wished to take advantage of her under the assumption she would be less experienced and cutthroat. And for a time, that was so. It did not take long for Tiamat to harden her heart as each time she would give a loan or strike a tentative business deal, she'd be left with empty hands and pockets. Coupled with his apparent cowardice, she instantly assumed Alaric had ulterior motives for saving her, especially after his promotion turned out to be a lifetime assignment as one of her bodyguards.

Alaric did in fact have ulterior motives though not anything what Tiamat had in mind. At this point in his life, he had two options. He could either build up Tiamat's trust and then open up with his intentions on reforming Vortixx customs, or he could tell her immediately. To him, being forthright was of utmost important.

As such, an astounded Tiamat listened to what some would call delusional visions of grandeur. Alaric wanted to use this opportunity afforded to him by the Passage to springboard himself to the forefront of the Vortixx and he was sure if she helped him, he could reform their race for the better. For his entire life, the male Vortixx wanted equality and to shift his people away from corruption and violence.

Easier said than done. Even if Alaric was no longer street trash, there was an unfathomable divide between his and Tiamat's status. And while Tiamat admittedly had a fair amount of clout, she was still only one Vortixx and on Xia, its every Vortixx for themselves. Yet, Xian customs never sat well with Tiamat either so she tentatively pledged to help Alaric. Needless to say, Ryuko, her most faithful servant, also followed in her mistress' footsteps.

Exile[]

It would be a difficult start. Tiamat was very popular within her consortium and managed to rally most of it behind her, but the conglomerate leader instantly put an end to what could have been a coup. Out of respect for Tiamat's service to her, the leader decided to banish her, Ryuko, and Alaric while spreading misinformation that they had been executed to save face.

The three Vortixx would spend the next one thousand years away from Xia, setting up a the Neo-Vortixx camp on the unnamed, sparsely inhabited island directly east of Xia. It was close enough to the place they once called home yet far enough to remain under the radar, both figuratively and literally. War preparations had increased productions on the manufacturing island due to rumours of the Barraki returning, rumours which in fact had some merit as the Toa Mahri would discover during their journey to reclaim the Ignika. They did not want to seem affiliated with anyone.

It was slow, but some Vortixx were, surprsingly, attracted by the prospect of a peaceful life where they could put their technological advances to good use by developing "clean" technology, as it were. That is not to say the Neo-Vortixx were an entirely pacifict faction, however. They were well aware of the need to stand up for themselves if Xia ever took up arms against them.

Transportation, energy, robotics all flourished under their years of research and Alaric's group came to be called the Xia Ghosts, a humourous reference to the famous Nynrah Ghosts. While the latter were death merchants, the former were known for all sorts of gadgets and machines ranging from revolutionary nuclear fuel cells that fit in the palm of one's hand to inventing the modern Airship commonly seen dotting Le-Metru's skyline. At some point during the early years of the faction, Ryuko accidentally spilled red paint on herself, giving rise to the Neo-Vortixx' tradition of coloured armours, the main visual difference from their all-black Xian counterparts.

Over time, Alaric's confidence grew. He was an imperfect leader, but he was always thinking of ways to bring the two Vortixx factions together peacefully. Those who came to his island did not always believe in his ideals of equality between genders, particularly the females, but seeing the entire community treating each other as equals more often than not changed their minds. Seeing his worldview taking hold and becoming successful only served to strengthen Alaric's convictions that this was the way his race needed to be moving forward.

As the years passed, the Xia Ghosts eventually numbered into the few hundred, mostly males and lower-ranked females who did not complete their Passage, or did poorly in. Regardless of background, all who came to Alaric's island could not stomach the still-rampant corruption on Xia. They came to do business while keeping themselves on the straight and narrow.

Teridax’s Reign[]

While the Neo-Vortixx were left alone during the final moments of the war, the same could not be said for the island of Xia.

For unknown reasons, a Tahtorak suddenly appeared in central Xia one day, forcing the release of the Kanohi Dragon in a vain attempt to halt its rampage. Though two of the newly-restored Toa Hagah ended the threat, the island saw widespread damage that it would not have the chance to recover from.

Teridax's Rahkshi armies had overrun Odina so the Dark Hunters occupied Xia in order to create a base of operations and to halt any production of weapons for the Brotherhood. While unhappy with the situation, the Vortixx complied.

Things took a turn for the worse as the Shadowed One vanished one day, leaving behind a 2-kio wide dead zone filled with Vortixx bodies. This was a tremendous turning point for the race and many fled to Alaric's island. He was now the de facto head of the now formally-named Neo-Vortixx. While it was not how he would have liked to unify his race, he knew that it was at last time to take the first step in the right direction.

Spherus Magna[]

After the destruction of the Matoran Universe, the Neo-Vortixx settled around the Mega-Village like the vast majority of the other races. They were quickly enlisted by Tahu to aid in the constrution of airships and vessels for both the Navigation and the subsequent transport of all inhabitants across the globe.

Alaric eventually decided to lead his some of his people to Adytum, a burgeoning northern city on the Vayu Peninsula, where he would introduce the Vortixx economic system to the Matoran and Agori which would eventually lead to a prosperous future for the city. To this day, he continues to remain there with Tiamat and Ryuko and Adytum has become base of operations for the Neo-Vortixx race. Alaric leaves most of the external affairs of his race to Tiamat now and has settled down to hone his craft and keep a close eye on New Odina, where the one who decimated his race has taken up residence.

Abilities and Equipment[]

Gatling gauntlet: Alaric's main weapon. A unique gun, each finger of the gauntlet is a bendable gun barrel. When all three fingers are extended, each acts as a medium-caliber machine gun.
Energized Thornax launcher: A variant of the ubiquitous Thornax launcher still used by older Glatorian who simply cannot shake off their dependance on this reliable weapon. An energized variant that runs on Neo-Vortixx fuel cells was created as Thornax fruits have become less common following the Reformation. This reliable weapon combines the tried and true practicality of the old launchers while the fuel cells eliminate the need to carry ammunition on long journeys. Alaric's launcher was hand-crafted by himself using the finest metals Adytum had to offer.

Personality[]

Alaric has gone through striking changes as a person during his efforts to transform the Vortixx into a law-abiding, industrious race. Even during his early years, he had a spark that refused to be extinguished. He was a very driven individual and rather blunt when speaking. He is a genuinely good person, looking out for others before himself.

After becoming the unofficial leader of his race, Alaric continued to seek what was best for his people. His hope had turned into a reality and while he did not let his newfound power get to his head, he did develop somewhat of a tunnel vision, focusing only the betterment of the Neo-Vortixx, not to fix the underlying problems of the Vortixx on Xia. Furthermore, he did not so much as bat an eye during the Vortixx massecre during the war against Teridax, which does highlight that deep down, he does what a Vortixx does best: making sure the ends justify the means.

Following the Reformation, Alaric has mellowed out and is no longer the activist he once was. Though his is still technically the leader, he feels his job is done and is content with helping in smaller, subtler ways. He uses his resourcefulness and experience to guide not only the Neo-Vortixx of Adytum, but also to all Adytians, even the Mayor.

Trivia[]

An extremely old MOC, Alaric was brought over from CHFW and repurposed for the Canto Universe.
"Alaric", or Alaric I, was the first king of the Visigoths. He was best known for his sack of Rome.
As with all of the Neo-Vortixx, this character's theme song, "Cloudscape Architect", was composed by meganeko.