Grayscale

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Morgan Rhys, codename **Grayscale**
Grayscale
Player: @tommycortex
Origin:	Magic
Archetype:	Scrapper
Security Level:	35
Server:	Confidential
Personal Data
Real Name:	Morgan Rhys
Known Aliases:	Grayscale / Subject U-13 / "The Archivist"
Species:	Human (Altered)
Age:	34
Height:	6'2"
Weight:	192 lb
Eye Color:	Silver-Gray
Hair Color:	Black with muted silver strands
Biographical Data
Nationality:	Welsh-American
Occupation:	Occult Field Operative, Para-Arcanist
Place of Birth:	Swansea, Wales
Base of Operations:	Steel Canyon, Paragon City
Marital Status:	Single
Known Relatives:	None known
Known Powers
Titan Weapons / Dark Armor / Sorcery / Soul Mastery
Known Abilities
Ritual channeling, sigil theory, limited spellcraft, and field-use energy control via Umbrathar
Equipment
The documented artifact **Umbrathar**, classified as a Tier-III Para-Relic of indeterminate origin
Current field status: *Active but unsanctioned.* Operates under independent para-academic protocols.

Overview

Morgan Rhys, known by his registered hero name Grayscale, is a Midnight Squad specialist in cursed artifacts who recently bonded with Umbrathar, an ancient sentient weapon housing an imprisoned shadow entity. The bond has granted him formidable combat abilities at a visible cost—his body is slowly losing its color, desaturating as the fusion deepens. A methodical researcher from a long line of Welsh arcane scholars, Morgan now walks the line between man and artifact, documenting his own transformation while continuing his work protecting Paragon City from supernatural threats.

Appearance

Physical Description

Morgan appears to be in his late thirties, though the bond with Umbrathar makes him look older and more worn than his years warrant. He stands at average height with a lean, scholarly build that's deceptive—the entity grants him strength far beyond what his frame suggests. His most striking feature is the progressive greying effect. What began as salt-and-pepper hair has spread to a general desaturation of his entire body. His skin grows increasingly pale and ashen, as though color itself is being leeched away. Grey-green eyes behind round scholarly glasses seem to fade a little more each day. He maintains a well-kept beard, though like his hair, it's losing its original color. A shadowy aura clings to him constantly—the visible manifestation of his Dark Armor abilities. In combat or times of stress, the shadows writhe more actively around him, providing tangible protection whether he wills it or not.

Costume & Equipment

Morgan dresses practically but formally—a long charcoal grey coat over black pants, dark vest and shirt. Purple accents appear on his gloves, and a faint purple glow emanates from his hands when channeling power. The overall aesthetic is scholarly and Gothic, befitting someone who works in archives by day and hunts cursed artifacts by night. Umbrathar, the massive two-handed sword, is always present. Strapped across his back, the blade is impossible to miss—and impossible for Morgan to leave behind. The weapon's grip shows distinctive wrapped scaling, and the blade itself seems to drink in light. Those sensitive to magic report an unsettling presence around it, as though something ancient watches from within the steel.

Personality

Morgan Rhys is methodical, analytical, and intensely private. He approaches both research and life with scholarly precision, measuring his words carefully and qualifying his statements. Years working with cursed artifacts have taught him to see nuance where others see only threat—he treats sentient cursed objects as beings with history and agency, not simply evil things to be destroyed. The bond with Umbrathar has added new layers to his personality. Beneath his professional composure lies genuine fear of losing himself to the entity, though he handles this fear by trying to understand and document it obsessively. He maintains emotional distance from others, partly from natural introversion and partly from not wanting to burden colleagues with his situation. His humor, when it surfaces, is bone-dry and self-deprecating, usually about his progressive greying. He speaks with subtle Welsh inflection that strengthens when tired or stressed. With colleagues he's cordial but formal; with cursed artifacts he shows unexpected gentleness and empathy.

Morgan copes through routine: obsessive documentation, regular exercise (running through King's Row even at night), endless cups of properly-brewed tea, and immersion in his work. He's most animated when discussing artifacts and their construction—this is when the scholar in him truly emerges.

Core Traits

• Methodical & Analytical: Every observation documented, every action considered
• Empathetic to the Cursed: Understands imprisoned/cursed beings on intuitive level
• Professionally Competent: Maintains composure even while fading
• Privately Afraid: Fears losing identity but channels fear into research
• Pragmatically Accepting: "If I'm stuck with it, I'll learn about it"
• Isolated: No close personal relationships outside work

Background

The Rhys Family Legacy

Morgan comes from a long line of Welsh arcane researchers specializing in cursed artifacts and mystical studies. For generations, the Rhys family built expertise in understanding, containing, and when possible, communicating with the dangerous magical objects others feared to touch. His parents were both practitioners who perished in the line of duty before Morgan moved to Paragon City. Over time, fewer family members wanted to shoulder this burden. Morgan is essentially one of only a handful of remaining Rhys family members, and likely the only one still actively involved in the work. The knowledge and legacy will die with him unless preserved—a weight that sits heavy some days.

Joining the Midnight Squad

After his parents' deaths, Morgan brought his family's expertise to Paragon City and the Midnight Squad. His natural talent for empathizing with cursed artifacts—understanding curses and their intentions in ways others couldn't—made him valuable to the organization. He proved himself capable in both research and field work, becoming a trusted specialist in artifact retrieval and containment. For several years, Morgan operated as a competent but unremarkable agent. He was the researcher you called when an artifact was too dangerous for standard containment, the field agent who could communicate with sentient cursed objects when others experienced only hostility. Respected, reliable, but not particularly powerful in combat terms. He completed the Croatoa arc and began work in Dark Astoria, gaining experience with mystical and death-related threats. By the time he reached his mid-thirties, Morgan was an established professional—a known quantity within the Midnight Squad.

The Umbrathar Incident

Everything changed during an emergency containment situation involving Umbrathar, an ancient sentient sword housing an imprisoned shadow entity of unknown origin. Three Midnight Squad agents had already died attempting to interact with or contain the artifact. A fourth agent—a younger colleague—was dying from exposure when Morgan arrived. Morgan attempted to save him through his empathic approach to cursed artifacts. The bond formed during this rescue attempt as an unintended consequence. The agent died anyway despite Morgan's intervention. Where trained combat agents had perished, Morgan survived through his unique compatibility. His ability to understand and empathize with cursed objects, to approach with compassion rather than force or command, allowed communication where others had experienced only lethal hostility. This same compatibility now binds him absolutely to Umbrathar—they cannot be separated. One cannot live without the other, though Morgan doesn't fully realize this yet. The bond was not a choice. It was a crisis response that saved Morgan's life while granting him tremendous power at a terrible cost. He carries guilt for the agents who died, believing he could have saved his young colleague if he'd been faster. The Midnight Squad views the situation with mixed feelings—relief that someone survived bonding with the artifact, concern about what Morgan is becoming.

Current Situation

Morgan continues his work with the Midnight Squad, now registered as the hero "Grayscale" due to exhibiting metahuman abilities. He doesn't think of himself as a superhero—just a Midnight Squad agent who happens to fight sometimes. The codename is bureaucratic necessity, not personal identity. He reports regularly to Magister Rhea, his supervisor, who monitors his condition closely. Morgan has given her authority to make the call if he becomes compromised, trusting her judgment more than his own if he begins losing control. He's suggested that if necessary, he should be sealed alive with Umbrathar rather than risk becoming a threat—separation is impossible even in worst-case scenarios. He lives in King's Row and commutes to Steel Canyon for work at the Midnighter Club. His life has become consumed by the work and the bond—documentation, research, training, exercise, all circling around the question of what he's becoming and whether Morgan Rhys will still exist when the transformation is complete.

Powers & Abilities

The Bond: Umbrathar

The moment Morgan bonded with Umbrathar, his power level increased dramatically. The entity granted him abilities far beyond his natural magical talents—a quantum leap that transformed him from support specialist to frontline combatant whether he wanted it or not.

• Titan Weapons: Morgan wields Umbrathar with devastating effect. Each strike of the massive blade requires commitment and precision, but the impact is tremendous. The entity enhances his strength, allowing him to swing the weapon with force that should be impossible for his build. His combat style combines scholarly precision with overwhelming power—methodical, intentional strikes rather than wild swings.
• Dark Armor: Shadows constantly writhe around Morgan, providing passive protection against physical and magical threats. The darkness shields him from bludgeoning and slashing attacks, and the protection exists whether he consciously activates it or not. In combat, the shadows respond to threats automatically, interposing themselves between Morgan and incoming harm. He describes the sensation as distant, muted—as though the entity has placed itself between weapon and flesh.
• The Sword's Nature: Umbrathar cannot be left behind. Morgan has attempted to separate from it multiple times—leaving it in his flat, securing it in containment lockers, deliberately walking away. The sword simply reappears near him after brief periods, as though it had always been there. Standard Midnight Squad containment protocols fail when applied to the weapon. It is always present, always watching.

Communication & Awareness

At this early stage of the bond, Umbrathar communicates through emotion and sensation rather than words. Morgan senses interest, curiosity, agitation, and what feels like protectiveness—though whether these are the entity's actual emotions or simply how his mind interprets its projections remains unclear. The entity observes through Morgan's senses, experiencing the world through his eyes. It becomes agitated in the presence of psychic or psionic energy, manifesting as a cold, hungry response. Morgan can sense this reaction but doesn't yet feel the hunger directly himself. He suspects this may change as the bond deepens. The sword grows cold when Morgan is near telepaths or psychics. The temperature drop is subtle but noticeable, and when the source of psionic energy leaves, the blade warms again. Magister Rhea has documented this as "adverse reaction to psionic energy," though Morgan suspects it's more than simple aversion—it feels like hunger.

Independent Magical Abilities

Morgan retains his own intermediate-level sorcery, though these abilities are now overshadowed by the bond:

• Arcane Flight: Can cast a spell to fly
• Protective Wards: Capable of creating magical defenses
• Arcane Blasts: Can generate light to moderate intensity energy attacks

His real gift has always been empathy with cursed artifacts rather than raw magical power. This talent is what allowed him to survive bonding with Umbrathar in the first place, and it helps him maintain some sense of separate identity from the entity.

Combat Capabilities

Pre-bond, Morgan avoided frontline combat when possible. He was competent enough to handle himself but relied more on expertise than power. The bond changed this completely. Now Morgan is combat-capable in ways he never was before. He can face threats that would have killed him before the bonding incident. The shadows protect him passively, and Umbrathar grants him strength and devastating striking power. His combat style reflects his personality—methodical application of overwhelming force, ending threats efficiently rather than prolonging fights. He supplements the entity's powers with his own magic when needed, creating a hybrid approach that works despite being entirely unplanned. Morgan is still adjusting to this new reality, learning to use the massive sword effectively while managing powers he never asked for.

Limitations & Vulnerabilities

• The Progressive Greying: The most obvious cost of the bond is the desaturation spreading through Morgan's body. Hair, skin, eyes—color drains away as the fusion deepens. He doesn't know if this will stop at full greying or continue to something worse. The physical transformation is accelerating faster than anyone expected.
• Cannot Separate: Morgan and Umbrathar are bound absolutely. Attempting to leave the sword behind fails. Standard containment doesn't work. They are stuck together, and Morgan suspects that if the bond were somehow severed at this stage, neither would survive.
• Psychic Vulnerability: Umbrathar's hunger response to psionic energy is concerning. If the entity becomes agitated enough, or if Morgan begins to feel the hunger directly, encounters with psychics could become dangerous for everyone involved.
• Loss of Identity: Morgan's greatest fear is losing himself to the entity. As the bond deepens, distinguishing his own thoughts and feelings from Umbrathar's influence becomes increasingly difficult. He documents obsessively, trying to preserve "Morgan Rhys" in writing even if the man himself fades.
• Emotional State: Fear, isolation, survivor's guilt, and exhaustion all affect Morgan's judgment and capability. He's stretched thin, running on determination and too little sleep, pushing himself to understand something that may be incomprehensible.

RP Hooks

For Heroes & Vigilantes

• Mystical Threats: Morgan specializes in cursed artifacts and supernatural dangers. Heroes dealing with magical problems might seek Midnight Squad expertise.
• Artifact Recovery: Need someone to retrieve or contain a dangerous magical object? Morgan's the specialist they'd send.
• The Walking Cautionary Tale: Other magic users might be curious (or horrified) about what happens when you bond with something cursed.
• Croatoa Connections: Morgan has experience dealing with the mystical threats in Croatoa and could be encountered there.
• Dark Astoria Work: His research into death magic and cursed artifacts naturally leads to Dark Astoria.

For Villains & Rogues

• Black Market Artifacts: Morgan tracks cursed artifacts. Sometimes those appear in villain hands first. Complications ensue.
• The Sword: Umbrathar is valuable and powerful. Some might want to take it from him (good luck with that).
• Midnight Squad Intelligence: Morgan knows things about mystical threats, ancient magic, and dimensional weaknesses. Information is currency.

For Any Alignment

• The Visible Transformation: Morgan is visibly greying. People notice. Reactions vary from curiosity to pity to fear.
• Empathy with Cursed Objects: If your character has a cursed item, Morgan might be able to communicate with it or understand it better than most.
• King's Row Encounters: Morgan runs through King's Row at night, massive sword and all. Walk-up encounters possible.
• Tea & Conversation: He's often found in cafes or the Midnighter Club with a cup of Welsh Brew. Scholars, researchers, or anyone interested in cursed artifacts might strike up conversation.
• The Scholar Who Fights: Morgan doesn't fit typical hero archetypes. He's academic, tired, afraid, but capable. Interesting contrast to more traditional heroes.

Relationships

Magister Rhea (NPC - Midnight Squad Supervisor) Morgan's direct superior within the Midnight Squad. Their relationship is professional but built on mutual trust and respect—not friendship exactly, but solid working rapport developed over years. Rhea is fairly severe but competent, and she understands both Morgan's value and his situation. Morgan reports to her regularly about his condition and the bond's progression. He's given her explicit authority to make the call if he becomes compromised, trusting her judgment more than his own when it comes to containment decisions. Rhea monitors him closely, aware that this situation could go catastrophically wrong. She would be genuinely saddened if Morgan doesn't survive the bond, but she'll do what's necessary to protect others if he becomes a threat. Rhea represents Morgan's anchor to the Midnight Squad and to accountability. She's the person who can pull him back—or seal him away—if the entity takes over.

OOC Information

RP Preferences

I'm open to RP with anyone and flexible on RP style and length. Dark themes are absolutely welcome given Morgan's situation. Walk-up RP is fine—feel free to approach! Please note: No romance or ERP with this character. Morgan is isolated by choice and circumstance, dealing with his own transformation, and not in the headspace for romantic connections. Combat RP is welcome. Morgan's powers make him formidable but he's not invincible, and the bond creates interesting vulnerabilities (especially around psychics).

Contact

• In-game tells: @anhedonia
• Forum PM: Tommy Cortex
• Walk-ups: Always welcome

Character Notes

Morgan's transformation is ongoing and will progress as he levels. The wiki will be updated to reflect his development, deepening bond with Umbrathar, and any significant story events. His greying is intentionally visible and can be noticed/commented on by other characters. The character is designed for long-term story arcs exploring identity, sacrifice, the cost of power, and what it means to maintain humanity while bonded with something inhuman. However, he works perfectly fine for one-shot encounters too—he's a Midnight Squad specialist who can be consulted about cursed artifacts or encountered in the field.

Inspiration & Themes

Morgan explores themes of:

• Loss of identity and self
• The price of knowledge and duty
• Empathy as both gift and curse
• Being the last of a legacy
• Living documentation versus futility
• Necessary sacrifice
• The monster within vs. the man without

The character draws inspiration from Gothic literature, cosmic horror (unknowable entities), and the tradition of scholars who delve too deep into forbidden knowledge. The twist is that Morgan didn't seek this—he was trying to save someone and got caught in the consequences.

Trivia

• Morgan drinks Welsh Brew tea constantly—properly steeped, splash of milk, no sugar. It's one of the few things that still tastes right to him.
• He keeps multiple journals: clinical observations for the Midnight Squad, and private journals (some written in Welsh) for his own thoughts.
• His family name "Rhys" is pronounced "Reese."
• The progressive greying is the source of his codename "Grayscale"—a bureaucratic designation he doesn't particularly identify with.
• Despite the massive sword, Morgan still thinks of himself as a researcher first, combatant second.
• He's never formed a permanent psychic bond or deep magical connection with anyone—Umbrathar is the most intimate relationship (if you can call it that) he's ever had, and it's literally killing him.
• Theme Song: 'Arsonist's Lullaby' by Hozier

"Knowledge has its price. I'm learning that firsthand." ---