Charles

Contract Demon

Although a demon's form is malleable most reflect their nature. Charles, as he is known in the city of Bornheim, typically takes on the form of an attractive merchant or member of the minor nobility. A strong affectation for the finer things life has to offer. Even in social environments where he should be subservient to those around him, so strong is his nature that his social superiors will bend to his will unknowingly.

• Occupation: Merchant or Minor Noble (varies)
• Nationality: Varies
• Spouse: Varies
• Issue: daughter (449)
• Father: None
• Mother: None
• Lifetime: Age of the Gods - Age of Heroes
• Religion: None
• Species: Demon

A demon's lifetime is nearly infinite. Charles' true name is known only to him and his creator. He was fashioned during the Age of the Gods as a tempter of the sapient beings.

Charles survived the Age of the Gods by concealing himself among the enemy. While other demons were being hunted and destroyed by the True Elf and Ancient Dwarf he stayed in the shadow. In the chaos of that followed the exodus of the gods and devils he found his purpose. he did favors and provided gifts to those survivors.

Although he lived for many hundreds of years he was not wise enough to conceal his efforts from all those who hunted his kind. He was eventually cornered and trapped along with hundreds other demons and dark spirits by the True Elves. Their magic created a demiplane in which the elves trapped them, forever bound to the mortal plane. The keystone of his prison is Tminir Tower. As long as it stood there was no way to leave.

The True Elves passes and so the burden of holding the tower passed to their progeny. Soon their hold over the tower passed into the hands of the humans. With each passing the will of those bound to the spell weakened. The humans were easily corrupted. Charles could not leave the prison, but the spell had weakened enough that he could send his voice across the void. He whispered in the ears of the masters who stood as the Gatekeeper of the spell. As is his nature he offered his bargains.

His freedom was finally obtained when one master was foolish enough to grant him limited freedom. Most demons would have instantly killed the Master of the Tower, but Charles learned much of his jailers over the years. He spoke words of honey and use his own means to enrich the master that freed him. He could have taken the powerful soul of to Tower's Master, but so much sweeter was its corruption.

He could not leave the spell, but he could walk freely outside of the prison. So many souls had settled into the nearby lands that he would be occupied for thousands of the years.

The power of the true individual was a boon for Charles. Large empires still spanned the globe, untouchable by him, but the power of the Spirit Realms strengthened and those individuals touched by it became heroes of legends. Empires were fractured and difficult to control from the lands he could walk, but the corruption of powerful men and women gave him the power to reach across the world and burn it.