Dr. Genso Naoko was a Cultist of Varkanus that was a major antagonist during the first act of Curse of the Blood Sea. He had a split personality named Dr. Baizo 'Stuffy' Torava, whose body physically changed to a sun elf's when his self took over.
Biography
Crimson Scientist
A moon elf of cinohan descent, Genso grew up in the capital city of Sombus and studied biology at the Carminus Universum. An incredibly gifted student, he even worked with Emperor Sombra and studied under Dr. Volnax Blackwood I. Later as a researcher and professor for the university, he also taught Xoe Yizuko.
He learned of the curse of the Cometfall Sea, and grew increasingly obsessed with it. He spent countless hours in the Universum's library researching abyssal curses and aberrant forces. He stopped taking care of himself as he grew more and more obsessed with trying to lift the curse.
"Naoko, we all wish for these good things, but you're going to incur the wrath of forces beyond our control."
—Emperor Sombra to Naoko.
It all came to a head in an experiment in which he turned a poor human test subject into an abyssal plagued demon. He was to be arrested by the law, and he escaped into the Olymbian Woodlands. There, he found an old temple to Varkanus in a cave.
The statue of Varkanus gave him all the knowledge he could want, which led him to go insane with the knowledge in his head. He effectively split into two different personalities at this point, creating the sun-elf Dr. Baizo who was a scientist who just wanted to do good, and the evil Dr. Genso who wanted to lift the curse of the blood sea by any means necessary. Dr. Baizo kept working for the Crimson Empire, while Dr. Genso became a cult leader of the Cult of Varkanus and began growing his experiments.
Curse of the Blood Sea
While researching the abyssal plague, he had ships like the Deep Rose and the The Hisui Maru working for him ferrying abyssal and aberrant creatures to his lab that he set up on the island of Yube. He decided to try to create a plague at the city of Tikius upon Roonan Deeprose's suggestion, setting up a small lab in the Deeprose Rummery under Roonan's command on Makal island. Later, he traveled with Roonan to the Anchorage of Whispers where he received critical information from Xaniv the Whisperer regarding the Black Scroll of Varkun that he needed for his experiments. While leaving the Lord's Bathhouse, he saw the crew of the The Phoenix Nebula for the first time. Roonan got himself arrested by the Crimson Navy due to the Nebula's actions, and the rest of his crew went to Yube and got put into jail by the cultists working under Genso.
"He has lived twice a lifetime. He researches the blood god, but I wonder if its out of devotion or his own aspirations. Maybe he wonders that too."
- Xaniv the Whisperer about Genso.
At Fort Rawan, the Nebula met Dr. Baizo for the first time. When they reached Port Cinoh, they found out from Shōgun Iwale that Baizo was kidnapped by the yakuza leader Singularity. Since Baizo was a diplomat from the Crimson Empire, his safety was important. The crew traveled to save Baizo, and there they found out that Singularity had hired Baizo to exorcise his son who was possessed by a demon. The crew and Baizo helped save his child, Tsubi Aekai, but had to fight and kill Singularity in the process when the demon possessed him instead. Baizo then traveled with the crew back to Port Cinoh where he also attended their bard-off.
The crew then traveled to Genso's lab at Yube, and were ambushed by the juveline kraken that guarded the island. They defeated the kraken, but lost their initial ship The Argent Star in the process. At the island, they met the god Vertum, who had been keeping a track of Genso and wanted the party to stop him.
"Genso has lived a life of lies, the biggest one being the lies he's convinced himself of... Varkanus drives you oh so insane. Varkanus rarely communicates with anyone who actually worships him, but Genso's lack of true faith and his falsehood is what appeals more to Varkanus."
- The god Vertum explaining what he knew about Genso.
The nebula talked to an illusion of Genso and learned more about his ambitions. They then freed the rest of the Deeprose crew, and took the ship for themselves officially renaming it to the Phoenix Nebula. They then traveled to Taltigo and killed one of Genso's contacts, the cult leader Yulis. He even told them of Genso's location north of Gravesbry, since he was that confident that he could kill them. They were then contacted by Dr. Baizo using a similar illusion as Genso, and told them of how the Crimson Navy now suspected Genso of going after the Black Scroll.
At Gravesbry, the crew of the Nebula was arrested by Grand Admiral Isabeau. However, on Dr. Baizo's insistence, she had them become privateers instead. Baizo pointed them to the underwater ruin where the black scroll must be, and deduced that Genso hadn't gone there yet. He helped Xoe Yikuzo build a submersible. After the crew retrieved the location of the black scroll from the giantess Amohr, they realized it led towards Darkgrove Isle. An oni under Genso's command tried to steal the map while in disguise, but Dr. Baizo shot a disintegrate ray and killed the oni, partly injuring his hand while he did so.
At Darkgrove Isle, Laoch Redfield found out some of Genso's background through a vision given by her goddess Atrius. While exploring the old temple of Varkanus there, Baizo remarked that he 'didn't even know what Genso looked like'. This led to the changeling Nyx transforming into Genso, which immediately led to Baizo grabbing his head in pain and freaking out, half transforming into Genso as everyone including Baizo himself realized the truth.
Together: "I am-"
Baizo: "Genso Torava!"
Genso: "Baizo Naoko!"
Together: "No, that's WRONG!, I'm Genso Naoko/Baizo Torava!"
Genso/Baizo then ran in and tried to grab the Black Scroll of Varkun, and even raised more abyssal plagued to fight both the party and the Crimson forces above them. He fought with himself throughout the fight as well, with Baizo not wanting to harm them but Genso even trying to disintegrate them. The party ended up reluctantly killing them. In the end, the party and the Crimson Empire never publicized the truth about Baizo being Genso as they wanted to preserve Baizo's memory. In the official record, Dr. Baizo simply lost his life while fighting Dr. Genso.
Timeline
3E387 - A 61-year old Genso becomes obssessed with the curse of the blood sea while studying at the Carminus Universum. Emperor Sombra warns him against it, but he conducts an experiment that kills a man. Escaping, he winds up getting knowledge from Varkanus that drives him insane and splits his self into two personalities.
3E450 - He starts the Abyssal Plague in Tikius, starting off the events of Curse of the Blood Sea. While Baizo works with the Phoenix Nebula, neither he nor them are aware of his true self. He is revealed at Darkgrove Isle and both his selves are killed together at the end of Act 1.
Gallery
Genso's True Self (Credit: Aaron)
Half-And-Half Fullbody (Credit: Daibik)
Baizo's Disguised Self (Credit: Aaron)
