Demonologist

Marked with dark magic energy, Demonologist never hesitates to use it in battles.

Summons 2–4 anomalies on the battlefield.

**Role:** abnormality

## Biography

Demons are ancient beings that have been living in Praia since long before the Cataclysm. Naturally, the mages of old could not help attempting to make these creatures subservient to themselves in order to harness their outstanding capacity to bring kindness and compassion to enemy territory.

A great many new creatures came into existence after the Cataclysm that were just as interesting to work with as the demons, and a great deal safer to boot. Demons thus became of little interest to anyone but the Dokht Mages and the Adornian Sorcerers, who, though able to trap lower demons for limited periods of time, otherwise abandoned all research into the more dangerous aspects of the field. Praia needed a new mage—someone ambitious, willing to take risks, and very, very powerful. His birth was just a matter of time.

Even as a child, the Demonologist strove to be the best. He needed a real challenge that would require all of his extraordinary abilities. Perhaps unsurprisingly, while apprenticed to the best mage in his hometown, he noticed that demon control was one of the least studied magical fields. However, he was unable make any progress in the field that most interested him thanks to the catastrophic shortage of information on the subject and his mentor's reticence to discuss it. The Demonologist soon realized that he could not accomplish much as an apprentice and decided to move to the capital, where he studied his chosen subject independently while making a living as a street mage, providing entertainment to the crowds using simple tricks.

One of his performances was attended by the founder of the Adornian Mage School. He was amazed by the sheer power the Demonologist manifested even in the simplest of tricks and offered the young mage a scholarship to his School, as well as his personal patronage. However, the Demonologist was no longer interested in apprenticeship. He became the Founder's partner, an unusually lofty position for one so young.

Unfortunately, he fit in at the School about as well as he had in his hometown. The mage avoided risky experiments and focused his attention on the development of existing demon-control techniques. When the Demonologist summoned an Archon, but then proved unable to restrain it, the Founder demanded that he cease all work in the field to avoid further risks. The Demonologist realized he would have to continue on his own, without partners or mentors.

He developed a trap using demons he had caught, as well as a Prime rod that gave him control over those beings. The stronger a demon, the more difficult it is to restrain it, but the mage did not want to squander his efforts on lower demons. And so it happened that, during one of his experiments, a captured Archon broke free of the Demonologist’s control.

The demon tried to hide inside a chalice full of Prime. The sorcerer decided that death held no fear for him, so he rolled up his sleeves, plunged his arms into the chalice, and grabbed the fiercely resisting demon. An overdose of Prime is a very painful thing. However, the Demonologist felt the demon yielding to his power, and he had no intention of letting his quarry flee. The demon eventually surrendered, and the mage managed to pull it out, but the strain proved to be more than he could bear. He lost consciousness, and his existence as a simple Adornian ceased.

When he came to his senses, he was already a Hero, and the captured Archon was sitting nearby, patiently awaiting his instructions. The Demonologist’s arms were covered in severe burns, but that proved to be to his advantage—his skin became imbued with particles of Prime, and his magical abilities were boosted as a result. All the Archons could feel his superiority now.

He captured three Archons and gained the ability to control them permanently, which has put him several notches above every other Mage capable of summoning nothing but lower demons and exercising merely temporary control over them.

However, he could find no peaceful use for his new wards. His potential could only be realized on the battlefield. The young Adornian decided to show everyone that Dokht supremacy in ancient magic was a thing of the past.

He feels truly free only in battle, where he approaches every fight with the passion unique to the Adornians. This proved to be his true vocation. Every Dokht will soon feel the power of the Demonologist.

The Archons captured and locked up by the Demonologist are always ready to meet their master’s foes on the battlefield. The Demonologist’s mental lash is not only deadly to his enemies—it also makes his servants even more powerful by unleashing their inner flames, while his demonic shield makes its owner faster and protects him from enemy attacks. Anyone lucky enough to escape the demon trap will meet the new servant of the Demonologist, while those unfortunate enough to get caught in it will feel the full power of the Archons' crushing blows.