Asmodeus Hallow

**Asmodeus Hallow** is a Nephilim blacksmith, formerly of an organization called the Order of the Sword. After a brutal attack on his home kingdom, Asmodeus was forced on the run, eventually learning of his true heritage as a Kiryu. Asmodeus currently resides in Meru with the remnants of his Order, attempting to rebuild them back to their former glory.

## Biography

### Order of the Sword

Raised within the Kingdom of Britannia, Asmodeus cannot even remember a time where he wasn't being watched over by the Order of the Sword. Even among some of the more prestigous squires, Asmodeus was a savant at his craft, often times far outpacing his peers. He showed a masterful display of swordsmanship as early as age 10, easily beating down senior Order knights, sometimes even several at a time. Little did he know at the time, his rapid progress was being watched; he was being groomed to eventually become the Order's champion.

Better known in his youth as Modeus, not only did he display an aptitude for swordplay, but also the art of smithing. By the time he had matured into a young man, Asmodeus forged a pair of bastard swords that he still uses to this day: Seraph and Omen. Seraph was an angelic-themed weapon with a gold hilt and a silver blade, imbued with the soul of an angel. As its polar opposite, Omen was a sword with a demon face motif and a pure iron blade, fused with the soul of a fiery demon.

His superiors noted his rapid growth, and finally decided to officially induct him into the Order of the Sword as a knight. Unfortunately, shortly after his induction into the Order, Britannia was attacked. Asmodeus never had the chance to witness who the assaulting force was, as he ushered away with the express purpose of protecting the Order's Elders.

### The Truth

Asmodeus had been charged with protecting the Order's Elders, who were far too valuable to fall into any potential enemy's hands. Each one of them knew everything about the Order, with collective knowledge spanning thousands of lives; it was appropriate that the Order's most promising member was to protect them. In fleeing the burning Britannia, Asmodeus and the Elders were soon to arrive on the outskirts of a massive castle; Caliburn Palace. It was here that the Elders told Asmodeus of his true lineage, something that had been kept a secret to protect him. He was a Nephilim of the Kiryu bloodline, and his father, Law Kiryu, had been the protector of Caliburn Palace long ago, before his untimely demise. It explained why Asmodeus was a prodigy, and the real reason why he was chosen to protect the Elders. The Kiryu name was a well-known name, and Asmodeus couldn't risk exposing himself like that. Instead, he would honor his parents by taking his mother's maiden name, Hallow.

The Nephilim led the Elders through the Palace, and came to discover some of his inherent abilities in the process. Whether it was the Palace itself or just the knowledge of his true heritage, Asmodeus couldn't say, but the talents came to his mind like he had always known how to do them. Asmodeus could summon swords and manipulate them on a whim, making the treacherous trip up to the Palace gates a lot easier. It was there that he realized that only those of the lineage's blood could undo the seals and open the gates; at this point, there was no doubt in his mind that the Palace had been waiting for him this entire time. He wandered the great halls for quite a while, only to enter a room which engulfed him and the Elders in a blinding light.

Once the light had waned, Asmodeus learned that he was no longer in the Palace, or anywhere near it. His new environment looked nothing like Britannia or the surrounding landscape, either. The powers of the Palace had transported both himself and the Order Elders to a brand new land, far away from the monsters who had razed their kingdom to the ground. It was here that Asmodeus made a vow; if Britannia and the Order had truly fallen to dark forces, then he would make them anew. With the Elders at his back and thousands of years of the Order's history preserved, Asmodeus went straight to work with resurrecting his fallen order. From the ashes of the Sword, the Hell-Guard would rise.

### Grim Tidings

Over the course of the coming few months, Asmodeus worked tirelessly to rebuild his order. With the help of the Elders, they had managed to establish a base of operations, eventually named Fort Exitium. Local talent served to bolster their numbers, but it was just a small step towards his ultimate goal. Asmodeus would attempt to make contact with whatever locals resided in this new realm, but fortune dictated that they would seek him out first. Gwyn ap Nudd had come from a kingdom to the south to investigate and make contact with this new presence, but fatigue had seemed to take him and render him unconscious. It was Asmodeus who made the discovery of this mountain of a man upon his doorstep; given the sort of man Asmodeus was, he could not leave him alone, and took Gwyn in to nurture him back to health.

When Gwyn had finally awoke after what seemed like days, he came to thank Asmodeus for the hospitality, however dreadful his slumber had been. He came to explain that he hailed from the Wild Hunt, a band of fierce warriors who safeguarded the queen of their lands; the same lands that Asmodeus had found himself suddenly thrust into. However, Gwyn's slumber was not without fruit, and ill omens came to him in the form of dreams; or perhaps, they had been something more than dreams. He could no longer feel the presence of his queen, and knew that she was now missing. Fearing the worst, Asmodeus extended his hospitality further and offered Gwyn and his forces temporary shelter until the matter could be resolved. While Gwyn rallied what loyal followers he still had, Asmodeus saw fit to investigate another matter; a strange meteor saw itself fall from the sky, impacting in the forests just beyond his hold.

With a few of his knights in tow, Asmodeus rode out to investigate the falling light. A sizable crater had formed from the meteor's impact, but the glow was unnatural; certainly nothing terrestrial could produce such a brightness. Wreathed in smoke, a figure began to stumble their way out of the rubble. Despite seeming human, their agility was anything but; mere seconds of passage saw the figure leap in a mighty bound, placing themselves squarely behind Asmodeus and his squad. Though his knights were ready for a fight, he was not; Asmodeus ordered his men to stand down, instead going the diplomatic route to learn of their guest's identity. He called himself Gadriel; an angel fallen from Heaven. He was quick to issue a warning; Gadriel knew well of Asmodeus' unique bloodline, and foretold how gods of old shared the same blood. Angels feared Nephilim for their power, and for the moment, Gadriel saw Asmodeus as a threat. Regardless, Asmodeus again offered kindness to a stranger and offered Gadriel shelter within the fort.

Upon their return, Asmodeus had saw that Gwyn had already called for his aid; a younger member of his order, Brannon Netheron, accompanied him. With their arrival back at the fort, Gadriel was quick to wander off, muttering to himself about things to come. Settling back into his duties, Asmodeus was taken by surprise at the arrival of a strange UFO, but felt that no chances could be taken by such an occurrence. Sending one of his more powerful knights to intercept, the ship would eventually touch down and unveil another acquaintance of the missing queen; Callum Grant, CEO of a tech company. All the cards were set before them; as Gwyn asked them all to meet inside, Asmodeus couldn't help but feel that whatever were to happen next would decide the fate of his new home.

### The Flame Smothered in Shadows

Strange happenings in the capital all but confirmed Gwyn's suspicions; not only was their queen missing, but she had been replaced with an impostor. Undoubtedly, whoever this fake queen was, Gwyn could not afford to show his face. In his stead, Asmodeus, Callum and Brannon would return to Annwn and secure the royal crown. It was an object of great importance; something that couldn't, or shouldn't, fall into the wrong hands. With that, the trio agreed to the mission and started off; Callum offered them passage on his star vessel, of which Asmodeus couldn't help but admire the craftsmanship. He had never seen such a thing in his life, as Britannia was never this advanced with their technology.

## Appearance

Like the rest of his brothers, Asmodeus is a white-haired, blue-eyed young man who appears barely out of his 20's. He still insists on wearing the common regalia of the Order of the Sword, noted as a buttoned-up high-collar shirt, tight-fitting trousers and tall boots. Asmodeus wears extra embellishments on his outfit, fitting for his rank of High-Commander; his arms and waist are particularly armored, with shoulder plates that resemble unfurled wings of gold. Asmodeus hauls around his two swords, Seraph and Omen, on intersecting holsters mounted to a strap across his back side.

## Personality

In a word, Asmodeus is best described as altruistic, even to the point where it proves to be a detriment to his own safety. He adheres to a strict moral compass, likely instilled in him at an early age by his superiors within the Order of the Sword. Asmodeus is always ready to help those in need, and fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. Ever since becoming High Commander of the Hellguard, Asmodeus has shown himself to be a natural leader as well, almost being like a father to his men. His ultimate goal remains; rebuilding his fallen order, and he will stop at nothing to achieve this dream.

## Abilities

From an early age, Asmodeus always exhibited a natural talent for swordsmanship and smithing; he can easily overpower multiple opponents with crafty footwork and tactical thinking. His main method of attack is using his two, self-made bastard swords, Seraph and Omen. Seraph allows him to utilize raw light into energy, specifically useless against enemy demons. Omen gives Asmodeus control over shadows, to conform and serve his whims.

Asmodeus possesses a wide range of sword-related abilities to boot, including the ability to summon swords at will, though much smaller than his bastard swords, and only in a limited capacity. He can fling out these summoned swords and teleport to them at range, allowing him to cover considerable distances in a short time span. Each swing of his summoned swords can nullify magic attacks, which offsets Asmodeus' natural weakness to magic.

Aside from his sword abilities, Asmodeus has strength and speed high above an average human being; it matches what enhanced skills a typical Nephilim might have.

## Relationships

### Gwyn ap Nudd

True to his moral compass, Asmodeus happened upon an unconscious Gwyn and could not leave the man to his feet. What resulted was a mutual understanding between warriors of a different flavor, out to protect that which they hold dear. Asmodeus has pledged the services of the Hellguard in defense of the kingdom they now neighbor against, and Asmodeus has promised Gwyn that he will do his best to unravel the mystery threatening their combined lands.