Sobek

"Only the strong may rule."

-Sobek, Beast of the River, War Vizier of the Kem-Duati

Sobek is the Egyptian God of Crocodiles, and a member of the Kem-Duati, having served as War-Vizier since the reign of his father. The son of Set and Neith, Sobek follows strength above all else, and as a result, is loyal to the current Pharoah, Horus, who he serves as a general. However, he preferred the reign of his father, and is still strongly devoted to him, and occasionally informs him of the goings on in Horus's court. Sobek is known for his ferocity as a warrior and general throughout Creation, famed for his bloodlust, cunning, and utter lack of mercy.

Early Life
Sobek was born in the Palace of the Sun in Kemara late in the Golden Age. He was the offspring of Set, the favored grandson of Kemara's Pharaoh, Ra, and his mistress, Neith, the Goddess of the Hunt. Sobek was a loud, boisterous child, and Neith was sure his robustness would please his father when they met, for Set was out battling the forces of Apophis in Ra's name when Sobek was born. Unfortunately, Sobek never had the chance to meet his father. His constant loud crying irrated his great-grandfather Ra, who banished both him and his mother from the palace, barring Set from visiting and "wasting time with that squalling, bastard brat". Set was never even allowed to learn his son's name.

A Brutal Upbringing
Growing up in the river realm of Iteru, on the borders of the Kem-Duati empire, Sobek was constantly told by his mother that it was his weakness that had resulted in them being banished. To teach him strength, Neith subjected him to a brutal training regime, teaching him to be a hunter and warrior, to never flinch from violence, never show mercy to his enemies, and above all, to be strong.

Some of the cruelest methods of Sobek's upbringing was the instruction were the attachments he was manipulated into making, and then forced to break. When he was five, Sobek was given a wolf pup to raise, and it was one of the only sources of proper affection that he had. Sobek named the pup Prowler, after his initial idea of Happytail was denied by his mother, and earned him a brutal beating. Sobek fed Prowler with his own hand, and took him on hunting trips as he prowled Iteru in Temporal form. When Prowler was fully grown and had been a trusted companion for Sobek for years, Neith ordered Sobek to kill him. Horrified, Sobek nearly refused, but instead, stated that he would acquiesce, and took Prowler out into the wilderness to "do the deed". In reality, he fled his mother, taking Prowler with him.

It took Neith a full day to track them down. Sobek did not submit meekly, and defended his friend with all his undeveloped might, but he was no match for his mother. After being brutally subdued, Neith demanded that Sobek kill Prowler, but Sobek refused, defiantly spitting a mouthful of blood into his mother's eye. In response, Neith used her powers to boil Prowler's blood in his veins, causing his muscles to tear and bones to break, all while keeping the wolf alive. Tearfully, Sobek finally acquiesced to his mother's demand in order to end Prowler's suffering, breaking his neck.

Brief Escape
A few years later, Sobek managed to escape his mother. He became one of the few divine beings to detach his maturation rate from the River of Ages, thanks to his eagerness to grow up and escape his mother, resulting in him aging in accordance to mortal years, instead of the Golden Ages that gods were subjected to.

Employing the skills of stealth that Neith had taught him, Sobek altered his appearance and masked his Aura, and spent several years among the mortal villages of Iteru. He eventually settled in one named Almek, where he was taken in by a foster family, remaining there for several years and even developed a crush on a girl named Nefer.

Death of Weakness
However, Neith eventually tracked him down, thanks to the rumors of the prosperity the village had experienced thanks to his presence, and Sobek's brief excursion was brought to a violent end. Neith gave him a choice regarding his punishment. He could either be made to kill all the friends he had made in Almek, or he could take her to each village he had visited previously, and slaughter everyone there. Unable to do harm to his friends, and knowing that he could not protect them from Neith, Sobek picked the latter option.

Unable to look directly upon the faces of the innocents he was forced to kill, and let them know that he was their murderer, Sobek took on the form of Iteru's most prolific predator: A crocodile. His morther approved, and in his new huge and terrible shape, he was made to tear each village down and devour every one of their inhabitants. Each mortal he killed as his mother watched caused his empathy to die a little more, numbing him to the plight of those he was killing. All the while, his mother whispered that these mortals were weak and unworthy of his care. Their lives meant nothing. Furthermore, Neith had ripped the knowledge and memories of each settlement from Sobek's mind, and the faces of the friends he had made, so that he could not attempt to spare any of them.

After Sobek had razed the final village, Neith returned his memories to him, revealing that the last settlement he had destroyed was Almek. With the death of that settlement, Sobek's pity died as well. Convinced of his own monstrosity deep down, Sobek's form permanently retained elements of the monstrous shape he had taken. For the Ages after, those who had remember his acts of slaughter would know him as the Beast of the River.

Rise to Power
After his final traces of empathy had been purged, Sobek took better to Neith's lessons, which shaped him to become an individual who was aggressive, cunning, and utterly without remorse. He would need to become a mighty warrior in order to earn himself and his mother back into Ra's good graces. Without human friends to anchor him, Sobek's perspective was once more taken up by the River of Ages. At the Age of seventeen, Neith declared his training complete, and that she had nothing more to teach him. Sobek agreed, and attacked his mother, unleashing a vengeance which he had patiently awaited to exact. Full grown, Neith was no match for him, and Sobek tore her to pieces and devoured her corpse.

With Neith destroyed, and unlikely to reform for a long, long time, Sobek became the ruler of Iteru. Though he did not care much for gaining the favor of Ra, Sobek was eager to at last reconnect with his father, Set. For that purpose, he marshalled the armies that he and his mothers had created on Iteru. Chief among his forces were the crocodile men known as the sobeket, who were every bit as vicious and pitiless as their master. Mustering a meager fleet of Void capable ships, Sobek exited Iteru and the domain of Kemara for the first time. He and his forces descended on several nearby worlds, conquering them in the name of Ra. Those realms as possessed gods were crushed and devoured by Sobek, and the mortals brutally brought to heel, and made to bow before their new conqueror. By the time he was done, nine realms had been brought to heel.

With his offering complete, Sobek travelled to Memphet-Ra, and presented himself at the Palace of the Sun to the Pharoah. Sobek explained that he had conquered the worlds in Ra's name, and asked that he be allowed to fight for the Light of Kemara. Pleased with the gift, Ra named him Nomarch of Iteru, and accepted the new arrival into his service. Just as Sobek had hoped, Ra sent him to the front to battle the last of Apophis's minions, to fight under the command of Ra's War-Vizier: Set.

That said, Sobek was far, far below Set in rank. Many lesser gods served in Ra's army beneath the War-Vizier. It took Sobek an entire age of fighting against Apophis's chaospawn, clawing his way up the ranks until Set finally took note of him. When Sobek at last openly proclaimed his identity to his father after rising to be his second in command, Set surprised him by stating that he was already aware of who Sobek was. He had recognized Neith's fighting techniques in Sobek, and the power that he had demonstrated proved that he was the Red Lord's blood. When Set inquired as to his mother's fate, Sobek warily regaled Set with the the tale of his childhood, and how it had ended with him murdering Neith.

Set was not at all displeased, commending Sobek's strength, and the way he had patiently extracted his vengeance. Furthermore, Set was tremendously proud of Sobek's achievements in his service, and declared that he was a worthy son. Overwhelmed at such praise, Sobek droped to his knee in reverence, and exclaimed that it was his foremost desire to be Set's heir. Set stated that he would gladly name him such, were it within his power, but reminded Sobek that Ra had banished him, and to do so would not be fitting. Though Sobek was crushed by the news, Set informed him of the fact that, at Ra neared the coming of a Great Slumber, he planned to make Set Pharoah in his place. After he took the Throne of Fire, Set promised, Sobek would not only be proclaimed as his son for all to hear, but would also serve him as his War-Vizier. Filled with elation, Sobek vowed that when the time came, he would serve his father faithfully.

Personality
Sobek was taught from a young age to despise weakness. He was told that strength was the greatest virtue, and power the most important characteristic of a ruler. Sobek has never witnessed anything to disabuse him of this notion, and as a result, is of the firm belief that might makes right in all things. With his fixation on personal strength, it can be of no surprise that Sobek is immensely proud of his own abilities, and relishes in any chance to exercise them.

Battle is where Sobek finds the greatest joy, fearlessly leading the forces of Kemera to war and mercilessly crushing and devouring any who stand before him. A violent and bloodhungry predator, Sobek has no pity for his foes, and never hesitates to strike down an enemy. That said, particularly daunting enemies can still earn his respect, should they demonstrate strength and courage against him. He will viciously deride and mock any he deems to be weak or inferior, but addresses those whose prowess he admires with courtesy.

While he does revel in the act of killing, Sobek is not a particularly ambitious individual, and he does not seek out power over others. He is perfectly content to serve a strong ruler, so long as they maintain his respect and allow him opportunities to perform acts of violence in their name. Furthermore, while Sobek will eagerly jump into battle if the opportunity presents itself, he is by no means brash or foolhardy. He is capable of great patience, which makes him particularly dangerous when combined with the fact that he is incredibly proud and vengeful. Never one to forget any slight or wrong, Sobek is willing to wait Ages until the opportunity presents itself to right an old grievance. While he does have a fierce temper, like his father Set, Sobek usually manages to keep it in check, and avoid performing any overtly foolish acts because of it. Only on rare occasions does he allow his anger to overcome him, and allow rage to dictate his actions in place of cunning.

In addition to his love of violence, one of Sobek's most notable flaws is his ego. He is extremely focused on maintaining his image as strong, brutal, and fearless, especially in the eyes of Horus, his pharoah, and Set, his father. While Sobek respects enemies who can provide him a worthy fight, any who actually defeats him in battle can expect to become a source of obsession and anger, as the humiliation of his defeat drives Sobek to a fury. Sobek's usual goal with any individual who bests him is to become driven towards returning the favor, and thereby demonstrating to both himself and others that he is in fact, superior.

Stats
Power Level: 4

Traits
Strength: 12

Dexterity: 9

Endurance: 11

Intelligence: 8

Charisma: 9

Perception: 10