Physical description

“This may surprise you but i’m not as dumb as I look. And I look pretty dumb”

Bret is six foot six inches tall with an athletic figure, he has pale skin, dark brown hair which appears almost black with green eyes, his usual clothing consists of a long black jacket with a mantle covering the shoulders, a white shirt, black pants and boots. He has several different colours of this. The most significant part of his outfit being his hood, enchanted with a mesmer illusion to hide his face and show a spectral red grin.

Personality traits

“To fight the abyss, you must know it”

Bret is assertive and eccentric, often maintaining a mocking and cheerful attitude to close friends, while speaking to most strangers in a calm and charming manner, he is supportive at heart, often giving alot to help the misfortunate. He despises the idea of heroics due to the death of his father who he regards as a hero. Bret is an occultist by trade, due to the nature of his knowledge and his upbringing, he is often not afraid of the supernatural and is rather understanding of those who feel vulnerable in the face of such things. He is known to hide his true feelings and intentions often, a habit hated by many of his friends, this stems from his distrust of many people. Only really opening up to extremely close friends or family.

Combat abilities

“Awash in blood and madness”

Bret fights using blood curses and soul reaping necromancy, carrying a scepter and dagger as weapons. He can cast damaging spells with spectral manifestations, corrupting blood magic and even burn the very life force of enemies with a grip of corrupting dark magic. He can spread the Conditions and corruption from one enemy to more like a plague with a dark mist spreading out from a targeted enemy, if damaged, he can grab an enemy to drain their own life force to sustain himself and heal wounds. He can defend himself and others from attacks with spectral wards and barriers of life force. Being able to heal people with rituals of blood magic. By using Blood magic, he can also interrogate enemies by slowing blood around the brain to make the target suggestable enough to give information. His understanding of various types of necromancy allow him to train and support other necromancers while his understanding of psychological warfare gives him the ability to not just defeat his enemies, but make sure they fear him

Background

“In time, you will know the tragic extent of my failure”

Early life

Bret was born into the Greyskull family as the middle child, Younger than his brother, Albert. But older than his sister, Maria. At an early age it was clear to his Father, a tutor of necromancy that Bret had above average levels of life force and used this knowledge to sugest necromancy to Bret at an early age, beginning to teach him as early as six years of age. By the age of eight. Bret was able to conjure a spectral hand, showing great promise. He had a close relationship with his father, who taught him a great deal about the world and often taught him to master his fears in hopes that Bret would grow to be calm in the face of chaos and danger. Bret had a good relationship with his older brother and grandfather too, often looking up to the three family members as inspiration. His family, however noticed early signs of mental instability, subtle mood swings and unusual behaviour, such as speaking to himself or showing discomfort when his room was untidy. When it came to education, Bret was skilled at basic human science and mathematics at around the age of ten.

The “Incident”

On Zephyr 55th 1313 the life of the greyskull siblings was changed forever in the worst possible way. Their grandfather, Abraham had been experimenting with necromancy, his tests and self experiments growing darker and more twisted following the accidental murder of his favourite daughter (Brets aunt) at the hands of Kellam Vulf. These experiments eventually reached a breaking point, when in an attempt to summon “Beings of great knowledge from another world” he was tricked and possessed by a malicious Ethereal being. Which had Abraham rampage through the manor, slaughtering Brets mother and several maids first. Before moving on, more and more died at his hands, laying corrupting curses on the land to scar it forever.
Bret had seen the death of his mother, quickly sneaking away from Abraham to find his younger sister and their maid, Helga. Telling both that they had to run before guiding them out of the manor. Meanwhile, Abraham finally came to conflict with the two remaining in the manor, hearing the screams and seeing blood over the walls, The father, Denton with the oldest sibling confronted Abraham, realising it was impossible to reason with the possessed man, a violent battle broke out.
Over the battle, Denton and Albert conjured a rift to the mists, pushing Abraham through to imprison Abraham in another world, though not before both Albert and Denton had been injured and the manor had been set aflame… The rift, however, could not handle the magic.
Abraham had become a lich through his experiments. And had become possessed. The combined magic destabilised the rift after they entered, locking Abraham in the mists resulted in a shockwave of magic, causing the manor to collapse around the two men.
The collapse placed Albert in a coma with a long standing respiration problem with dust and debris in his lungs, body unable to heal naturally through a curse laid on him.
Denton, however… In an attempt to check on Alberts health, was impaled by one of the roof support beams, crushing his spine and killing him instantly.
A charr in a nearby lumber mill had seen the fire. Barging in out of empathy to drag Albert out to safety…
Their parents were dead, their home was destroyed, their grandfather was missing and their brother was comatose. All Bret and Maria had was their carer and eachother.

Post-incident life

After the incident, Albert was placed into care at Divinitys reach, Bret, Helga and Maria moved to Divinitys reach too. Living together. The events kept a mental scar on Brets mind, having him convinced he was the cause for several years, plaguing his nightmares for many years. He took up studying necromancy further at the durmand priory after finishing school. Practicing many different rituals and types of necromancy. Developing an understanding of it all. Some time during this study, he discovered the stories of these Ethereal beings, realising what a threat they were. At the age of 18. Helga passed away, leaving Bret and Maria. Bret used part of the fortune of his family to create the Greyskull Research institute. This had three goals. To find a way to wake Albert, To defeat the Ethereals and to keep dangerous relics out of peoples hands. The institute would make a profit from selling their research to the Durmand priory.
At the age of twenty two. Bret assisted the Priory in orr, researching a tomb with them under a part of their research agreement. Coming into conflict with an asura krewe which had an obsession with the occult for more nefarious reasons, this same Krewe wanted to go below the Family estate into Abrahams laboratory, for clearly devious reasons.
After orr, Bret set his sights on the inquest occult division, seeking to wipe them out before they caused any harm… He was successful.
Then, due to his work and the exposure of what the IOD had been doing, Bret made quite a sum of coin to sustain his family for a long while, on top of the remaining finances from their family. Living with his sister in Divinitys reach, making a few friends and enemies, including his work with people of the institute. One such enemy being Zoey Yu, who came to a violent disagreement with Brets reckless and dangerous nature, apparently defeating him to talk some sense into the man.
After a while, he met the people of Chronological investigations, seeing them as a joke at first, considering the same as any other wannabe heroes, people wandering into their own death, however he was pleasantly surprised when he earned the trust and friendship of some members. Realising maybe he was not beyond a normal life once again. Over time he grew to know more members as friends, eventually becoming less reckless about the use of his magic. After a while he also met an inquest krewe allied with this guild, The IOT. Who initially saw him as a threat after he described them as “puppets waiting to die”. The IOT Placed the man under surveillance, but his ability to evade and trick the agent sent to keep an eye on him impressed the leader of the krewe. Bret soon became friends with Agent Sola and Advisor Strexa, seeing them as more than simple puppets. This Krewe eventually assisted him in waking Albert up. The turning point where Brets life began to improve… After the chronological investigations group disbanded, remaining members who were still friends made a new group. The refuge. Much to his surprise, Bret was invited along to become a member and was soon trusted to be councillor. After Albert was brought out of his Coma, Abraham managed to present what had actually happened to Albert and Bret. Setting their sights on the Ethereals, operating under people’s noses to destroy our reality and bring stability to their own world. The refuge helping to destroy them and dismantling the cult which worshipped these Ethereals. Bret had finally cleared a great weight from his chest with help from his friends. Redirecting his interests in purifying his family estate in ascalon. Some friends went on an extremely dangerous mission into the depths of the estate, where many things were revealed. Brets ancestor, a seer had created a giant key from the metal of a meteor… This key had a purpose made clear when the IOD returned, their leader the sole survivor of Brets previous attack. They had managed to finally reach the depths of the Greyskull estate to the source of the corruption…

The sacrifice

On the second venture down to the depths of the estate in an attempt to put a stop to the plans of the IOD. They discovered the cause of the seeping corruption. A giant, cosmic gateway leading directly to the realm which had once been home to the Ethereals, left open by a false key which had broken in the lock. Leaving the door open to seep corruption into our world. A mysterious order who had gone down there to stop it explained that the door can not be closed from outside… Bret made a tough choice, He went inside to close and seal the door from within, finally putting a stop to the corruption and fighting whatever had caused the ethereals to flee to our world… Though he was gravely wounded in the process. He laid back against the sealed door, waiting for his wounds to claim him. And things went dark…

Only for one remaining and powerful etherial to heal him, explaining everything that had happened to Bret. Guiding him and sustaining him in the mists to ensure he survived his time there, meanwhile in tyria. Few from his institute were working to open a rift, trying to pull Bret from the mists a week later back in to Safety. He survived the ordeal, but not without help. Giving him a new outlook, having more faith in others than ever before.

Now

Now, Bret continues his life in the refuge seeming much calmer and happier. He shows desires to finally stay with a partner, with all the objectives of the Institute completed, he has redirected their efforts in support of the refuge. Though he shows guilt over a recent mistake which resulted in the malicious spirit of a colossus manifesting outside of the refuge. He is doing his best to settle in once again, coming to terms with what he saw in the mists.

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

• Calm in the face of Chaos
• Resistant to control and fear
• Capable of turning the tide of battle
• Strong magic user

Weaknesses

• Guilty Conscience
• Deceptive
• Emotionally unstable
• Reckless
  

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General Trivia

• Bret is actually a fairly talented painter.
• He loves the colour green.
• His phantom hood is a mesmer enchanted gift from his childhood. A mad kings day gift from his brother when they were children.
• Bret has an irrational fear of gryphons he retained from childhood.
• Bret is known to be a perfectionist.
• The “Estate incident” occurred on Zephyr 55th (February 25th)
• There is alot of confusion regarding their surname. As the “greyskull estate” was originally known as the “Darres estate”. This is simply due to the change of names which takes place during marriage. (Abraham Darres being the original owner, his daughter marrying Denton Greyskull.)
• Brets birthday is on Phoenix 56th (may 26th)
  

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