Laurantis

"Why do you do menial housework tasks? I apologize for coming across as rude, but why do you lower yourself to the position of some lowly peasant?"
-Laurantis to Raihan
Laurantis the Royal Butler, also called Laurantis the Defiler, is a dor'katha ghost serving as head butler for the Kath Demon Clan. Having served dutifully and without question since his entrance into the service of House Kath, he is willing to do anything and go through any length to serve his masters. 
Proud and arrogant, he looks down on all but the pureblood Kath he serves. His current master is Raihan Zoraskaya, the first true pureblood in millennia. At some unknown point, he appeared in the Zoraskaya Household, and took charge of Raihan's education in history, magic, and combat. Since then, he has been at his lord's beck-and-call at all times, unquestioningly. 
Originally a Ark'rayy elf native to the regions that would one day become Arrowmight, Laurantis was well known for his role as a powerful Ark'rayy mage and swordsman. However, he also had a far darker side to him, being involved in the prolific hunting and capture of early primordial demons that was common at that time. Seen as mere beasts that imitated the enlightened life of the elves, the Ark'rayy of the Kondrak Valley saw the practice of hunting and enslavement of demons as a sport. 
The early Kath peoples in particular were common victims of this sport, due to their weakness compared to other, more powerful demon clans. Hunted, enslaved, and raped for centuries, the Kath were forcibly interbred with elven blood, and Laurantis, seeing how the Kath diverged more and more from their bestial cousins, decided to research it further. Regularly organizing hunting parties to capture and harvest Kath for his research, he often saw them struggle against their enslavement, and he watched their eyes fill with hate. Thus, when a single Kath child instead showed something else -love- he was intrigued. 
Separating the child from the rest of his stock, he would use it as his personal plaything, in the hopes of breaking its will. However, unable to do so, he instead decided on a new course of action. Having learned about the strength-giving properties of demonic metamorphosis, he instead considered how he could somehow harness the latent energies present in the metamorphic cocoons that demon children entered in order to blossom into full adults. With this in mind, he created what is known as the Rite of the Profane Violator, a forbidden and horrific ritual that has only ever been performed once; on the Kath child. 
Normally here would come the part where I elaborate a little, but to be honest, I... kind-of don't think that's a good idea. Suffice to say, Laurantis got his wish. as the ritual was performed, he gained immense power, far more than he had expected. However, there was another component he had also not expected: the transference of his own intelligence and learning onto the Kath child. As Laurantis basked in his newfound strength, the newly adult Kath realized just how horrific the acts done against him were, and using his own newfound power, defeated Laurantis in a dual, and subsequently butchered the entire town. 
Returning to his mountain homeland, the young Kath would carry Laurantis with him, and would use every opportunity to repay his slaver's brutality tenfold. Eventually, he would break Laurantis completely, shattering his mind, body, and soul until he was nothing more than an obedient slave himself. Begging his new master for forgiveness, Laurantis would become his blade of retribution, willingly and unquestioningly slaughtering his own people. After decades of extermination, Laurantis would become the only Ark'rayy in the Kondrak Valley. However, still hating himself over what he did to the master he loved, he cast aside his own ark'rayy flesh, and swore to serve his Kath Lord until the end of time, becoming the first dor'katha. 
That demonic master would later go on to become the Great Kath, and Laurantis, his servant eternal. 
Category:Characters: Marak-Ais
Category:Characters: Dawnbreaker