I've opted to withdraw my demon knight and submit a different character, a more magic-oriented fellow.


[hider=Astaroth Quintus]
Name: Astaroth Quintus (formerly known as Zacharias)

Appearance:

[hider=Appearance]
[img]https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/001/029/612/large/jason-nguyen-jasonnguyen-mageknightconcept2.jpg?1443927398
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[url=https://www.artstation.com/artwork/V28O8]Credit to Jason Nguyen[/url]
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Gender: Male

Race: Human

Age: 26

Personality: Astaroth Quintus rarely mingles with demons and is never seen without his mask; demons would see him as human, and humans would see him as being warped into something else.  Despite being reserved and withdrawn, he is a bold risk-taker when it comes to obtaining knowledge- the more forbidden, the more alluring it is for him to get his claws on it.  While he normally cares little for politics, he recognizes the glaring flaws of Tsukran's society, primarily its decadent and selfish rulers that are responsible for an endless war that has given demon society a burning hatred of humans.  If he wishes for Tsukran to remain his home, he knows that change must happen.

A final detail of his personality is his insecurity; he feels unworthy of the name Astaroth, and remains unsure of why his master sacrificed himself to save him.  It is a mystery to him, one worthy of his attention, if only to grant closure to the question that haunts him.  And even if he doesn't find out why, he is determined to live up to the name and prove his master's faith in him was not misplaced.

Abilities: Astaroth Quintus is an expert in the fields of forbidden magic, primarily in the fields of the manipulation and channeling of raw eldritch energy, which he can use to deadly effect.  Beyond its obvious use as a weapon, he has been taught to use this energy to manipulate the fabric of space, allowing him to create a variety of effects, such as blinking short distances, forming spacial barriers, levitating, or folding space around himself to appear invisible.  He additionally possesses the knowledge to perform rituals to summon others, either astrally or physically, to his location provided he has something of them, such as a close personal possession or a lock of hair.

Beyond his knowledge, his body has been altered by frequent exposure to eldritch energies, giving him above-human resilience and quite likely an unnaturally increased lifespan.  While he is no warrior, he is far from helpless in close combat- he can channel his eldritch power through the mutated claws on his fingers to tear at the fabric of the plane, moving through armor and flesh alike to tear into the vital organs within.  Unfortunately, it also has also somewhat lessened his manual dexterity.

Equipment: His only consistent equipment is his attire, which completely conceals his altered human form, and a scroll providing the details of rituals.

History:

The sorcerer known as Astaroth Quintus was once Zacharias, a student of the arcane arts in the human lands.  Tempted by the allure of forbidden knowledge, he sought out sources of magic that his superiors could not teach, and his rivals could not match.  After extensive searching, he managed to obtain a grimoire authored by the infamous demon lord Astaroth.  With the information in the book and his own research, he was able to use the book to summon Astaroth, and made a pact with the demon for knowledge.  Unfortunately, early into his tutelage under the demon, Zacharias's actions were discovered, and with no other options, he allowed his demon patron to summon him away, bringing the human to Sanjiva.

As per the contract, Zacharias now belonged to Astaroth and had to serve him from that point on, although because the agreed tutelage had not ended, the demon was obliged to continue mentoring the young mage.  Initially Zacharias felt cheated and was convinced the demon had orchestrated everything, but as time went on, his feelings changed.  Astaroth protected Zacharias from other demons who were not so receptive to a human living in Tsukran, and while it was unclear what Astaroth's original goals were, in time he began treating Zacharias less like an indebted servant and more like an apprentice.  During this time, Zacharias learned that his master was not the first to be known as Astaroth- it had been passed down from demon to demon, no two alike, but always bound to carry the responsibility of answering the summons of humans who had heard the name and sought to make deals.

During the most recent war, shortly before the contract's terms of arcane tutelage would end, Zacharias followed his master to war, where they served as battlemages for the demon army.  During the disastrous end of the war, Astaroth sacrificed himself to allow Zacharias to escape, claiming that there was nothing more to teach him, and naming him the new Astaroth- specifically, Astaroth Quintus, the fifth being to bear the name.  Zacharias was free from servitude, but too warped by eldritch energy to return to human lands, yet still too human to be accepted in his former master's household.  He thus went his own way, his travels eventually bringing him to the untamed province of Avici.
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