Frederick Von Eldritch

**Frederick Von Eldritch** is a recurring supporting antagonist in the *Divine Comedy*.

He is the patriarch of the esteemed Von Eldritch family, the husband of Bethesda Von Eldritch and the father of their two children Seviathan and Helsa. Frederick is an aristocratic demon that believes strongly in notions of blood purity and the increase in hold and power over regions of Hell with other powerful families.

## Appearance

Frederick is a tall humanoid demon with dark grey skin and bright, pupil-less green eyes. He had a mouth full of sharp, green teeth, and sported grey hair that was lined with small black spots throughout which gave his hair the appearance of a cephalopod's tentacles. He sported a pencil-thin mustache.

His primary attire consisted of a dark grey tailcoat with a light grey underside. The tails on his coat were lined with black dots which gave them the appearance of tentacles. He often wore two separate large, black top hats, one of which sported two green mouths with sharp teeth on both sides of it, and the other of which had green eyes across the crown. He sported epaulettes lined with green teeth, a grey undershirt, black trousers, and black dress shoes. He wore black gloves with his sharp, green claws protruding from them.

## History

### Background

Frederick was born in the Envy Circle and raised in the lap of luxury at the ancestral home of Von Eldritch Manor located within an estate owned by the family a thousand years. Historically rather well-known for their cast-iron belief in hellborn demons' superiority over sinners and espousal of pure-blood values, Frederick (for a time) adopted the unfeigned contempt for sinners of his elders from a young age and was encouraged to make friends 'of the right sort' when the time came for him to attend school, a sentiment Frederick would later follow and instill unto his own children.

Frederick was implied to be the runt of the litter which welcomed the most amount of harsh discipline from his father. Indeed, quite arguably the biggest influence in his young life was that of his father. A proud member of the social elite that commanded great respect in certain circles, Salazar Von Eldritch was a harshly demanding parent with high expectations which had a profound effect unto Frederick's perceptions of himself and self-esteem.

As he came of age, he would meet his future wife Bethesda in Fort Frolic and according to the latter he won Bethesda's heart by buying her the dresses she did not know she actually wanted. Frederick and Bethesda were wed, with the two families being just as wealthy and inclined as other highly placed aristocratic families. Together, they lived a life of privilege and luxury at the Eldritch Estate, located in Olympus Heights. The couple had two children, a girl and boy named Helsa and Seviathan. In naming Seviathan, Bethesda wanted the blessing of Leviathan by naming her son after their lord in the hopes that they would gain his favor.

## Personality

As pretty much the embodiment of wealth and influence in the Inferno, Frederick Von Eldritch took great pride in his aristocratic stature, and viewed himself as superior to sinners and lower-class hellborn demons. Being a demon of Envy, he was a very shrewd, opportunistic social climber who was good at controlling others, but behind his veneer of respectability, he treated people cruelly.

Frederick could be intelligent and manipulative when he needed to be, allowing him to gain respect and the good will of high-ranking individuals either through his fortune, family name, or even his charm. He even had influence over Leviathan himself. Frederick's constant donations to important establishments were actually nothing more than bribing others for classified information and receiving undeserved rewards and recognitions. While putting much effort into maintaining an appearance of respectability, Frederick's slick demeanour did little to hide his self-serving nature. He had no qualms about appealing to whichever side would be more beneficial to his social advancement. He was never unconditionally loyal because he didn't want to be put in a negative light with people on either end.

However, in spite of his ruthless and prejudiced nature, one of Frederick's more redeeming traits was that he was very loving and devoted towards his family, especially caring greatly for his wife and children. He and Bethesda were indulgent and protective of their son and daughter, though Frederick also demonstrated that he had expectations for Helsa, in one instance cruelly berating her for being beaten academically by Charlie Morningstar. In the end, along with Bethesda, he demonstrated that his family was more important to him than serving the likes of Nyarlathotep or Leviathan, especially after Leviathan lost both the respect and trust he once had from the Von Eldritchs. Frederick's love for his wife and kids also allowed him to overcome his more self-serving side .