One of the things that I know has been sorely lacking from the story is a central antagonist, created solely for Zeke to but heads against. So, while I was reworking Zeke's character using that new character builder I downloaded, it suggested to me that I build an antagonist that was similar to my protagonist - even to the point of sharing a similar, if twisted, worldview. What this does is that it forces your protagonist to look at his mirror image and reflect on how he could have turned out instead.
Okay then! Let's get started.
I figure that it should be someone Zeke should know fairly well - probably even trust to some extent. That said, I had originally, planned on him having a rival in a cousin from his mother's side of the family. This cousin is envious of Zeke's power and feels that he would make an even better avatar. To make him into an effective antagonist, let's have him go haring off in search of power. He wants to make the world a better place, after all, and the road to hell is paved with good intentions. And that is pretty much where he winds up going.
Enter a Mephisto-type god-character who agrees to take on this cousin. This god lives off the energy of the 'damned' souls he consumes slowly over time - kinda like a spiritual sarlacc. The only reason the other gods tolerate him is because he feeds only on corrupted souls with little to no chance at redemption. For this reason, this god is a self-styled God of Judgment and Penance. He promises Zeke's cousin power, in exchange he must promise to bring 'order' to the 'lawless world' and give him the souls of the 'sinners' so he may punish them.
The cousin then goes on to start a campaign to conquer first the Earth and later the rest of the galaxy. Of course, Zeke is his primary target. Seeing that Zeke is gaining powerful allies, the cousin seeks out his own allies and finds himself joining AMALGAM. Using his powers, the cousin skyrockets to the upper echelons and from there he seeks alliances with others such as the Dead Moon Circus, certain figures in various local and off-Earth governments, and even the occasional demon.
Thoughts?
Okay then! Let's get started.
I figure that it should be someone Zeke should know fairly well - probably even trust to some extent. That said, I had originally, planned on him having a rival in a cousin from his mother's side of the family. This cousin is envious of Zeke's power and feels that he would make an even better avatar. To make him into an effective antagonist, let's have him go haring off in search of power. He wants to make the world a better place, after all, and the road to hell is paved with good intentions. And that is pretty much where he winds up going.
Enter a Mephisto-type god-character who agrees to take on this cousin. This god lives off the energy of the 'damned' souls he consumes slowly over time - kinda like a spiritual sarlacc. The only reason the other gods tolerate him is because he feeds only on corrupted souls with little to no chance at redemption. For this reason, this god is a self-styled God of Judgment and Penance. He promises Zeke's cousin power, in exchange he must promise to bring 'order' to the 'lawless world' and give him the souls of the 'sinners' so he may punish them.
The cousin then goes on to start a campaign to conquer first the Earth and later the rest of the galaxy. Of course, Zeke is his primary target. Seeing that Zeke is gaining powerful allies, the cousin seeks out his own allies and finds himself joining AMALGAM. Using his powers, the cousin skyrockets to the upper echelons and from there he seeks alliances with others such as the Dead Moon Circus, certain figures in various local and off-Earth governments, and even the occasional demon.
Thoughts?