User blog:ShiverCold64/Philistine Contumacious

"Look at yourself and how utterly pathetic you are. You couldn't even save the guy you loved, you and the Resistance couldn't save ANYONE, and now you're here; lying in your fucking guts, terrified for the first time. It's just funny."

- Philistine mocking Glacia Zanto

Philistine Contumacious was a Timore who inhabited the body of Byran Davies, and the main antagonist of Darkness of Darachi. Despite being the overseer of The Gathering, a group of Timores tasked with genocide of the human race, he began to develop his own ulterior motives and went on to create his own macrocosm based on a story that Byran had been in the middle of writing, where all of the events of Darkness of Darachi take place. Soon after entering the macrocosm, it's inhabitants soon figured out the truth of the world and Philistine was defeated by Sozonushi Nokami, being extracted out of his human host.

Appearance
As a Timore, Philistine appears as a black, eldritch creature covered in black tentacles and human-like mouths. His tentacles are noticably slimmer and longer than other Timores, and he has  one large, unblinking eye.

While using Byran's body as a host, he appears the same, though his eyes change into orange and grey swirls with white pupils. His face is  also cut into a large, permanent smile, exposing his stained gums and teeth.

Personality
Philistine has shown an unhinged, sanguinary nature, as he mocked Glacia Zanto after sending her Kaito's head in a cardboard box. Conversely, he has also shown to be quite mercurial, occasionally shifting from deriding to enraged in a matter of moments. Due to his lack of lips and eternal smile, it is often difficult to percieve his emotions at first glance.

Abilities & Powers
As a Timore-possessed human, Philistine has shown immense physical prowess and power, despite his host body being a  rather weak fifteen-year old and having no previous battle experience.

Physical Abilities
Supernatural Strength: Philistine's physical and mental abilities are far superior to almost every other character in Darkness of Darachi, with his capabilities being far beyond natural levels; he displays this in his final battle with Sozonushi when he lifts vast mounds of building debris with ease, and engages him in close combat.

Supernatural Speed & Reflexes: Philistine has shown to be able to move faster than the human brain can keep up with, though he does not have full control of his speed and will not utilize it often. His reflexes are equal in this, being able to  counter almost any blow or magic.

Supernatural Endurance: Philistine has shown supernatural endurance, being able to fight for hours without being fatigued. He has also shown to be able to still keep up with Sozonushi in close combat after losing an arm, sustaining little damage.

Supernatural Abilities
Tentacle Extension: Philistine is able to grow molten tar-covered tentacles from his abdomen, which he can control and elongate freely during combat. His tentacles are similar to his possessor's, being slimmer than most other Timore's.

Electroportation: Philistine has the ability to metamorphose into sentient electricity, being able to travel through electrical conduits. He can usually enter circuitry through electronics or exposed wiring, and can exit out of them too. This has shown limitations, as the electricity can be blocked by pressure being put on the wiring, and he has stated that if he were to travel into the internet, he would get lost.

Accelerating Regeneration: Philistine has shown to possess a gradually increasing regenerative healing factor, being able to regenerate faster each time he is wounded. This is shown when his tentacles are constantly being cut off, healing faster each time, and when Sozonushi obliterates his right arm over and over.

Tar Secretion: Philistine is able to secrete molten tar from various orifices on his body, including his eyes, ears and submandibular gland underneath his tongue. This tar does not damage Philistine or his clothing, but is dangerous to others, causing sixth-degree burns.

Fighting Style
Art of Seijou (正常の芸術, Seijō no geijutsu): The Art of Seijou is a martial art Philistine created, in which attacks start off like normal punches and kicks, but constantly shift into different movements. He first used this against Glacia Zanto, someone with immense physical power and reflexes, and was able to continuously catch her off guard.

Turpiculus Excrescence
"Turpiculus Excrescence"  is the name of Philistine's mutated form after he begins to be overpowered by Sozonushi. This form is a muscular, misshapen creature, covered in wounds, eyes and tentacles. His hair grows to cover his eyebrows, and his teeth and bones grow out. His tentacles on his abdomen are now permanent, though keeping their ability to elongate and regenerate. He also has one large, unblinking eye exposed on his chest, which is in fact the eye of the Timore.

All of his physical abilities are augmented to an absurd level, being able to now lift entire buildings in his fight with Sozonushi. Despite all this, he is still unable to defeat Sozonushi, whose superior techniques and serious nature overwhelm Turpiculus and destroy the Timore within him, restoring the body.

Etymology
Philistine's name is literally the two words "Philistine", meaning somebody who is hostile to culture or art; and "Contumacious," meaning to be disobdient to authority.

Turpiculus' name is made up of the latin word "Turpiculus", meaning misshapen or ugly, and "Excrescence", meaning an unpleasant outgrowth on the body which causes disease.

Trivia

 * He is one of four Gathering members whose names are just made up of words from the English Dictionary; the others are Virtue Choler, Libido Coquette and Melancholia Rancour.
 * It is stated that before Philistine transforms into Turpiculus, his ability is "at an equal level to Sozonushi's" by Tadgh Gibson.
 * Philistine's total body count is seven, which includes Kaito, Glacia Zanto, Odayakana Yuyo, Kaitlin Orazio, Lusttrap Kireina, Sachiko Yuzuki and Mary Ka-Ryō.