Altered Lore

Atsadi

10 min read

Atsadi

Overview

Atsadi, known as the One-Armed Swordsman and the Cicada of Dusk, is a Bravos Exalt and legendary swordsman. He is bonded with his Alter Ego Surge, a being of living lightning born from the Eidolon Aurora’s power. Atsadi seeks to obtain Excalibur to free Aurora from her crystal prison and developed his own sword style called the Galisgi.

Early Life and Aurora’s Imprisonment

Atsadi grew up as a shepherd in Dusk, a troglodyte city in Caer Arcolano suspended amidst floating rocks above a sea of clouds. When old enough to watch over herds alone, Atsadi invoked Aurora, an Eidolon, to play and ward off loneliness. As years passed, she became his accomplice and confidante, and they fell in love. Aurora taught Atsadi Alteration, and he fashioned marvelous groves and lakes. One night, a Tumult singularity struck—the grass turned pink before crystallizing, and water enveloped Aurora before freezing like ice around her. Atsadi grabbed her hand and pulled with all his might, but his arm was ensnared in turn. Through the translucent barrier, Aurora stared intensely at him, then light emanated from her and struck the cicada. The cicada saved Atsadi by severing his right arm and cauterizing the wound. Atsadi woke screaming, his right arm replaced by a crudely cauterized stump, unable to free Aurora from her crystal prison.

Birth of Surge

Aurora, before being captured, had managed to imbue Atsadi’s cicada with a portion of her power. The tiny creature’s carapace tore, and out emerged Surge, a new being fashioned from crackling light—as if lightning had come to life with humanoid silhouette. Surge had severed Atsadi’s arm and burned his wounds, saving him and watching over him.

The Quest for Excalibur

As soon as he could walk, Atsadi went to the glass lake to find Aurora still encased within crystal, but no tool or weapon could break it. Surge told him of Excalibur, a mythical sword that could slice through mountain peaks—only it could crack the crystal jail. Atsadi invoked the Lady of the Lake, guardian of the legendary sword, to beg for the weapon. The Lady said only the most skilled swordsman in the world could be considered worthy to draw it from its sheath. Atsadi made a vow to become that exceptional swordsman, to challenge all the most skilled masters of arms the world had known. Touched, the Lady advised him to seek out Bedivere, who could teach him sword handling. After following Bedivere’s teachings, Atsadi left Dusk to travel the world, seeking tutelage from numerous swordsmen and blacksmiths.

The Galisgi Style

Over time, Atsadi developed his own style of combat, fast and sharp as lightning: the Galisgi. He endured failures and setbacks at first until he was able to triumph through hard work. With luck, he would cover himself in glory such that his reputation would allow him to endure as an Eidolon beyond death, thus accessing eternity to spend it with Aurora.

Legendary Victories

Atsadi claims victories over some of history’s most formidable warriors: defeated Tomoe Gozen, defeated Achilles, defeated Sun Wukong, disarmed Hua Mulan, and pushed Gericht vaan-Bracht to his knees.

The Seven Blades

Atsadi fights in the Colosseum at Arkaster, defeating challengers. Legends of the first Nomads tell that before the founding of Asgartha, a Lost Tribe remained behind, protected by mythical swordsmen known as The Seven Blades. Atsadi must find their identity, unearth them, learn enough about them to materialize them through Alteration, challenge them, and defeat them.

Fighting Style

Atsadi’s breathing remains a continuous, peaceful breeze even during intense combat. He waits alert for the slightest opening, his instinct dictating movements and anticipating strikes. His sword sings and whistles like wind as he darts, twirls, and positions his blade to protect his advance. The one-armed handicap has been overcome through his development of the Galisgi style.

Timeline of Activities

378 AC - Mountain Training with Kappa

Atsadi scaled endless mountain with heavy weights strapped to legs and left arm while Master Kappa smoked pipe, learning to overcome physical limitations.

382 AC - Dueling Achilles

Atsadi fought Achilles under Bedivere’s watchful eye, struggling against legendary warrior’s lance reach before being kicked in ribs.

385 AC - Battling Sun Wukong

Atsadi fought Sun Wukong who transformed into animals and created army of miniature capuchin clones from his hair, eventually winning after overdrawn from Surge.

385 AC - Shenlong Revives Surge

After battling Sun Wukong, Atsadi had overdrawn from Surge’s strength leaving spark flickering, and summoned Shenlong storm dragon to revive Surge through lightning.

386 AC - Learning Power Absorption from Hua Mulan

Hua Mulan taught Atsadi “You have to feed on what others give you,” and he learned to consume part of beings’ power to make it his own.

391 AC - Visiting Sacred Chamber at Haven

Atsadi descended beneath Haven to sacred chamber where Rune was crowned, seeing Phoenix egg tended by Tiny Jinn and urns of ancient heroes.

392 AC - Training Against Seven Blades

Atsadi trained with Surge to manifest three of Seven Blades: Fiore dei Liberi, Julie d’Aubigny, Joseph Bologne.

392 AC - Mighty Jinn Against Elementals

Atsadi summoned Mighty Jinn who created barrier with body while wading through lava, allowing Atsadi to strike basalt elementals with charged glaive.

393 AC - Dueling Gericht Eidolon

Atsadi sparred with Gericht vaan-Bracht’s Eidolon, countering unexpected combos while reading the master duelist’s moves during prolonged bout.

393 AC - Amarok Summoning Incident

Kojo Oduro summoned Amarok wolf Eidolon despite Atsadi’s instructions, causing massive wolf to chase Cathal through pines before Kojo’s companion leapt onto its fur.

393 AC - Eros Against Belisenki

When surrounded by twenty Belisenki in mountain pass, Atsadi summoned Eros Eidolon whose flaming forms created barrier and bought time for counterattack.

393 AC - Mana Absorption Display

Atsadi absorbed released ideas from dissipating Eidolons while Surge charged his blade with lightning, creating waterspouts and scalding rain against Belisenki swarms.

393 AC - Belisenki Attack at Storvhit

During Storvhit expedition, Belisenki swarm attacked camp and Atsadi fought while drawing in Mana, keeping opponents at bay despite giving ground step by step.

393 AC - Icebound Peak Ascent

Atsadi followed scouts’ footprints up frozen canyon toward snowy peak, remembering Vanderun heights where Aurora would appear before avalanche threatened expedition.

393 AC, June-September - Lernaean Hydra Summoning Against Shadows

Atsadi summoned Lernaean Hydra to combat shadow entities targeting Alter Egos in the City of Scholars caverns, though Teija’s psychic interference through The Skein altered the manifestation from his original bloodthirsty concept.

393 AC, June-September - Swift Jinn Against Shadow Entities

Atsadi summoned Swift Jinn to ambush shadow entities in a City of Scholars cavern, using its explosive light detonation to disperse the creatures and absorb the resulting Mana.

393 AC - Memory Library and Defeating Fiore dei Liberi

Atsadi descended deep into the City of Scholars seeking records of The Drifter’s seven warriors, refusing Kojo Oduro’s request to become his apprentice along the way. In a cylindrical memory chamber, touching obsidian steles revealed visions of the city’s golden age and decline. Nearly overwhelmed by the memory flood, Kojo pulled him back to consciousness. Fiore dei Liberi then manifested, having been imprisoned there by The Drifter centuries ago. Atsadi dueled and defeated the master swordsman by combining Galisgi technique with Alteration flames. Fiore revealed his next targets: Julie d’Aubigny and Joseph Bologne.

393 AC - Confrontation with The Hunger

Atsadi participated in the Exalt operation against The Hunger in The Maze. When the creature shifted from feeding on Sap to aggression, Atsadi sensed the danger through his meditative awareness—a black wind herald of storm, a surge of murder. He leapt forward to strike at the entity’s eye with his jian, but felt his death in a fraction of a heartbeat and cut the strike at the last instant. Seeing Kojo Oduro rush forward with blazing fist unaware of the mortal danger, Atsadi sprang again as lightning crackled around him. With Surge fusing to his stump to form his missing arm, Atsadi drove his blade into The Hunger’s vertical pupil. Wisps of violet smoke burst forth as lightning pierced, struck, and lashed in rapid succession. He shoved Kojo back hard enough to prevent the entity’s mandibles from snapping shut on him.

Current Status

On the heights of Dusk, Aurora waits in her crystal prison. Atsadi will do everything to free her from her torpor so that a new dawn may finally rise on their love. In the meantime, he crosses swords with anyone who wishes to challenge his supremacy, determined to make his name resound in the firmament.

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