Characteristic
Cost
END
Cost
9
2
1
3
3
3
3
0
9
3
3
10
3
3
2
3
2
5
20
10
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
10
Mizhar al-Aafiya grew up in an overcrowded refugee camp across the border from Afghanistan in Pakistan, and followed the path of self-destruction into the teachings of the Taliban like so many other Sunni Muslims in the camps. He embraced the teachings at Madrassas in Pakistan and viewed the Russians and the warring Mujahideen as the enemies of his home land. Unlike many of his peers, however, Mizhar was a mutant and broke through to adulthood at the same time as his powers first manifested. The holy men at Madrassas cursed him and Mizhar found himself in exile even before he could begin his holy war. He was cast out of Pakistan and fled into the Hindukush Mountains where he withdrew from the world. All he had with him was a copy of the Qur'an and the unfortunate tendency to slip out of the Earth Dimension into the Shadow Dimension. He felt like he was going insane.
The conflict in Afghanistan under Taliban rule reached into the mountains several months after Mizhar was forced into exile. A party of refugees made their way through the dangerous valleys of the mountains on their way to the Pakistan border. They camped just below Mizhar's cave and the young Afghani watched them, feeling apart from their plight but at the same time, he felt caught up with it all. The men in the group seemed withered and old, the women equally decrepit and savage. Only the children possessed spirit, he thought.
An argument broke out between the women and the man who seemed to be in charge of the exodus, and Mizhar felt a growing repulsion for the weak people he saw below him. The women were contradicting the man, the man himself was wavering in front of the women ... weak and ineffective. Mizhar felt his body slip into the Shadow Dimension again, but he allowed himself to go, to disappear. His eyes stayed on the man and the women, even as he disappeared.
He materialised within the camp and felt the fear emanating from the refugees almost as a physical force. The shadows leapt out under his command, slicing through the withered bodies of the man and the women. And the shadows were hungry. They were not satisfied with the deaths of the adults. Soon the children lay broken and bleeding before him, and Mizhar knew that he was destined to leave the mountains and confront the frailties of his country.
Throughout the encounter Mizhar had felt like a passenger in his own body. The Shadows within him had controlled his actions. Or so he convinced himself.
Taking on the title of Mugahid, which meant 'struggler', he walked into the scarred land until he came across a Taliban checkpoint. After enduring an initial barrage of machinegun fire, Mugahid subdued the soldiers and commanded a presence with their superior. He delivered an ultimatum to the Taliban commander: allow Mugahid to help protect the Islamic Republic and he would dedicate his powers to the defence of the Taliban.
Not only did the Taliban accept his terms, they also offered Mugahid the responsibility of taking back land from the Northern Alliance. He entered the battles with bloodthirsty abandon, unleashing his darkest passions upon the worthless opponents. It was during this time that he was engaged by covert Russian superhumans, sent to support the Northern Alliance. The conflict nearly resulted in Mugahid's death, but he retreated into the Shadow Dimension where he recuperated and rethought his position.
Mugahid returned to his exile in the Hindukush Mountains and focussed on interpreting the Qur'an. He was concerned that his powers were being misused in the holy war with the Northern Alliance. He remained out of direct contact with the Taliban, although they still considered him as their 'secret weapon'. Indeed, Mugahid still considered himself as the protector of Afghanistan.
When the United States took action against the Taliban, Mugahid found himself drawn back into the conflict which seemed to permeate the lands of his home country. He found himself outmatched against the military might of the United States and their Allies, so he adapted to a different kind of war. He began to attack from the mountains, ambushing military convoys and assisting Taliban forces, especially as the Taliban were forced into the mountains. Mugahid was devastated that his country had fallen, but refused to surrender or end his bloody attacks.
He is still currently active in Afghanistan and works to destroy the 'invaders', which also includes the new government. He has also begun to network amongst other extremist groups across the Middle and Near East, and has accepted mercenary contracts as long as they do not involve close co-operation with others. Mugahid accepts that the ideological war between Islam and the rest of the world is a new battlefield, and he has decided to approach it from a new, less direct, perspective.
Obviously, Mugahid has grown into an emotionally-scarred and hunted man. Everything he believed in has fractured: from the early days in Pakistan before he was exiled because of his mutation, to the crumbling of the Taliban regime. He is a devout Muslim who adheres to Shari'ah (Islamic Law) and Taliban beliefs, shunning colour, commercial imagery and Western influences. He is content to live in exile amongst the ancient mountains on his homeland, but finds that he is constantly called out by enemies of his people (or the need for mercenary work to assist with his survival).
He has been betrayed by those he considered his friends, his role models and even his enemies who have acted without honour. With so much betrayal in his past, Mugahid is a loner who trusts no one and feels no compassion for anyone except the most innocent of children. Even then he is likely to see the child as a vessel ripe for corruption by those around him.
Mugahid feels embattled but knows that he is a part of a holy war, and that he is fighting for the morally superior side. He no longer believes he can return Afghanistan to Taliban rule, and no longer fights to bring about such an outcome. Instead, he concentrates on destroying the enemy: whether it be a security patrol, a government official or even a disrespectful civilian.
He has become an Angel of Death, using his powers to smite down his opponents, one at a time. His reputation serves as a reminder to his enemies that they will never feel comfort or security.
Mizhar: "The Shadows force my hand... I cannot control the darkness within me... flee, flee before it is too late!"
Mugahid is able to move between the Earth Dimension and the Shadow Dimension, although his movements are not completely under his control. When he first began manifesting his powers, Mugahid would often find himself caught between the two dimensions, unable to fully operate in either. He has gained more control in adulthood, through practice and meditation, and by moving between the dimensions he is able to avoid considerable damage. During the conflict with American forces, Mugahid has proven to be untouchable when he wants to be. He has survived several strategic cruise missile strikes simply by shifting to the Shadow Dimension.
In addition to movement between the dimensions, Mugahid has shown an ability to harness the 'shadowforce' which exists in the Shadow Dimension, and is able to manifest that force in the Earth Dimension. He has shown the ability to create objects made of the energy which can encase an opponent, blades of the shadowforce which have drawn considerable blood over time, as well as a seeping blackness which completely blacks out an area of approximately 10m radius.
He also possesses a limited type of sonar and the ability to perceive objects in the infrared spectrum, and an ability to withstand extremely cold temperatures.
Mizhar is a weary, emaciated man who has been living in the mountains of Afghanistan for several years. He has been at war for nearly a decade and the toll is showing on his face. His eyes are black and have dark circles under them. He still adheres to the Taliban customs such as maintaining his beard an acceptable length, and he only wears black clothing.
As Mugahid, he can appear quite intimidating, especially when he manifests the talons of shadowforce, which appear above his head and seem hunger for blood and emit a low keening sound. He always wears a dark cloak which seems to expand with the shadow powers he wields. The shadowforce appears as a black static energy and often reacts with the world around it in unexpected ways, such as generating a corona effect or even a burst of colour as the darkness 'eats away' at the coloured world.