Arlock

Arlock (アーロック Ārokku) is a priest of the Avatar cult.

Appearance
Arlock has the general body build of a middle-aged man, however his true appearance is shrouded in mystery; the majority of his body is concealed by a black, in which his bears a pattern of insignias that resemble a lunate on its back. In particular, his ferraiolo is modified so that the collar circles around the back of his neck in a bowl-shaped fashion. From underneath the ferraiolo, a can be seen jutting out, encircling Arlock's neck. Arlock's face is concealed by an ornate metallic mask that, around the mouth area, has engravings that resemble a beard and mustache. The mask possesses slits to allow respiration. This is because Arlock has burned his face at some point. The eyes of the mask have holes for Arlock to see, and the nose of the mask also has holes for him to breathe. To complete his outfit, Arlock wears, as typical of a religious figure, a, his in particular stylized with the symbol of Avatar upon it, from under which his long, light-colored hair flows neatly and rests upon his shoulders.

Personality
Arlock's personality for the most part is shrouded, much like his true face, in mystery. However, the amount of personal self he has displayed is typical of that of a cult leader; he reinforces the ideologies of his cult (in this case, the attainment of Zeref's ideal world and the destruction of those who oppose it) to its members, and appears to command a great deal of respect from his subordinates due to his position as priest.

Avatar arc
Arlock appears inside the Avatar building, convening with the members of the cult. Noting that the Balam Alliance's collapse brought the end to the era of the Dark Guilds, he proclaims Avatar to be a successor to the Dark Guild pact, and vows to conquer the world in the name of Zeref by eliminating every Mage that does not pledge loyalty to the Black Mage. After the meeting, Arlock goes to his private chambers and begins praying to Zeref for the success of Operation Purify, however he is interrupted by Jerome and Briar, who claim that the Council is aware of their plan and that they may have a spy in their midst. Arlock then, angered that they have interrupted his prayers, demands that they leave at once. Later, Arlock departs towards Malba City to rendezvous with every other cell of Avatar, in order to initiate Operation Purify, a sacrifice of thirty thousand souls that is supposed to summon Zeref. However, Avatar's forces meet resistance in form of the former Fairy Tail Mages. As the cult's forces are being overpowered, Arlock is approached by Natsu, to whom he cryptically states that everything had happened as he foretold, and that when Ikusa-Tsunagi shakes the earth, the purification shall begin.

Natsu stares down his opponent before telling him his chances of winning keep getting smaller, but Arlock tells him that he is just young and naive before stating that as he grows older he will learn regret and despair. Arlock attacks and Natsu dodges but Arlock fires back with a multitude of attacks that send Natsu flying back into a wall. Arlock puts up a barrier but Natsu easily breaks through it before smashing Arlock in the face with an iron fist. Unable to stand, Arlock begins laughing and Natsu asks what is so funny. Arlock says Natsu has lost and that he burned off his face for this day. Arlock then summons Ikusa-Tsunagi. Natsu grabs Arlock, telling him to cut it out as Ikusa-Tsunagi rampages over the land. Natsu says Arlock will kill his own comrades but the latter says that this is the purification ritual, the sacrifice of those who die believing in Zeref, will then summon Zeref. Arlock laughs as he states Ikusa-Tsunagi will destroy them all. Later, Arlock, still unable to move, wonders what Natsu is doing by trying to climb Ikusa-Tsunagi's. He says he cannot hope to be a God and calls for all of Avatar to sacrifice themselves to Zeref. As Natsu tries to punch the War God on his head, Arlock says that will not work but looks on in utter shock when Natsu is successful in destroying the War God, calling his feat impossible.

Arlock is then eventually arrested by the arriving Custody Enforcement Unit of the Magic Council.

Magic and Abilities
Magic Blasts: Arlock can fire Magic projectiles against foes through his staff, pointing the tool at them and having it glow before releasing each blast. He is able to fire quick, consecutive barrages, giving opponents little time to react. The power of his attacks is unknown, as none of them successfully connected with Natsu, their intended target.

Barrier Magic: A defensive form of Magic which allows Arlock to summon forth dark, transparent rectangular barriers from the ground. The priest has proven himself capable of manifesting several constructs at the same time, either creating a wall of notable length or lining them up in a row to hamper the charge of a single opponent. His barriers are supposedly quite durable, only breaking before someone superhumanly strong as Natsu (much to the dismay of minor Avatar members); as an added benefit, they allow Arlock to bombard his foes with magical attacks, letting his blasts pass through them from the inner side while at the same time preventing foes from approaching him. To use such Magic, Arlock employs his staff as a medium, being initially shown drawing an elaborate glyph in the air and then touching the ground with it. (unnamed)

Sacrificial Summoning Magic (代償召喚魔法 Daishō Shōkan Mahō): By sacrificing his face, Arlock formed a contract with Ikusa-Tsunagi, a God of titanic proportions, and can summon it at will. He was shown doing so, without the need to perform any gesture or draw any glyph, even while knocked to the ground by Natsu's assault. The process affected a large portion of the sky above him, enveloping it in a gigantic swirl of Magic.

Enhanced Durability: Despite his seemingly advanced age, Arlock is considerably durable, remaining conscious and largely unharmed after being struck by Natsu's empowered Fire Dragon's Iron Fist, a technique which caused grievous damage to the hill the two of them were standing on (and which, in comparison, only shattered a part of the priest's metal mask).

Equipment
Magic Staff: While outside Avatar’s headquarters, Arlock carries around a long, elaborate staff, acting as a focus for the use of most of his Magic. It appears to be entirely composed of metal, and exceeds the priest’s height even when the latter is wearing his mitre. The tool’s top end bears a large, eye-like ornament, sporting three spike-like protrusions on both its upper and lower edges (the ones located on top, in particular, are notably long, making the staff resemble a trident to a degree), linked to the shaft by a semicircular section shaped like a bat’s wing. Sitting right under this ornament are two symmetrical, angular protrusions, each attached to the staff in two places and ending in a small, hanging ring, in a similar fashion to a khakkhara.

Quotes

 * (To the members of Avatar) "The time has come... We must purify the world of the Mages who oppose Zeref. All in the name of Zeref."
 * (Praying to Zeref) "The day of purification draws near! Our lord Zeref, please accept this humble sacrifice of ours... And lead us, from the top of the world of Magic.... Destroy this defiled world and rebuild it once more..."
 * (To Natsu) "Things are unfolding exactly as I have prophesized... When the earth trembles before Ikusa-Tsunagi, the purification shall begin."
 * (To Natsu) "Youth really is a wonderful thing. I too was young, once. But all grow old; all climb a stairway of regret as they age. And eventually, all reach the top. All reach despair."