The Scorpion
When Uzhul and his demonic legions came to Anacra in the Dawn Era, they hungered for the light of Luminias, the Shining City. In great masses they assailed the walls, but two great heroes, Barash and Loetne, stood against them. Barash led the First Minds, while Loetne raised the three great barriers of Luminias--the Moat of Fire, the Wall of Adamant, and the Curtain of Light. Against these defenses, Uzhul's armies could not prevail.
The demons beneath him began to mutter and plot, hungering for Uzhul's power, so in desperation he sought out the council of Nefastus, the Old Scorpion, Demon of Sorrow. Nefastus dwelled in the Outer Dark, lurking and gnawing, and Uzhul remembered his cunning. It was Nefastus who devised a plan to poison the love of Barash and Loetne, turn their bravery into hatred, and destroy Luminias from within.
At Nefastus' behest, Uzhul withdrew his armies, retreating from Luminias' walls, but leaving behind whispers of dark plots and gathering storms. Barash went forth to challenge the demons' power, and fell into an ambush. News reached Luminias--the Light of Loetne was gone. Loetne took to sorrow, then ultimately despair, and her light faded.
When the demons came, the Curtain of Light burned no more, and they had planned for the other defenses. Luminias fell and passed into the songs of the elves.
Barash found Nefastus, hidden over a foul river, on a hill in a grey plain. There he clung to Loetne's soul, taunting him with her suffering. When Barash leapt upon the Old Scorpion, both of them perished and collapsed into the foul river together.
That was the end of Nefastus, the Scorpion, Demon of Sorrow, but the beginning of a new horror that haunted mortals for ages to come.
Divine Domains
Despair, Hatred, Spite, Scorn
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
An eight-foot tall demon with a bony, shriveled frame, a massive scorpion tail, and an elongated skull.
Body Features
Gray, scabby skin, flesh is either shriveled to the bone or drooping and sagging, skull-like face, hollow eyes, carapace scorpion tail.
Facial Features
Blank gray eyes in sunken sockets, skin clinging to bones, gaping jaw, horns
Special abilities
Telepathy, mental manipulation, aura of loss, demonic magic, combat prowess.
Specialized Equipment
Wields a spear of dull gray metal that absorbs the souls of those it kills.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
A demon from the Outer Dark, Nefastus' history prior to the Dawn Era is largely unknown, though by this point he was already called the Old Scorpion. Renowned for cunning, cruelty, and prying apart minds like a surgeon, it was shunned and feared by most demons.
Uzhul returned to the Outer Dark to seek Nefastus' council when Barash and Loetne stymied his efforts to conquer Luminias. Nefastus heard the tales of their love and bravery and craved their undoing. He agreed to aid Uzhul and wove a plot to make the First Minds believe they'd repelled the demon hordes, but lured Loetne beyond the walls and ambushed her.
With Loetne gone, the Curtain of Light that protected Luminias fell, and Uzhul's armies overran the city. Barash, steadfast champion of Luminias, abandoned the city in its hour of need to seek revenge on Nefastus. The Old Scorpion waited for him across a river of shadows, tormenting Loetne's soul and taunting the warrior.
Nefastus wielded a spear that devoured souls. Barash shattered the spear and drove its point through the demon's heart. Warrior, Witch and Demon perished as one, and their souls flowed together in the foul eddies of the River of Shades. Nefastus died. Something else arose.
Gender Identity
None, though "He" is most commonly used.
Accomplishments & Achievements
Nefastus wrought the Fall of Luminias by luring Loetne into an ambush and feeding Barash's wounded rage.
Failures & Embarrassments
Nefastus was killed by Barash after inciting the latter to a vengeful rage.
Intellectual Characteristics
Cruel, clever, manipulative, abusive, exploitative
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Nefastus fed off despair, sorrow, fear and other forms of mortal suffering. In particular, he drew sustenance from extinguishing hope. As a selfish and spiteful creature, continuing its own existence at the expense of others was always sufficient motivation.
From time to time, Nefastus' attention would fall on a particularly promising life, career, nation or other sign of success. He was obsessed with crushing and ruining anything that showed signs of being good or worthwhile, simply so he could jeer over its failure, insist that nothing was worth caring about, and feed off those who believed him.
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Intimately familiar with mortal and immortal psychology, how to draw upon base instincts and the worst of people, what inspires and what destroys that inspiration.
Social
Contacts & Relations
Uzhul, as a mighty Daemon Prince, knew of Nefastus and sought him out in the Outer Dark. Aside from this, Nefastus had few associates, for even demons shunned him.
Divine Classification
Infernal
Honorary & Occupational Titles
The Old Scorpion, Sorrowsworn
Life
1
2890
2889 years old
Children
Gender
None
Eyes
Pale gray
Hair
None
Height
7'6"
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