Mhai - Backstory and Lore

This sub-article documents the in-depth backstory and lore for the character Mhai. 
Character main-article: Mhai
=== Prelude - To Be Embraced ===
Few regrets compare to capturing the attention of the undead. Those who survived find themselves at best, forever changed. To be embraced by a Vampire is to find release from mortality in exchange for all that is joy. Embraced against her will, taken by one far more powerful, Mhai was turned long ago and rendered from mortality. Yet even with all the power -- the power to take one's life, the power to destroy joy, the power to deny the sun -- A strong Will may save even the most ravaged soul. Though Embraced, Mhai refused to take another's life. She refused the desires of her Vampire progenitor and sought release through imposed solitude. Exiled to the outskirts of the vampire city, Mhai abandoned herself to the hobby which she could never again enjoy. Nevertheless, she embraced the canvas to express the eternal anguish of her newfound being.
Denied the companion he sought, Mhai's Master reached out to those greediest of creatures, Humans, and offered an appealing deal: He would commit the Curse upon his scion. To them he would provide a demon -- she that was once Vampire -- entrapped within a cursed weapon. Always ones to seek power at any cost, the deal was eagerly accepted, and the ancient Master turned upon his own brood and struck through her heart with a katana. Casting the Binding Curse, Mhai was captured.
=== Chapter 1 - Rapacious ===
Nothingness is a denial of all that is. It is the ravening void of unbeing. To be Vampire then to become Demon Cursed, is to be unmade in all that was. The creature captured within the ruby-bladed weapon was Nothing. No thought, No awareness, No memory, No being -- Nothing survives a Demon Curse. That which was Mhai was but an echo of a life lost so long ago. To awaken without Being is to experience utter abandonment.
Humans love nothing more than power and discovered the quickest route to power is held within these Cursed Weapons. Contained within, a Demon -- a creature of pure malice and avarice that seeks forever to taint the wielder and escape their entrapment. Bereft of memory, experience, joy, and compassion these creatures at first sought to harm all they encountered. Only the Curse kept a Demon contained, and only by Contract could one be used. This contract sealed the powers of a demon and allowed a human wielder to draw upon that power. As all things seek balance, the price is to be forever fighting the Will of the demon. Fed upon hate, greed, lust the demon inevitably grows in power... but humans were never ones to worry about tomorrow, when power was needed today.
The best method to evaluate the power of a new Cursed Weapon is to test it upon the foolish. The katana known as Mhai's first moment of existence was in the hand of a prisoner. Offered his life should he be capable of handling Mhai, he grasped upon the sword and woke Mhai the Demon. Awakening from the torment of capture, the Demon instinctively grasped at the memories and emotions of her new host. A prisoner who has always given into the easy path, who had little Willpower to resist his desires, has few defenses against a being the feeds upon greed and is only pure Will. His capture was completed before his first shocked gasp as Mhai fed him his own terrors and nightmares and feasted on his fear and hate. Observing from afar, the rapid overtaking of the prisoner host inspired great interest. Unfortunately for him, and for her rebirth, once Mhai's relative strength was judged, there was no further need of her first host. Marked as one of the most dangerous weapons: A black series weapon, Mhai was sealed away and left for only the strongest amongst the humans.
Taking a Cursed Weapon is a foolish choice at any time, but the greedy nature of humans leads to unending tragedy; thus, her second exposure came from an unlikely source. Desperate
for the strength to last days without rest and to remain at his cognitive prime Johan, a young researcher took up Mhai and committed himself to perform the Contract and survive.
Newborn Demons are driven by simple desires. They are in pain and seek to deal pain. They are hungry and seek to feed. They are hurt and seek to injure. They are broken and seek to break. A newborn demon is little more than a force of despair let loose upon their host. As they age, if their host is strong enough, their desires and needs grow more complex. The young demon that first greeted Johan upon taking Mhai's sword was nothing more than an angry child. Though she spit his greatest fears at him, reminded him of his inadequacies, fed him his own doubt, his years of work and dedication led to a strong will. Understanding dawned upon she who had been Mhai, and she accepted her first Master.
Unfortunate then that their bonding would be so short-lived, for though he was one of the rare humans who could wield a Black Demon Series weapon, the end of humanity approached. Swept up in the great Cataclysm that took nearly all human lives, Mhai was once again abandoned. A single sword stood alone in the wreckage, awaiting its new Owner.
=== Chapter 2 - A Grace of Empathy ===
Cruelty became law after the Fall of Humanity. Those with strength prayed upon the weak, and none were stronger than the vampires who swiftly moved to corral the remains of humanity. Burdened with despair, they that stood tall became rare creatures. Rare was one who fought not only to survive but for the betterment of others. Enter Eliah, self-proclaimed demon-slayer. Choosing to fight for those who could not, the young man greeted the fallen world with complete dedication to his task. He sought strength to protect those without and with utter focus and discipline, began his hunt for those deadly creatures.
Rumors swirl of an unnatural darkness within the ruins of a collapsed building. Eliah hears of a power that reaches out to corrupt any who approach and recognizes his next pray. Discovered within a wide crater made from the building's collapse, a single sword stands alone from the ground. A force he recognizes as the corruption of a demon reaches out for him, and he accepts. Drawing the blade, Eliah steps into the Demon's Realm and faces what should be the greatest challenge of his life. Yet this young man knew abuse at the hands of family and foe. Scarred by his upbringing, his will became forged into an unfathomable strength. Mhai sought the darkness in his heart and found a hurt child who found forgiveness for those who terrorized him. Eliah believed strength was found not in muscle or power but in understanding. Confused, the demon drew memories of his traumas -- of his abuse at the hands of bullies, at the father who beat strength into his young boy -- and was challenged by Eliah's will. For the young man desired power only to protect others. He held no malice for those who had injured him. Eliah always searched for understanding and compassion in friend and foe. Mhai felt intrigued by what she saw as a conflicted view between having power to defeat enemies and the desire to help them and accepted her new Master. Bound by Contract, Eliah and his Demon began their journey.
Demons feed upon the vile emotions of their host. Eliah's greed for the power to defeat his enemies sustained her and offered ample time to study her Master. He would seek out stories of humans endangered and strike at the corruption he found. He placed the lives of the weak over his own health. Even in battle, Eliah would toss himself before an enemy before allowing a weaker human to be hurt. The inevitable result is a propensity to injury. Without a demon, Eliah collected scars across his body, but with Mhai's ability to heal him, the renewed strength and healing offered the warrior opportunity to seek even more dangerous foe.
Despite knowing his heart and soul, Mhai found her Master an enigma. He delighted in the effect of his great skills but never enjoyed the battle. He tossed himself into conflict but never to win. He endangered himself for the benefit of those unknown to him. Eliah was a mystery that provided unexpected interest to the young Demon. At night he would draw into her realm and confront his spiteful companion. Her Master strove to understand what drove her selfish philosophy and willingness to corrupt others. She found these chats burdensome but to her surprise discovered a growing... anticipation for the evenings. Demons know no joy. Yet Mhai found herself awaiting the times her Master would join her.
=== Chapter 3 - A Kiss of Vampire ===
With the mobilization of the last human army, the great Vampire city was threatened. Through his thorough hunting of vampires and freeing humans, Eliah approached the same location. It was time to free humanity. He detested the Army's true aim of freeing humans purely to enroll them into their own forces. They entered the city as the siege began. Eliah and Mhai fought over the purpose of the battle. To a demon the weak are food. Eliah's endless drive to save the young humans disappointed her. Yet that was not nearly as frustrating as his desire to save captured vampires as well. Unable to face the army on his own, Eliah focused upon freeing from the outskirts of the city before the army completed their sweep. But vampires are wily foes with centuries of cunning, and their approach does not go unnoticed.
Encountering a captured vampire group upon first entering the city startles the pair. Over Mhai's vehement objections, Eliah choses to free even these dangerous creatures. None offer thanks upon freeing. Eliah is surprised by the ease with which his weapon severs the chains binding the vampires.
Driven by the screams of children under attack, Eliah rushed far to West of the city and entered the outskirts. Therein he discovered strewn bodies of slain children, dozens of them with more being drawn out by a group of Vampires. Drawing Mhai, he shouted her name and charged amongst his foes. Slaying common vampires was weak challenge for the warrior. Even with their enhanced power a Cursed Demon weapon is a fearsome foe and Eliah scythed through the kiss of vampires as if reaping wheat. The children he directed towards the very sewer exit he had entered and promised his guidance. For Mhai drew upon Eliah's attention and encouraged him to follow the outskirt's path.
Memory is both curse and treasure to a demon. An experience recalled from their life is painful beyond measure but brings a moment outside of their eternal loss. With reluctance Mhai encouraged her Master to head along a winding path and draw further from the city proper. A cabin hewn of uneven wood and haphazardly stacked logs stood lone sentinel overlooking the large reservoir of water for the city. Upon entering, memory struck Eliah's demon and for the first time he felt a reaction from her. In distress, she drew upon him, for this was her abandoned home in exile. Arranged before the crude window sat an easel surrounded by dozens of painted canvases. Every work depicted a single scene, the view outside the cabin overlooking the reservoir lake. Only a lone framed painting decorated the cabin. An inexperienced hand painted in vivid color the scene outside. Spread within the cabin, the dozens of paintings slowly lost color even as the skill of the painter grew to breathtaking beauty. Herein was a record of the humanity lost to a vampire. For she, in her ennui, captured her slow loss of feeling and emotion. Thoroughly invested in the distress felt in his Bond, Eliah did not perceive the great threat that followed him.
A massive impact caved the flimsy ceiling in around Eliah. A crater was driven ground before the warrior as one of the leaders of vampire kind, a Noble, landed before him. Avatea's trap was sprung. Eliah felt twin pulses, one of pain and one of power. For the second time, his demon reacted and tugged upon Eliah's power as a child would a blanket. The great Noble before them laughed while addressing the young warrior. Challenging him to a battle no human could win, the delighted Avatea introduced himself and struck a blow so fierce that Eliah was ejected through a remaining wall of the cabin and flung far beyond.
Knowing that death walked with this creature, Eliah slowly stood and braced himself. Calling to his demon, he drew his terrified blade and faced the Noble who continued to laugh even as he launched through to air to draw even with the human. The wicked speed and grace of a creature that lives centuries is a terrible beauty to behold as Avatea's blade whips through the air. With movement so swift that his weapon emits an eerie whistle, Avatea rends numerous cuts on Eliah's every limb. Even with the speed and power of his Demonic Weapon, Eliah is a child before a master and utterly thrashed and sliced with a mortal thrust driven through his heart. He collapses as the blade is withdrawn. The vampire draws for the fatal slash but steps back when blackness oozes out in a smoky mist. The defeated warrior's weapon ascends in the hold of his demon. Mhai stands wreathed in the dark vapor, manifesting in distress above her Master.
Avatea's renewed laugh strikes the fallen warrior and his Demon. Addressing Mhai, he mocks her for all that she has was taken by him. To complete her finale is of great amusement to he who first Embraced and then betrayed her. Considering her final moments, Mhai stands beside her Master and faces Avatea. Even though her nature is to hurt and feed upon the flaws in humanity, something unknown from Eliah calls to her, and she steps forward to embrace his destiny.
Ground rends between the two. A fierce howl of wind snaps and shoves Avatea and Mhai apart. Following the striking force, a second Noble steps between and speaks to both of enjoyment from watched all that transpired. Taevin introduces himself to the dying warrior and demon. As thanks for freeing him and providing amusement, Taevin declares the pair his 'friends' and faces Avatea. During the speaking, Mhai focused her healing upon her Master, and he stands, taking his sword back from his manifested demon. The pair charge Avatea and injure him in the fierce battle. With Taevin able to match Avatea's speed, and Eliah's immense power, they drive Avatea away.
Once more, Mhai faces her Master's willingness to embrace an enemy. Silencing her objections, the newly manifested demon departs the vampire city. Behind the three, the army steadily overtakes and eradicates the remaining vampires.
Taevin speaks with Eliah during their travel for the newly manifested demon radiates hostility. Together they discuss the city and thoughts on humanity and the future. Taevin's knowledge of the world encompasses vast areas unbeknownst to the warrior who focused his life upon his strength. With thoughts weighted heavily upon him, Eliah asks Taevin's advice on how to gain the power to defeat an enemy as great as Avatea. The vampire advised him to accept a deeper connection with his demon and release her Curse binding force. Feed her your blood, he told the warrior, and face his demon's true form.
=== Chapter 4 - A Binding of Demon ===
Eliah drew blood with his own sword and entered the Demon World to face Mhai. Upon feeding, a smile touched her lips before Mhai's manifested form dissipated and Eliah slumped to the ground.
Blood ran down Mhai's fanged face when she faced her owner. Eliah was surprised by the change in his demon. Though she was never kind, she had last been hostile during their contract. Drunk on the power of Eliah's blood, Mhai dashed for her Master. Chains leapt from the ground and pinned her. The full effect of Mhai's curse was in full effect.
Trapped, she explained the rules of the Curse Binding Force. Each would experience a traumatic memory for every strike landed by their opponent. When all the will to resist was gone, the Master would be decided. Should Mhai win, she would claim Eliah's body and be reborn. Eliah would receive the full power of his demon. With the rules conveyed, the restraining force released. The ravening demon struck first. Eliah slipped into a memory of his childhood.
Nightmares are uncommon for adults, but the difference between one born of dreaming and one born of a demon's attack struck the warrior. For the strength of every negative emotion struck him as he relived the nightmare that broke him. Eliah lived his most formative memory, of the first time in the ring with his father. Believing in strength as the only measure of power, Eliah's father preferred his child's education to come in personal bouts -- bouts that a child could never win. The first true bout between father and son was an education in the magnitude of power an adult wielded over his own child. Eliah's father held nothing back and struck with his full force. Eliah knew that to disappoint his father and stay down would only result in being entirely defenseless. Better to move with those impossible strikes than be unprotected. No quarter was offered for Eliah, and the child was abandoned where he fell. The strong help themselves.
Eliah took all the humiliation and pain and forged it into a weapon. The child would not best his father, but he would fight. He fought for strength. He fought for his siblings. He fought for safety. He fought for compassion. He fought for those who could not. Even at his age Eliah knew his father would never value his first born, but the child understood to fight for what he could control. That rare insight in one so young would serve him well. The child with the foresight to turn abuse to strength became an adult willing to empathize with enemies, and this terrible, beautiful mix of strength and empathy broke him free of his Demon's dream.
Eliah awoke in the Demon Realm and faced Mhai. She stood a distance from him with arms opened in embrace and expressed surprise at the strength of her warrior. He told her that such attacks held no power over him. If the child could face trauma and survive, the man found strength in facing the same battles. He raised his hand and lifted his fist to summon his blade. Mhai acknowledged her Master's strength, but before she finished speaking, he tossed aside the sword. Mhai clenched both fists and confronted her in anger. Unable to comprehend her Master's choice, the demon stopped and addressed him. Her voice spiked in incredulity as she asked what his purpose was. Whoever could face a demon and drop their defense?
Her warrior answered with empathy. He spoke on the pain of loneliness and the desire for friends. He spoke of his desire to help his demon. He spoke of compassion and love. Unable to understand his offer, his demon asked in a mocking voice if he could love a demon. Bonded to her Master, Mhai knew the intention behind Eliah's words. She fed upon his soul and lived his memories. When he answered without a moment of hesitation, the strength of his conviction struck her and left her stunned.
"Yes," he answered.
Silence reigned in the Demon Realm. The experience of her existence offered no ability to understand a selfless offer, to understand empathy, to understand love. Even hearing the word twisted her spirit and left her bereft of defense in the face of her Master's conviction and strength. Mhai realized defeat by the deft words of her Master and raised a hand to offer herself to Eliah -- to take her sword and fully claim all that she was. The restraint upon her Curse was lifted, power gained, and a Bond formed as Mhai came to trust her Master.
=== Chapter 5 - An Embrace of Life ===
Rarely comes a story told from the view of a demon. The price paid by humans is a common warning in stories. Do not court demons, for one will pay with one’s soul. But what is it to be bonded? What price does the demon pay for joining a partner, soul to soul, mind to mind.
Mhai’s perspective grew with her Master’s bond and lifting of the curse’s restraint. She now saw color in his tone. Where before she would wonder at the thought behind his actions, she experienced the breadth of his emotion. Eliah was driven by a purity of intention. His motivation was to help other, friend or foe. His belief was in bringing blessing to a destroyed world, even were he but a single grain of sand upon the beach. Any price he paid was worth the result, however small. Once she questioned what drove him, but now she lived his intentions as if they were own. And thus, she grew.
For strength is not only in the power of one’s abilities or the strength of arms, but in the depth of emotion. Eliah was filled with an intense potency that released in explosive bouts. She fed upon the vigor of her host and found herself wondering exactly what was to be her place with a human who could not be corrupted. Without the purpose of overtaking her host to find freedom, what is there to being a demon?
After the fall of the City of Vampires, the two companions followed their wayward third. Taevin offered little of himself throughout the journey. His surface affability veiled a monstrous lack of empathy. Feigning discretionary trips to ‘feed,’ the vampire would disappear for days and leave the pair to hunt the fading remnants of vampire kind. Eliah and Mhai traversed together in newfound balance. The awakening of his demon to the world brought unexpected changes in both. With Mhai manifested, Eliah could no longer ignore her presence and was exposed to her demonic perspective on the world. For Mhai, her newfound independence saw frequent detours to seek new experience. Even as Mhai’s wanderlust perturbed her focused warrior, Eliah delighted in her blossoming spirit. Together, the warrior and demon flourished in their venture.
Taevin led the group South towards the Ruination of Humanity, where the great experiment failed, and the Taboo was committed. His promise was impossible for Eliah to deny: Save what remains of humanity and complete the experiment. What purpose the experiment held, what cost was to be paid was never a worry. To Eliah the chance to save humanity was worth any price and with their strengthened Bond, Mhai accepted the lure that reeled in her host. They discovered a growing wreath of desolation that spanned the miles all around. In their hubris, the greedy humans laid waste to their own lands in their drive to unlock the power of the Divine. Punishment had come swift to all of humanity, but none so than the sinners who committed the Taboo.
Centered within the desolation stood the husk of a research complex. Empty of all life, the ring of death spoke of what great transgression occurred and the terrible price exacted upon all of humanity. Taevin told the story of the Fall of Humanity where in their arrogance humans sought to overturn death itself and return souls to the living. A balance was drawn but not paid. The experiment was never ended, and the Taboo committed. Humanity would continue to suffer loss.
He explained that humanity cannot be resurrected, but their death can be stopped for an impossible price. The Balance required: A demon and human – Bound by more than Contract. The Balance sought a demon who cannot love but held complete devotion to he who was once an enemy, and her devotion be matched by his love in return. Love, being the greatest of Bonds, extracted the greatest of costs and offered the greatest rewards.
For love, she must unbecome all that she was:
* She who was weapon must heal.
* She who told lies must speak truth.
* She who broke bonds must forge them.
* She who destroyed must save.
The final price was the most precious. As it was humanity who sinned, it fell to a human to pay the debt -- to give his life for the sworn enemy he loved. Thus would a new Bond be forged. For in doing, both would be unmade: One in death and one in renewed life. The forging of this new Bond would offer Humanity a last chance to recover.
Mhai knew the heart of her Eliah and despaired for he would always fight for compassion. He would always fight for those who could not. He who had never sought triumph would find the ultimate victory. Unable to truly understand, unable to comprehend her own pain, Mhai was torn by the raw experience of new-found emotion as Eliah spoke of his final wish: For his beloved demon to heal in his steed. For her to care for those he could not, and for her to find love.
To she who could not know love as a demon, his beauteous gift would shape everything she was to become. Eliah drew his sword for the final time and placed her in the activation Plinth. Offering his blood to a demon unwilling to accept, he pressed the sword down and released... all that he was.
Category:Characters
Category:Character Lore