Dusk is a powerful cursed artifact and the second of the Three Horsemen created by the oldest living white cored Awakened, Baba Yaga. Unlike his sisters and mother, Dusk doesn't despise Liches, going so far as to choose one as his host and recruit most of them for his Court, Awakened or not.[1]
Dusk looks like a handsome man in his mid 20's, about 1.9 meters (6'3") tall, with blonde hair, bright red skin, and orange eyes that seem to flicker like flames every time he moves his gaze.[2]
Personality
Dusk hates Abominations more than anyone other undead. Not only are Abominations capable of using all six elements, but they also have access to Chaos magic, something that the undead lack. He often draws comparisons between the two races and finds his own wanting.[3]
Abilities
While his sisters are bound to the elements of order and destruction, representing the beginning and the end of all life cycles, Dusk is the Red Sun. He embodies what is in between birth and death: life. His nature gives him absolute mastery over the seventh element of magic and over all the powers that come from it, in an imitation of Domination. His innate bloodline ability not only lets him control pure mana and life force, but also mix his own with the world energy to reproduce all the innate attacks of the Guardians' bloodlines, such as (violet[4]) Origin Flames and Life Maelstrom.[5]
Unlike the other Horsemen, Dusk prefers to play a supporting role and counter the enemy strategy rather than match them in raw power. He is renowned as the wisest of the Horsemen because his powers can't be just pointed and then shot at something. They are a double-edged sword that have to be carefully handled.[6] Moreover, all of his powers require world energy and everything that his steed Sunset channels into his soldiers can't be sent to him. Dusk's mastery over Life Maelstrom is so great that he is able to inject it even into the spells of others without making them go awry. This increases the spells of others tenfold, turning Tier 5 spells into lesser versions of Tower Tier spells.[6.
Dusk has a Davross throne that can turn into liquid and wrap around his Lich host's body, shapeshifting into both a full blood-red armor and a double-headed ax called Firebrand.[3] He also has a blood-red Davross helm.[7] Dusk's steed Sunset also wears a coat of mail.[6]
Background
Along with his siblings, Dusk was created in order to overcome the undead race's inherent limitations. Dusk's mission is to find a way for the Undead to use all forms of magic.[8] Over the millennia since his creation, Baba Yaga has used creation magic to constantly enhanced his crystal body with modern Forgemastering techniques.[9]
Even though the Red Mother despises Liches, Dusk had chosen one of them as his host due to their immunity to the undead's usual weaknesses.[10] However, to Baba Yaga's disappointment, Dusk completely obliterates the mind of Wynwald the Lich, gaining full control of his body at the price of losing the brilliance that even Baba Yaga respected.[11]After Dawn's defeat at Lith's hands, Dusk asks Inxialot for details about the Ranger. Dusk laments the Horsemen's fall from prominence amidst more recent phenomena such as the Master, Balkor, Manohar, Thrud, and now Lith.[1]
After Lith wipes out the 500 elder undead and 1000 army thralls during the Feymar crystal mine battle, Dusk conducts an investigation, revealing that he had colluded with Archmage Deirus for the operation.[12] The loss of two battalions and countless priceless artifacts deal a heavy blow to the Undead Courts. Dusk is notified of Xenagrosh attacking a Dusk Court branch in the Gorgon Empire's city of Tarmen, prompting him to Warp there to rescue his subordinates. Despite having nearly killed Xenagrosh in the past when she was an Abomination, her regained draconic powers, hybrid-Eldritch abilities, and Chaos magic allow her to suppress Dusk. Dawn who had been observing is forced to intervene, when they are ambushed by Bytra and Tezka. Night, summoned by her siblings' distress call, Warps them away before the remaining hybrid-Eldritches arrive.[13]
Baba Yaga brings her Horsemen to witness Lith's battle in the Lost City of Kolga, as it is rare for an Awakened to resist a tribulation before the white core.[14] The Three Horsemen convene with the Firstborn on the Garlen continent in the Blood Desert to discuss the state of the war. After Night's attack on Lutia, the Awakened Council as well as the Master's Organization become their enemies, throwing their war plans into disarray. Dusk berates his siblings for making more enemies and proposes going after the Master first. He attempts to rally the Courts, but the Firstborns decline to continue serving the Three Horsemen in their struggle, discontent with their offspring being treated as their lapdogs.[15]
At Night's suggestion, the Three Horsemen steal their mage tower steeds from Baba Yaga and wage war on the Griffon Kingdom's major cities.[16] Dusk