| “ | I am the master of the mob. Where evil has been planned there have I ever been. I was with the Huns when they laid half Europe in ruins. I was with the Saracens when under the name of religion they put to the sword all who gainsayed them. I was out on Bartholomew's night. I lay behind the slave trade. It was my whisper which burned ten thousand old crones whom the fools called witches. I was the tall dark man who led the mob in Paris when the streets swam in blood. |
” |
— Baal-seepa in 1926.
| ||
| Baal-seepa | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Illustrated by René Giffey. | |||
| Naming | |||
| Others | Lord of the Dark Face | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Species | Human | ||
| Gender | Male | ||
| Date of birth | 11th century BC | ||
| Place of origin | Atlantis | ||
| Age | Over 12,000 at the time of death | ||
| Occupation | Sorcerer Warlord | ||
| Current status | Deceased | ||
| Cause of death | Destroyed by the spirit of Warda | ||
| Biology | |||
| Body type | Human | ||
| Height | 7 ft (~ 2.13 meters) | ||
| Abilities | Dark magic Telepathy Teleportation Psychic influence Psychic torture Survival without air Extrasensory perception Immortality | ||
| Sentience | Sentient | ||
| Sapience | Sapient | ||
| Behind the scenes | |||
| Universe | The Maracot Deep | ||
| Created by | Arthur Conan Doyle | ||
Baal-seepa, a.k.a. the Lord of the Dark Face, is an evil immortal sorcerer born in the 11th century BC in the ancient kingdom of Atlantis.
His powers include telepathy, teleportation, psychic influence and the ability to live without oxygen and survive even five miles under the ocean without any protection whatsoever. He has a supernatural connection to his temple and is aware of anyone who enters it. He can also inflict pain from distance to punish those who dare even think about harming him. Having lived for over twelve thousand years, he claims to have learned all human languages.
History[]
A powerful and deceptively charismatic personage with a talent for leading the masses (not to mention psychically influence them), the evil and ambitious Baal-seepa was largely responsible for Atlantis' political shift from a peaceful kingdom to an expansionist empire that sought to conquer all other lands. His successful quest for immortality made him a misanthrope: since he couldn't die even if he wanted to, he hated the rest of humanity and delighted in their suffering. At the height of his power, he was worshiped as a divine figure in Atlantean shrines and temples.
Baal-seepa's greatest rival was a political reformer named Warda, who became aware that Atlantis was about to sink and, gathering a small but loyal group of followers, created a monumental building fully equipped to survive the cataclysm and continue to shelter its occupants even as the continent was flooded. As such, the descendants of Warda's group survived and expanded their ark into a full underwater city. The only other survivor of the catastrophe was Baal-seepa, due to his magic power and immortality.
After the destruction of Atlantis, Baal-seepa spent the next millennia living among other civilizations. Seeing history unfold for centuries "moving onwards and leaving you behind", as he described it, fueled his misanthropy and made him even more resentful. He used his powers to influence historical events such as the Huns pillaging Europe, St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, the slave trade and Salem's witch trials.
In 1926, Dr. Maracot, Cyrus Headley and Bill Scanlan discovered the underwater city of Atlantis, populated by the descendants of Warda's group. Despite the Atlanteans' warnings to avoid the temple of Baal-seepa at all cost, the three couldn't resist their curiosity and entered it. Baal-seepa himself was immediately alerted, despite being countless miles away, and transported himself to the undersea temple in person, using telepathy to communicate with the intruders. He told them that, having been suddenly reminded of the existence of the still-living Atlanteans, he figured it was about time to destroy them, and ordered Maracot and the others to deliver a message to the Atlanteans telling them of their approaching doom. The Atlanteans panicked upon hearing this, and sure enough, Baal-seepa arrived in the city soon afterwards.
Despite being a rationalist, Maracot prayed for guidance and was rewarded by contacting the spirit of Warda, who possessed Maracot's body and confronted Baal-seepa, using his own power to destroy the devious sorcerer once and for all. Following Baal-seepa's destruction, Warda returned to the realm of spirits and Maracot and his companions were hailed as heroes by the Atlanteans.
Appearances[]
- The Maracot Deep, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1929)