Iron Chains

Iron Chains is a mystic Fae hero. Hailing from the Blazing World, he has made China his adopted home and is a member of the Tiger Squad.

## Biography

Iron Chains comes from Diyu, the Hell-like dimension of Chinese mythology where sinners atone for the crimes they committed while alive. This world consists of various "courts" separated by nearly-infinite mazes, and Iron Chains was a demonic bailiff of one of these courts. His duties included scourging damned souls and tormenting them by keeping them lost in the maze for appropriate lengths of time.

Although he carried out these duties admirably, Iron Chains found his duties to be boring and longed for a change of pace. He was surprised when he and a dozen of his brothers were suddenly summoned to Earth to serve an apprentice demonologist. Although his brothers immediately broke free of the inept summoning spell and went on a rampage, Iron Chains simply slipped away in the chaos to explore this strange new country. He eventually came to love Earth's charming variety and complexity of life, and vowed that he would not return to Diyu like his banished brothers. Instead, he turned himself in to the human authorities and begged to join them; always eager for recruits, Beijing put him on the Tiger Squad as a probationary member, where he has distinguished himself in the years since.

## Personality

Iron Chains is both cruel and cowardly, but he has a naturally subordinate nature that keeps his darker impulses in check. He is a hedonist at heart, and while he enjoys fighting, his chief pleasures in life come from experiencing all that human society has to offer. When not in "uniform" he appears totally human, and he often slips away to live a day or two as a normal man before returning to his duties, deriving great pleasure from simple activities like watching tv, riding in a taxi, or going to a movie.

Iron Chains has long since grown bored with inflicting pain, and often fights simply to subdue his foes harmlessly. But when challenged, his demonic nature can rise to the forefront and he can be a surprisingly brutal combatant, lashing at his opponent's eyes or other vulnerable points with his cruel chain whips.

## Powers

Iron Chains has the power to conjure sturdy magical chains from thin air. This allows him to entangle his foes, slash them with iron whips, or even lift and throw them with telekinetically animated chains. He protects himself by coiling these chains around himself in a crude armor, and can swing around a battlefield by using the chains to propel himself forward. These chains are a magical construct, and although they appear to be made of rough iron, they are actually an unknown substance conjured from the essence of Hell itself and far stronger than steel.

Although he is somewhat stronger and faster than a normal man, Iron Chains is only nominally superior to human normal and barely qualifies as a brick. Even so, he is surprisingly resilient thanks to his powerful regenerative abilities, which can repair even grievous wounds in seconds. He also has a near-total immunity to fire-based attacks, and can exert some small psychokinetic control over mundane metal substances. He is also able to find his way through any labyrinth or maze, and will never become lost even in the most confusing structure or crowded city.

## Weaknesses

Because he is a lesser-ranking demon, Iron Chains is subject to a variety of magical and spiritual weaknesses. He cannot set foot on holy ground unless invited, and even then a holy symbol causes him great distress. Anyone with the ability to summon or command demons (quite common in Chinese magical traditions) could use these powers to subvert Iron Chains' will and force him to follow their orders.

Iron Chains' conjured chains, though far sturdier than any normal metal, disappear in a puff of acrid smoke if he is stunned or loses consciousness. He can maintain a huge number of these chains, but if he "forgets" about them they will quickly fade away, making it difficult for him to bind a target longer than a single brief combat situation.