Abedun

Falling prey to the rather common political intrigues of the Overworld, Abedun is forced to flee from the Kingdom of Sun after losing his position among the nobility. He ends up traveling to Hell after striking a deal with the Demons, who wish to employ his experience as a slaver in order to have him work as a taskmaster in the salt mines beneath the Core of Hell.

*"Political intrigues have made me lose my place among nobles. I ended up being the mine foreman here in Hell."*

He spends many years on the hellish archipelago, both overseeing the working slaves and aiding the local demon lords in securing new slave transport deals. Since he has noble blood, the Cult cannot afford to outright recruit him into their ranks - however, as the brutality of the Baron's regime worsens, Abedun begins to show signs of hesitation after seeing the horrifying treatment of the slaves, especially the way in which they are sacrificed.

*"There is a giant salt mine below us. The slaves have been worked to death to gather rare salts for the ritual.*

*Demons use salt as currency in the Overworld kingdoms. But since the slaves are dead, the mine is on hold...*

*[...]*

*The horrors I have witnessed have left me scarred. All this pain and suffering that they feast upon...*

*I bear the guilt, for I have sold many of my kin to the demons. I will forever atone for my sins...*

*Seeing that I could no longer bear the insanity, they forced me to join the Cult. At first, I agreed..."*

Seeing Abedun's state of mind deteriorate prompts the Demons to coerce him into joining the Cult. Since he presents some magical skill, he is put on the path of the initiate which entails the removal of his physical vision. However, after Abedun loses one eye, he experiences a sudden revelation and snaps. This event leads to him planning a rebellion with a few other miners he trusts, including Scrawn and the Old Orc.

*"Cult initiates have their eyes removed so they can't read. Through worship, they build a hellish new sight.*

*After my first eye was removed, a third one opened. I... suddenly became aware of how oblivious I have been.*

*As the last group of slaves was rounded up for sacrifice, I backstabbed the guards and started a rebellion.*

*We ran as far as we could... me, the old orc and Scrawn the sculptor made it to this ancient sanctuary."*

Making use of the chaos caused by his sudden betrayal, Abedun then makes his way to an ancient shrine of Air located in the crypts just above the mines. He turns the abandoned site into a secure hideout using a mind spell inspired by Matron Yzbeth's magic to block the entryways with illusory walls, thus being able to evade the Demons for many weeks.

*"Yzbeth uses illusions to guard her secrets. The fake walls you passed through? It's her magics that inspired us."*

Yzbeth eventually discovers Abedun's illusions and decides to seal the rebels inside their hideout, hoping to coerce them into serving her own interests, which are antagonistic to the Blue Baron.

*"How ironic... much like myself, they are using magic walls to conceal their hideout. If only they could conceal their starvation. I had the crypts sealed off and the only key brought here, where I can cherish it. Sooner or later, little rats will claw away at their coffin, and I shall rescue them like a brooding mother. Our common enemy will unite us."*

*"My dear crypt keeper, if your morbid curiosity has pushed you here, I beg you, don't go any further. There are three giant rats trapped beyond. I am sure you have seen plenty of fat rats circling the tombs, but these are not the kind that you can swiftly catch and eat. There is barely any flesh on their bones, for they've been starving. You wouldn't want to release a pack of giant hungry rats upon you, would you? Please, if you hear them scratch at the wall, then "come see me at my mansion, as I have the only key to the padlock. Worry not - I have the power to tame these beasts."*

As he spends a considerable amount of time trapped inside the old elemental shrine, he attunes to the sacred energies of the place, considering it a sign from the Old Gods who have offered him shelter in return for his devotion. Along with Scrawn and the Old Orc, Abedun undergoes a process of self-rediscovery, pledging himself to serving the Elemental Gods in order to repent for all his sins that led him to the brink of despair and insanity.

*"We survive thanks to fungi and the mana from this well. They give us enlightenment and vivid dreams.*

*We fight in the name of the Elemental Gods now. Only They can redeem us from the demonic corruption."*

*"Enjoying the read? My kin saw the worshipers of Air as foolish pagans... but I now believe otherwise."*

When Zan gains access to the hideout with the help of the Flame Beacon Keeper's pendant, Abedun welcomes her as an ally, having heard about her exploits against the Demons and the threat she poses to the Baron's regime.

*"Welcome, Halfblood. I am Abedun, disgraced noble of the Kingdom of Sun... a distant place in the Overworld... I see the beacon keeper's pendant has helped you find us. It pains me to learn that we're the only rebels left alive... regardless, we have a strong ally in you. Your name is spoken in hushed tones around here. We know what you seek."*

Having heard many rumors and gathered significant information about the Baron while working as the mine's foreman, he instructs Zan on how to defeat him, informing her that he is using a recently acquired source of power to become stronger than ever.

*"Any enemy of the Baron is a friend of ours. And we cannot defeat him alone. Before you try to face him, know this:*

*Rumor has it, after merging forces with Nithriel, the Baron has come into the possession of an immense power...*

*To guard the source of this power, he has built a vault that can only be opened by three soul key fragments. He clearly doesn't trust the elf, as the fragments were given for keeping to Yzbeth, a mad succubus matron."*

He suggests a way to gain access to Yzbeth's fragments by enchanting a Pendant of True Sight with the conscience of one of her servants. When the Halfblood returns with the fragments after enchanting the pendant with the brain of Yzbeth's Gardner, Abedun gives her the feather of an angel, claiming that it will help her when she needs it most.

*"Oh! You have the fragments. I bow before you, Halfblood. If anyone can save us all, it is you.*

*Once inside the Baron's citadel, look for the vault where the power source is. It can't be too hard to find."*

After Zan uses the soul key fragments to release Abhaoth and ultimately defeats the Blue Baron, Abedun and his companions leave the Core of Hell, moving into the ancient ruins of an elemental temple defiled by the Cult located close to where Zan begins her Underworld adventure. Here they dedicate their time to rebuilding the ruins to their former glory, free from the constricting grasp of the Cult, at last,

1. ↑ Excerpt from Yzbeth's diary found inside her bedchambers.
2. ↑ Note posted by Yzbeth for the crypt's keeper, outside the rebel hideout's entrance.