Houstel

* Current
* Herbol

Houstel (née Herbol Blythe) is a Vulgrozi enchanter that resides in the Devil's Spire in Arthuria. Despite being a demon, he was born human and thus has traces of humanity in his appearance and demeanor.

## Appearance

Houstel can take virtually any form he desires; however, he has one form that he tends to default to. In this form, he is of average height with a toned build, a heart-shaped face, a sharply pointed nose, long canines, and large, pointed ears. His skin is lavender and covered in visible veins, while his eyes are magenta with burgundy sclerae. His hair is purple, long, and straight, and is partially styled into two points resembling horns. Houstel's fingernails and toenails are long and sharpened, resembling claws. Though he can change his outfit just as readily as his body, he defaults to a torn, twisted version of the mage's robes he wore as a human. This consists of a tattered black and burgundy vest that exposes a large portion of his chest, and tight gray leggings that are cut off at the knee. Even if he isn't wearing this outfit, he is usually wearing something revealing. When under great amounts of stress, Houstel loses control over his physical form, reverting to his true form: a mass of slimy purple tendrils.

As Herbol, he was a slim, aged man with a band skintone, a heart-shaped face covered in wrinkles, and dark brown eyes. His hair was gray and fell past his shoulders, and he had a long beard to match. He wore dark magenta and burgundy robes and often carried a staff with which he channeled his magic.

## Personality

At first glance, Houstel is jovial and friendly, always happy to be around others. However, his amicability should not be mistaken for genuine kindness. He is still a demon, and, much like his master, he chases instant gratification, often to the detriment of mortals.

Despite being inherently self-serving, Houstel demonstrates a loose code of honor that is believed to be a vestige of his past life. If he makes a promise he will always try to keep his word, and while he may stretch the truth, he will never outright lie.

As Herbol, he was soft-spoken and kind, forming close bonds with those he worked with. He was a respected ally and a dependable friend, and was more than willing to sacrifice himself for a greater good. Unfortunately, if legends are to be believed, this altruism is exactly what led to his corruption and transformation into Houstel.

## History

Herbol Blythe was born in the final decades of the Rey dynasty. He displayed a talent for magic from an early age, and a mage took him in as their apprentice. By the time he was a young adult, he had already surpassed his mentor, and was looking for ways to apply himself. He served as an advisor and court mage for the final Rey monarch for a time. Once the Stone Massacre occurred, however, he abandoned the monarchy overnight. He began to work silently against the king from his tower, eventually joining the rebel forces in the First Crystal War. When Excalibur was forged and given to Uther Pendragon, Herbol was one of the magi that lent their power to imbue the sword with magic. After the war ended, the enchanter returned to his tower but swore he would continue to protect Mercia in any way he could.

However, it was not to last. For reasons that are currently unknown, Herbol was heavily corrupted, to the point he lost most of his humanity and became demonic. His mind was warped, and he became unwilling and unable to protect Mercia like his human self swore to. Herbol disappeared, and Houstel took his place, with the enchanter's life becoming little more than a legend.

## Abilities and Weaknesses

### Natural Abilities

* **Agelessness:** As a demon, Houstel does not age at all. He also does not need to rest, eat, or drink like mortals do (though it won't hurt him if he chooses to).
* **Shapeshifting:** Houstel, like all demons, can shapeshift at will. He can transform into living or nonliving objects, and is so adept that he can change the appearance and texture of his clothing. However, he requires some level of concentration to hold any form; consequently, it is possible for him to lose control and return to his true form.

### Skillset

* **Magic Proficiency:** Houstel retains all of the magical knowledge he had as Herbol, though he has switched his focus to darker magics.
	+ **Typhokinesis:** Using his magical prowess, Houstel can manipulate smoke as if it was an extension of his own body. While he can weaponize it, he will most commonly use it to create smoke constructs to entertain himself.
* **Charisma:** Despite his typical demeanor, Houstel can easily tell what mortals want or don't want to hear from centuries of experience, and can and will use that knowledge to manipulate those around him.

### Unique Abilities

* **Typhomimicry:** A combination of his typhokinesis and shapeshifting, Houstel can partially or completely transform into a cloud of smoke. In this state, he is invulnerable to most mundane weapons, and can float through the air with ease or slip through even the smallest openings; however, since he takes on the physical properties of smoke, he also becomes especially vulnerable to wind and fire.
* **Healing Magic Tolerance:** While harmed by light magic of all forms, Houstel is healed by healing spells just as much as he is harmed by them due to his former humanity. Consequently, outside of causing pain, light healing magic has no effect on him despite such magic being devastating to other demons.
* **Biokinesis:** A combination of his magic and shapeshifting, Houstel can manipulate the physical bodies of living creatures; however, he cannot change them in a way that would kill or seriously injure them.

### Weaknesses

* **Light Magic Vulnerability:** While Herbol was an expert in the use of light magic, Houstel, like all demons, is harmed by light magic, and thus cannot use it without hurting himself.

## Relationships

### Armiston Pendragon

Houstel's relationship with Armiston is unique in that he shows a surprising amount of fear and respect towards the half-elf, and has been known to avoid direct contact with him. Nobody, not even Armiston himself, knows why the demon displays trepidation towards him, and Houstel refuses to explain.

### Graysille Tabarth

Herbol and Graysille worked together during the Crystal Wars, and developed a mutual respect for one another. However, after his corruption, Houstel lost interest in friendships, including those he had as a human. He treats Graysille the same way he treats virtually all other mortals.

### Unknown Lover

Herbol had a lover, whom very little is known about. However, it is known that they fought in the First Crystal War, and died in combat. According to Houstel, Herbol was still grieving their death when he got corrupted, and this influenced his transformation.

## Trivia

* Houstel's design draws loose inspiration from a default character sprite in RPG Maker XP that his original character was based off of.
	+ This version of Houstel was a mortal sorcerer and drastically different from his current self.
* Herbol's character draws loose inspiration from the legendary wizard Merlin.