Pyrebind
Overview
Pyrebind are meticulous magistrates and shrewd planar traders, masters of infernal magic, and skilled at binding powerful servants through carefully worded contracts or profane rituals. The diabolists of Cruxis are valued for their proficiency in maintaining order within the city, managing disputes and maintaining an equilibrium among the often conflicting Bloodlines. Their lawful nature is oftentimes seen as a guise for the calculative and self-serving maneuvers they employ to maintain their position and power.
SummaryDetails
Origins
The Pyrebind Bloodline traces its roots back to Pyrebind himself, one of few sorcerers who walked the perilous path of infernal magic and won. Noted for his exceptional wit and cunning, Pyrebind is rumored to have struck pacts with the lords of the Nine Hells, gaining the ability to draw on their power and bend the dwellers of the lower planes to his will. The covenant he carved upon his own soul indebted his Bloodline forever: a lineage of tieflings embracing the devil's due, combining lawful order with ruthless self-interest. A significant event in the Bloodline's history was the sorcerers' flight to the north, culminating in the founding of Cruxis. Pyrebind, alongside six other powerful sorcerers, broke the chains of Lahrsted and embarked on a voyage to form a sanctuary where magic wouldn't be feared but revered. From this defiance, the devil-blooded sorcerers found a new home where they could practice their trade unchallenged and shape the world around them.
Motivations and Goals
The Pyrebind Bloodline is driven by a ceaseless desire to maintain control, both within their bloodline and over the entities they bind. Their magic is a tool, an extension of their will, allowing them to maintain a rigid order and exploit infernal resources for personal and House Magia's gain. They are shrewd negotiators and ruthless exploiters, and their intricate knowledge of the outer planes allows them to outwit and manipulate both otherworldly beings and their fellow sorcerers. The Pyrebinds' ultimate goal is to sustain and expand their power and lifespan, ensuring their influence within Cruxis remains substantial. They view their trading and trafficking of extraplanar entities as a necessary evil, an integral part of maintaining the equilibrium and prosperity of Cruxis.
With their souls earmarked for Hell from birth through their forefather's pacts, the scions of Pyrebind weild infernal contracts as the lynchpin of their power and survival. Every tiefling learns from youth that they are irremediably bound for an eternity of torment unless they can damn other souls in exchange of their own. To that end, Infernal sorcerers wield contracts as deftly as other magicians wield spells—each a meticulously crafted snare to capture the souls of the unwitting or desperate. Cunning manipulation is the preferred method, offering illusory gains for irreversible losses—though a weaker willed Pyrebind seizing a soul by force to stave off their damnation's deadline is not unheard of. While fellow Cruxis sorcerers tread cautiously around these dark dealings, House Magia itself sanctions the practice: condemned criminals who are not raised into undeath by Thanat are often turned to Pyrebind instead, becoming tributes to garner the favors of Hell. Thus, each contract penned and each soul wrested not only expands Pyrebind influence but also fortifies House Magia entire.
Role Within Magia
Within House Magia, Pyrebind serves as meticulous magistrates and proficient negotiators, crucial to maintaining harmony among the varying bloodlines. They manage disputes and disagreements with a cool head and an iron hand, utilizing their comprehensive knowledge of the law and their mastery over infernal contracts. This enables them to exert significant control over Cruxis's internal affairs, a role they relish and skillfully navigate. Pyrebind also plays a pivotal role in planar trade and commerce. While they maintain deferential relations with Hell itself, even serving fiends as enforcers or agents on the material plane, they consider all other planes fair game to raid and pillage without remorse. Their ability to bind outsiders into servitude, coupled with their talent for extracting beneficial agreements from the denizens of other planes, makes them indispensable for securing extraplanar resources.
Values and Beliefs
The Pyrebind Bloodline believes in strict order and hierarchy and do not shy away from using manipulation, coercion, or outright force to maintain it. To them, power is the ultimate law, and they are willing to tread upon darker paths and broker dangerous deals to acquire it. Pyrebinds hold a unique view of outsiders, seeing them as tools to be used and controlled. They believe in a strict divide between the summoner and the summoned, asserting dominance and superiority over these beings. The exceptions are devils, with whom they share a begrudging respect, acknowledging them as equals and deserving of rights. Despite their ruthless approach to power, the Pyrebinds have a pragmatic understanding of the need for cooperation. They acknowledge the necessity of maintaining a balance within House Magia, understanding that their survival and power rely on the stability of Cruxis and the combined strength of all bloodlines. They are deeply loyal to their city, although this loyalty is primarily driven by self-interest rather than a sense of communal duty.
Leadership
Pyrebind's leadership, known as the Tribunal, mirrors the devilish hierarchy, reflecting the bloodline's commitment to order and balance. Composed of the bloodline's Infernal Sovereign and two Archdukes/Duchesses, The Tribunal signifies a measured governance where the Sovereign, chosen based on arcane mastery, diplomatic skills, and contract enforcement, doesn't possess absolute power but collaborates with the Archdukes/Duchesses in managing the bloodline's affairs. These leaders are selected through trials testing their understanding of extraplanar entities, proficiency in planar bindings, and negotiation of infernal contracts, underlining both their individual power and adherence to Pyrebind ethos.
Infernal Sovereign Valera Pyrebind, distinguished for her shrewd intellect and adeptness in managing infernal contracts and politics, currently leads Pyrebind. Notoriously diplomatic and strategic, Valera diverges from her ancestors' path of rash tyranny, guiding the bloodline and House Magia with calculated moves and alliances, ensuring the long-term stability of Pyrebind and Cruxis. Archduke Severus Pyrebind, Valera's right hand and a master diabolist, upholds the bloodline's contracts, bindings and services throughout Cruxis and beyond. Meanwhile, Archduchess Luciana Pyrebind, Valera's left hand and daughter, manages Pyrebind's extraplanar ventures. While she viciously oversees raids, imports, and the trade of captured outsiders, Luciana subtly positions herself as a potent contender for her mother's rule. Together, they represent the two sides of the Pyrebind coin – the devil's order and the devil's due. Amid House Magia's incessant rivalries, Valera has managed to ensure the continued prominence of the Pyrebind Bloodline. Her leadership style embodies the essence of the Pyrebinds – ruthless yet law-abiding, power-hungry yet balanced, all while retaining an iron grip on the world's most volatile and powerful creatures.
Care to not let your oaths betray each other till there’s nothing left to keep.
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