Orlox

**Orlox** is one of the eight Lords of Shadows that rule over the Shadow Veil. Known as the **Vampyr Eternia**, Orlox possesses all the gifts of vampires found on the other Veils of existence, and may even be their progenitor. He is one of the most active of the Lords of Shadow and has enacted multiple schemes to attempt to breach into the Prime Plane with varying degrees of success. However, as the centuries went by, Orlox remained trapped in the Shadow, no different than his fellow lords.

In the Year 2195, Orlox's scheming reached its pinnacle in a new dangerous plan. Commanding an army of his vampiric brethren, the Vampyr Eternia managed to capture the divine infant Kaasma Thara, child of the dead god Kaasma and the appointed jailor for all devilkind. With the wailing abomination in tow, Orlox sought to weaponize them and unleash them upon Io without warning, posing one of the greatest threats to the Shattered Planet in over a millennia.

## Description

### Personality

Not much is known of Orlox's character. It is clear, however, that Orlox is highly ambitious, adopting the scheme of weaponizing Kaasma Thara and unleashing it upon Io, regardless of the cost to mortals and devils alike. Though the exact details of the terrible infant's abduction are unclear, it can be inferred that Orlox is both cunning and resourceful enough to successfully track down Thara and transport them through the Breach without any known hiccups or interference. It can also be inferred by this action that Orlox has an equal disregard for his other Shadow Lords, concealing his plans from the others and contravening his overlord Asmodeus by utilizing his people's greatest enemies for his own gain.

## History

### Early History

The history of the being that became Orlox is currently unknown. It is possible that he was once an Astari, an ancient magical race who lived on Io until the Jupiter Incident, when their souls were plunged into the Shadow, a alternate Veil of darkness, madness and torment. However, as seen with other Lords of Shadow, it is also possible that he was once a mortal denizen of Io who came in contact with the Shadow Veil by some means. Whatever his origins, some time after the War of Shadows, Orlox attracted the attention of Asmodeus, Lord of All Shadows. Having previously bestowed his blessing upon other beings of worth, Asmodeus saw fit to grant Orlox a fraction of his incredible power. With this boon, Orlox was elevated to the position of a Lord of Shadow, an immensely powerful devil in service to Asmodeus and his crusade to reclaim Io for his people.

### The Vampyr Eternia

As a new Devil Lord, Orlox would amass both territory and influence with the Shadow befitting his station. Much of his power appears to be rooted in the phenomenon of vampirism, a condition in which creatures would sustain themselves by draining the lifeforce of mortals. It is yet unclear if Orlox was in fact the first vampire or simply the greatest of them, but many of his followers would also indulge in the same power, transforming themselves to mirror their lord. With this distinctive trait, Orlox earned the title of Vampyr Eternia, a reflection of his capabilities and the immortality derived from it. Not long after his blessing, however, Asmodeus disappeared, leaving his chosen Lords without guidance and unity. As such, Orlox and his other Lords were free to rule as they saw fit, though not without the occasional missive from the heralds of Asmodeus.

In the centuries following his ascendance, Orlox devoted himself and his minions to escaping the confines of the Shadow and retaking Io for themselves. While vampirism began to spread throughout the Prime Plane, Orlox conceived and executed several schemes from his domain, not dissimilar to the machinations of his rival Lord, Asura. Though the details on these schemes are unknown, it appears that none of them were successful enough to allow Orlox to escape the Shadow permanently. Such schemes were often the subject of scrutiny from his peer Mephistopheles, who ultimately saw Orlox as something of a nuisance. Further complications arose in the discovery that, when upon the Prime Plane, devils would begin to lose their minds and regress when far enough away from the Shadow's influence. This meant that a simple escape through the Shadow's Breach, the original gate open by Asmodeus during the War of Shadows, would not be sufficient to ensure salvation. Despite these setbacks, Orlox continued his efforts, never resting or relenting to achieve his goal.

## Powers and Abilities

* **Vampirism:** Orlox is a vampire as well as a Devil Lord. It is likely that he possesses similar abilities to vampires found in the Prime Plane, such as the ability to change shape, charm other creatures and drain the lifeforce from them. Orlox likely also shares in the same undeath as them, being effectively immortal without the need to eat, sleep or drink outside of feasting on lifeforce.
* **True Sight**: Orlox, like all Lords of Shadow, possesses true sight.

## Etymology

Orlox likely derives their name from Count Orlok, the main antagonist of the 1922 silent German horror film, *Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens.* Based on Bram Stoker's Count Dracula, Count Orlok, also known as the "Bird of Death" was a vampire believed to have been created by the devil Belial. He made his home in the wilds of Transylvania, feasting on the blood of living humans. Often mistakenly called *Nosferatu*, Count Orlok has inspired subsequent media involving vampires in both name and appearance.

## Trivia

* Orlox's relationship with vampires in the Ioverse is currently unknown. It is evident that vampires such as Count Corbett Aleister and Victor von Cicero draw their innate power from the Shadow, but it has yet to be established if vampirism itself stems from Orlox or the Shadow itself.
* Orlox was first mentioned in Curious Curios Season 3 Episode 3 by Mephistopheles. He has yet to make his appearance in the Ioverse.
* Orlox's chief servants appear to be Gargoyles, which accompanied Kaasma Thara when it escaped the Shadow's Breach in the finale of Into the Shadow's Breach Season 1. Gargoyles have often been associated with vampires in popular culture due to their presence in Gothic architecture and literature respectively.