Hammurabi

Hammurabi is one of the Rhyioji, and becomes one of their most prominent racial leaders, a member of the Sinyukanra, the current Sinrekyadar. He is a magic user of great power, and has mastered the Art of S'herlor.

Appearance
Hammurabi's look is that of a man still in his youth, but nearing middle age, and with the weathered appearance of one much older than he. His hair is brown and swept back, with a variety of shades, corresponding to the exposure to the sun each area has received. It spikes up or to the side slightly in some areas, but falls back to his head whenever he moves swiftly. His eyes are dark blue, almost black, and can shine or darken depending on the light. He has a hunting look to his face, with a hooked, handsome nose, and a harrowing look. His scars make him sometimes appear somewhat elderly, but at others hint at his incredible inner force, the destructive determination and peak of athleticism which he embodies.

Hammurabi's physical build is the hallmark of one near his athletic pinnacle. He stands tall, with a well-muscled yet not grotesque chest, and powerful lines showing in his limbs. His arms have considerable length, but do not go so far as to be gangly. He bears marks from battle all over his body, with the most noticeable being a scar that starts as but a mere line on his chest, and becomes a piercing scar across his upper arm. All of this is the result of his years of strenuous training, and arduous battles, which allow him to be at the top of his abilities.

Personality
Unlike his companions in the Sinyukanra, and utterly opposite to the Archons who hunger for blood, Hammurabi is not overtly aggressive or insidious. He shows extreme disdain for those who cannot control themselves, or use violence their minds and panacea, never utilizing any skills beyond that, or indeed any aspect of themselves. He considers these people the ultimate failure on the part of evolution, and the abysmal flaw in the argument of human supremacy over animals. He also seems rather easygoing, although more out of confidence than lightheartedness, always secretly on his guard, and does not bother with unneeded composure, enjoying himself when he can. He has been shown to constantly be game for nearly anything, and commonly engages in somewhat risky activities, saying he gets a kick out of it.

Despite this, he is, at the same time, a ferocious and ingenious opponent, as shown when he easily destroys several enemy soldiers when begged to deal with them by his people. He often duels fellow members of the Sinyukanra, at full explosive force, in order to keep his abilities sharpened. However, he is still somewhat lacking concentration when fighting those who are obviously no threat, or whom he believes to not be a real issue to begin with. It is only when he is actually confronted with an enemy of serious power, even if it is not completely at his level, or when he is convinced by others that his mission has importance or urgency, that he truly unleashes his full, unrivaled potential.

Hammurabi, when approached by someone with whom he has no other relation, such as accomplice or enemy, is more open, acting easygoing yet at the same time displaying a devil-may-care attitude, being almost impossible to control when his mind is set to something, with a determined ferocity and implacable devilishness that cannot be put aside. He is rather like a punk, with utmost confidence in himself, but always the perfect control of the situation and overall maturity that allows him to continually better himself, and remain at the top of the food chain. He is somewhat cocky, but is rarely overconfident, enjoying himself in a daring way, but without the foolish risk that most others with such an attitude take, never stretching beyond his abilities, and always able to come out on top.

Background
Hammurabi was a young child lost in the Godai desert, becoming a thief, who was one day caught by a traveler while attempting to ride away on the stranger's horse. The man, showing no mercy even unto a young boy, struck him with the flat of his sword, and then delivered him to the authorities, sentencing him to death for horse theft. In order to escape, the young boy set fire to the jailhouse with a torch he found hidden under his mattress, put there by a former prisoner. Intending to get his revenge, he contorted himself and hid within the saddlebags of the man who had arrested him, and they traveled for nearly a day before coming to a stop in the middle of a desert.

While the man slept, Hammurabi crept out of the saddlebag, and into the midst of a sandstorm. Unable to see, he made his way for where he thought the traveler slept, intending to kill him where he lay, but could not find his way, and ended in front of an ancient ruin, with steps descending into the ground. He entered, and saw a carving of black stone on the wall, depicting an ancient deity riding through the desert. Looking at it, Hammurabi noticed that in a cache beneath it lay a staff made of many wooden rods, and picked it up. just as he noticed that the word "Babel" was engraved into the stone beneath where it had lain, the traveler, having been awoken by the storm and following the footsteps, came upon him. As recognition dawned in his eyes, with an oath and a shout, he hurtled for the boy, intending to do the deed himself. Thanks to the staff, the young child was able to hold him off somewhat, but as the man drew a long knife, he realized it was over.

In these few moments, as the enemy struck at him blindly, Hammurabi remembered the fire that had saved his life earlier, and hoped, for a brief second before realizing how foolish it was, that a similar event could be effected here. However, even as he saw that such thoughts were futile, he focused everything he had into the thought of a fire to save him as miraculously as before. At the last instant, as the blade descended to slash through the staff he held as a desperate final defense, he focused, just once before he knew he would die, on the thought of a fire saving him again, comprehending the notion fully and completely. And as he pierced the essence of that fire, all of his mind converged around it and, through its supreme effort, caused the apparition of its true soul, the S'herlor of fire, to be called forth. The force of the S'herlor emanating from hsi staff overpowered the blow, sending the traveler staggering back. As he reveled in the power, Hammurabi unleashed it all, the only thought in his mind still his purpose of survival and victory. The force of the fiery spirit destroyed his opponent, and consumed much of the ruins, although it vanished when he lost the will to fight and released its power in shock, not having been released from the grasp of its spirit to become a wildfire.

The next day, after convincing himself of what had happened, Hammurabi ate the food of the traveler and left, taking with him the staff named Babel. He traveled while practicing this new ability and continuing his thievery, eventually stealing onto a plane to the land of his people, where he was trained in the usage of S'herlor and became one of the most prominent Rhyioji in the world.

Abilities
As one of the Sinyukanra, and powerful even when compared to the others, Hammurabi is extraordinarily gifted, his supreme skills surpassed by few people in the world. His physical skills are also at their peak, a fact that is an advantage against other Rhyioji who concern themselves only with their S'herlor, and not their own bodies.

Physical Prowess
Before resorting to his Arts, and even to an extent as a combined attack with them, Hammurabi prefers to finish easier opponents with physical combat, in which he has demonstrated utmost efficiency, being one of the foremost combatants in the series, especially when enhancing his abilities with S'herlor. He commonly utilizes attacks with his body with intermittent strikes from his staff for extra power. He possesses tremendous capabilities in battle, using terrific speed and devastating strikes with a ferocious mindset, resulting in a nearly demonic opponent with low chances of being outmatched. In combat, his force and speed combine with his angry disposition to allow him to be nearly unstoppable, plowing through all opposition and destroying it with a few devastating blows. He demonstrates such proficiency and raw ability that even a fellow member of the Sinyukanra, whose abilities center entirely around raw force in offensive combat, is admittedly outclassed by him.

Master Onmyōji
Hammurabi, as a Rhyioji, is nearly unrivaled. Whereas there are the rare individuals who have trained their bodies to the extreme and so can defeat him in physical combat, there are only two Rhyioji who have ever proven themselves to be greater than him in the Arts of S'herlor. One of these was his elder brother, killed in as-of-yet-unknown circumtances while Hammurabi was still young, and the deceased former Sinrekyadar. His style relies not on summoning and using S'herlor that give him special capabilities or skills, as some do, but in the usage of many varied S'herlor to power his superior Art and kill his opponents. He is strong enough to turn the very air around him hazy and distorted by seizing its S'herlor and changing its qualities.

His Art is known as Selection, referring to the concepts of Natural and Artificial Selection, and involves using the aspects of multiple S'herlor, in conjunction with, opposition to, or reaction to each other, to govern and manipulate the causes and effects of the world in a sphere around him. The most basic form of this only requires two S'herlor. He manipulates them together so that they are tied up, with one or both having a reaction to the other, when a specific condition is fulfilled. The first, he then manipulates to fulfill that condition in the area he wishes to affect, and then effects an event upon that area. This effectively allows him to control the most reactions and effects of everything around him n everything else around him. He has stated that there are no limits to this ability, and that he can use multiple S'herlor for this. His limit unaided appears to be four, although it is believed that he could go higher if he strained himself more. An example of this ability was when he took the S'herlor of air and the S'herlor of a rock, and caused the rock to disintegrate on contact with the air, although he states that this would not work with very large rocks.

Babel
The staff Hammurabi wields, Babel, is more than a mere weapon of battle. The many wooden rods, arranged in different patterns, that compose it, are actually vital to the strengthening of Hammurabi's power. These are made of a special wood which conducts the power of a S'herlor as a wire does electricity, allowing the enhancement of abilities, and in the case of its current wielders, expansion of them. With this staff, Hammurabi may perform much more complex Selections, and with far greater power, allowing him to affect things he could not touch otherwise. He has mastered the technique of using it, and has many abilities hidden away in it, so that he can perform them without any loss of energy himself, and accomplish things in an instant that would take him more time and far greater effort to do so otherwise. With Babel, he has shown no limit to the number of Shikigami he can manipulate for a Selection, demonstrating up to seven at one point.

Trivia

 * Hammurabi is named after the ancient king of Babylon, who created the first code of laws, possibly inspiration for his abilities. His staff, Babel, is named for the great tower which, in the Bible, was crushed by God as punishment for its builder attempting to reach Heaven.


 * Hammurabi was the first Rhyioji introduced in Wazurai. He is also the first of the Sinyukanra to be introduced in Wazurai.