Criss Seraph

Physical Appearance

• Medium-length black hair with longer bangs on right side with dirty blond streaks
  • His dark colored hair turns white in light from outside the Realm of the Dead
  • His light colored hair turns silver in light from outside the Realm of the Dead
• Silver eyes
• Relatively fit with a moderately muscled build, although he's somewhat on the slender side
• Very tall in height
• Fair skinned with a somewhat pale complexion
• Pierced ears

His Watcher form consists of his entire body becoming a blinding form of light with dark blue matter surrounding a light blue "skeleton" of constellation-like light, along with constellation wings. He trails lights in his wake. However, since the deaths of his younger siblings, his Watcher form has lost all its color and is now black and white.

As all Eksel do, Criss has the ability to manipulate his physical shape however he pleases, yet he rarely deviates from his Watcher state and the current form he takes on despite being capable of taking on any form he could think of.

Clothing Style

Criss more recently appears to wear the same outfit around "younglings," although his style has changed quite a bit over the millennia. This current look includes a simple white sleeveless shirt and black pants with skull and flame designs. He wears a black trench coat with a fur-like material lining the collar and draping over the shoulders. Three silver studded belts wrap around his chest/abdomen area of the jacket. His upper arms have two metal bands, each having one of the symbols of the four Prime Deities on them (Lord Dalia, Lady Yashana, Blacc Katt, and Valkyrie Skye). A single unmarked silver band is around the middle of his forearms. The jacket cuffs are white and longer on the outer edge, and the inner edges have silver, cross shaped cuff links, which were recently gifted to him from Kain. He wears three black leather belts around his hips, black boots with silver straps crossing around it, and shin-length black and gray striped socks. He also wears black fingerless gloves with the black and red symbol of his Joker Suite card set on the backs of the hands.

He wears quite a bit of jewelry, including multiple rings on his fingers, earrings, and five necklaces. One is a simple chain, another is a circular pendant with a silver chain, and the other three have strings rather than chains. One is a gear shaped pendant with a heart in the center that was a gift from Vanessa. One is a gold wing shaped pendant that is the symbol of Lord Dalia. The other is a silver pendant that is of his own design.

Personality

Criss is a mysterious and rather melancholy man who may seem a bit hard to approach but is actually very mellow and kind. He isn't the most outwardly expressive person at times, but he is always honest and speaks politely to anyone he encounters until they give him reason not to. However, he is very patient and doesn't seem to get offended by anything, so he can still treat even the most rude and obnoxious people politely. He tends to come off as apathetic and moody due to his low energy demeanor and his tendency to have a bored expression as his neutral face, but he's actually very friendly and considerate. Although he can speak rather eloquently which adds to his mysterious aura, he's also capable of being very blunt and to the point, although sometimes the way he phrases things makes what he says sound like riddles unintentionally.

Criss is very compassionate and protective when it comes to other creatures/people, and he tends to act like a fatherly or older brother-like figure to most people he encounters. He exudes an air of experience and wisdom, and due to his extremely long existence he can usually provide some good advice or insight to anyone willing to ask for it. He's used to being alone and in the background, so he tends to not expect attention or to be considered by others. He really does appreciate when others provide him company or are willing to converse with him though. He can be rather sentimental quite easily toward those who stick around rather than leaving soon after encountering him, and he can be a bit of a pushover with those he's warmed up to and is more than likely to keep quiet about what he thinks to keep others happy. Internally he is still very tormented by the loss of his siblings and being forgotten by Lady Yashana, so he somewhat fears but mostly is resigned to the fact he'll most likely be abandoned and left alone as usual by those who enter his life now. He still thinks the world of Lady Yashana though and carries out her will, so one of the few ways to offend him is to speak ill of or insult her. It is not recommended to incur his wrath though. He created the Realm of the Dead from scratch, and he can just as easily destroy anything who disgraces their ruler.

Abilities

• Deyth rifting - deity rank
• Darclyte rifting - lesser deity rank
• Invisibility in the mortal plane
  • Capable of communing with non-Eksel, regardless if they are "Devil Whisperers" or not
  • Unaffected by the Eksel trait that prevents Eksel from speaking lies (although he's an honest person in general anyway)
• Levitation and teleportation
• Eksel Manipulation to change shape and affect matter around him
• Mastery over illusions
• Gains a kind omnipotence/omnipresence throughout Yashanarika when in his Watcher state
  • In his Watcher state he can also create matter from the Void or destroy it
• Skilled at slight of hand and various card tricks even without use of his Eksel Manipulation
• Skilled at singing

Strengths

• Level-headed, enduring, and loyal
• Patient, mature, responsible, and observant
• Compassionate, protective, and easy to talk to
• Knowing and wise, yet he prefers to gently guide rather than blatantly direct others

Weaknesses

• Sentimental, suffers from extensive loneliness and loss, and longs for company
• Tends to never voice his personal pains or concerns so he won't worry others
• Acts as a bystander most of the time and feels he shouldn't interfere with other people's problems
• Has trouble saying no to the few people that appreciate his company

Backstory

Crissaphyx was the first of the Eksel to be created for Lady Yashana's Realm of the Dead. He was tasked with creating the framework of the realm and filling in the environment. He first created a land outlined by constellations before painting the land over it. Criss then allowed his younger sister, Vi, to paint over his framework and beautify the realm. He looked after his siblings dotingly, protecting them all from the dangers of the volatile realm in the making and from stray creatures of the Void. After many tasks of the realm were delegated to his siblings, Criss was tasked with looking after the new Eksel that would enter the realm over time and maintaining order. Criss did so in harmony with his siblings.

When Yashana's double first appeared, Criss was grief-stricken with Maradias's capture and Vi's death. After Lunara was corrupted and turned to the other side and Reaper was slain by Nyfringe Nyre, Lady Yashana forced Criss to flee into the depths of the realm and go into hiding to prevent from being taken or killed as well. Criss hid away in the small pocket-dimension of Flipside where many of the young Eksel would remain stuck until they could learn to fully make use of their abilities. Even after the War ended, Criss remained there after realizing Lady Yashana had forgotten about him in her efforts to repair the realm and out of grief over the loss of the other Originals. Criss quietly watches over Flipside in eternal mourning, hoping she will one day remember and maybe have use of him again.

Currently he is caring for a mortal kitten that somehow wandered into the Realm of the Dead, which he has named Ham. He also watches over Kain Faustnoir as he wages war against an Eksel who has taken control of Flipside, along with Vanessa Fairweather, an Eksel that he encountered while wandering outside of Flipside and has since gotten trapped within the pocket-dimension. He cares for them both dearly, yet he worries about the trouble they are stirring up.

Trivia:

Sometimes caught humming this song for some reason: Jack Russel

Associated song with Vi: Shakestopper