Background.
Embraced by the Abyss:
Born in 5103 TW in the shadowy city-state of Vaulriek, Astaroth Vaul'Urithair'Arcaine was the firstborn child of Ilthicess Lenith Vaul'Urithair and Grand-master
Eldrian Vaul'Arcaine of Nal Il'ron'dii Arcaine. Rather than joy, his birth sparked bitter disappointment; Lenith desperately sought a female heir. Despite the birth of his twin sister, Lethis, moments after him—who ultimately became heir—Astaroth forever symbolized his mother’s unmet expectations and perceived failure.
His childhood was devoid of warmth, defined by relentless discipline under the oppressive watch of Haelbryn, his ruthless
Arachne governess. She drilled him endlessly in the harsh customs, warfare, and intricate politics of House Arcaine, forcing him to observe Lenith’s dealings with court petitions, diplomacy, and governance. Each new cycle, Lenith tested her children’s progress rigorously; even minor mistakes brought swift, severe punishment—beatings, starvation, isolation, or worse. Lenith aimed to systematically break their spirits, reshaping them into obedient instruments under her complete control.
When Astaroth was just six, he failed to recite the lineage of the Urithair rulers flawlessly. Believing his close bond with his childhood playmates made him weak, Lenith cruelly forced him to witness their execution. The trauma inflicted by this event left permanent emotional scars, instilling profound struggles with attachment, vulnerability, and self-loathing—though he hid these feelings deeply beneath layers of cold detachment and bitterness. Lenith soon personally chose his new companions, notably selecting Rei'skaana, daughter of governess Haelbryn. Rei'skaana initially represented another carefully calculated method of control by Lenith. However, over time, a genuine friendship blossomed between Rei'skaana and Astaroth. Rei’s warmth, sharp wit, and fierce resilience complemented Astaroth’s aloof exterior, quietly nurturing his buried empathy. Despite his emotional walls, Astaroth secretly valued Rei'skaana’s company, though he feared forming attachments that Lenith might exploit once again.
Contrasting sharply with Lenith’s cold strategy, Eldrian saw potential in his son—latent martial prowess he felt must be honed. Eldrian, quietly defying Lenith’s wishes, placed Astaroth under intense and brutal tutelage by renowned swordmasters. The training was ruthless, breaking bones and spilling blood, yet Astaroth rapidly distinguished himself as an extraordinary swordsman. He surpassed all his mentors, save one: the enigmatic Barish Lough'na, whom Astaroth deeply respected and called “Master.” Eldrian, however, remained convinced that even greater strength lay untapped within his son—a suspicion soon proven horrifyingly accurate.
The Awakening (5113 TW):
At the age of ten, Astaroth and Lethis underwent the sacred Nal Ul'gro'mar ritual, an ancestral tradition honoring their legendary forebear Queen Nefraijat. The siblings were submerged in the black, inky waters dedicated to the Abyssal Goddess
Aulreth until they nearly drowned. This ceremony—usually symbolic and safely controlled—went terrifyingly wrong. Both siblings emerged barely alive and slipped into unconsciousness, remaining unresponsive for several days.
At first, they seemed miraculously unharmed—until, on the third night, Haelbryn awoke to Astaroth’s agonized screams. Upon entering his chamber, she was horrified to see black ichor seeping from his eyes, now empty pools of void. Soon after, Lethis exhibited identical symptoms. Lenith urgently summoned physicians, apothecaries, and court wizards, desperate to conceal this frightening event from outsiders. However, Eldrian silently recognized their condition: Vess'Orndii—the Abyssal "Awakening"—a phenomenon binding one's soul halfway into the Abyss, granting terrible, uncontrollable powers at the expense of profound emotional and physical suffering.
A Curse or a Blessing?
Rather than continue with futile treatments, Eldrian secretly brought forth Vaulriek’s high priestess, Ellarianh Dran'Arcaine, who herself had endured and survived the Awakening. She confirmed their irrevocable connection to the Abyss, an event she revered not as a curse, but as a rare blessing by
Aulreth herself.
However, this "blessing" forever changed Astaroth and Lethis. They grew emotionally distant, solemn, almost numb—losing much of their former vibrancy and warmth. Their younger siblings (Vaulroth, Despeth, and Adura) began actively avoiding them, playing cruel pranks, and mocking them for their unsettling nature. Vaulroth especially, once close to his elder brother, began openly scorning Astaroth, bitterly jealous of the growing strength and notoriety Astaroth gained despite his unsettling affliction. The emotional chasm widened irreparably, creating lasting estrangement and bitterness within the family.
Despite frantic efforts from court mages to control their rapidly escalating Abyssal abilities, progress was dangerously slow—until Lenith received a troublingly cryptic missive from distant
Phyraxgia. The mysterious Itholren of Nal Il'ron'dii offered assistance through the enigmatic dark mage Semiramis Pharaekh, an Abyssal sorceress from
Sinyda'phraxx. How the Itholren had learned of the siblings’ secret affliction remained alarmingly unclear, as Lenith and Eldrian had taken pains to hide the event from prying eyes.
Semiramis’ price was cryptically ominous: a vague debt to be collected at a time and manner solely of her choosing. Left with no alternative, Lenith reluctantly agreed, unaware of what future payment this pact would demand.
Under Semiramis’ rigorous tutelage, Astaroth and Lethis learned to control their terrifying Abyssal powers—albeit at significant personal cost. Semiramis’ lessons were harsh, uncompromising, and emotionally scarring, further deepening Astaroth’s sense of isolation and distrust. Yet, she succeeded where others failed, granting Astaroth a fragile mastery over his abilities, and firmly shaping him into a formidable—but tormented—warrior.
Throughout these difficult years, Rei'skaana remained quietly steadfast beside Astaroth, offering subtle comfort and stability amidst chaos. Though he rarely showed it outwardly, Astaroth deeply cherished her loyalty—one of the few true emotional connections he'd allow himself to keep.
This relentless upbringing forged Astaroth into a complex figure: outwardly cold, brooding, and seemingly devoid of empathy; internally haunted by trauma, guilt, and self-hatred. Beneath his hard exterior simmered profound anger at the injustices he endured, yet also hidden compassion, loyalty, and fierce protectiveness toward the few souls who earned his guarded trust—his sister Lethis and Rei’skaana chief among them.
Thus shaped by cruelty, betrayal, and secret kindness, Astaroth emerged from childhood as a man determined to carve his own path—a defiant warrior defined not by family or tradition, but by his unyielding resolve and the darkness he embraced within.
The Blade Without Joy
As Astaroth emerged from childhood into adolescence, the changes wrought by the Vess’Orndii had taken hold not only of his powers, but of his very sense of self. Detached and emotionally dulled by the Awakening, he had become a quiet, brooding presence in the halls of Vaul’riek—observing more than speaking, enduring more than expressing. The once impulsive and eager boy now moved through life as if encased in ice, scarred by loss, cruelty, and transformation.
But even the coldest blade must be tempered.
During this period, Semiramis Pharaekh, the Phyraxgian mage who had trained him and Lethis after their Awakening, returned unexpectedly to claim the debt owed to her by House Arcaine. She arrived not for further lessons, but to settle a cryptic bargain struck years ago—a pact whispered in shadows and inked in silence.
Her price was simple in wording, complex in consequence:
“When the time is right, I will collect what is mine.”
That time had come. She informed Lenith—coldly and with theatrical finality—that Astaroth would be paired with her daughter, the Phyraxgian sorceress Varjjiah.
Lenith, incensed but bound by her own signature, could do nothing. The arrangement was not negotiable.
Astaroth, upon learning of this betrothal, said little. But inside, he was bitter and furious—yet not surprised. His entire life had been shaped by others’ ambitions. Still, it stung that Semiramis, the only teacher who ever helped him master his chaotic power, had delivered him back into the role of pawn.
Varjjiah herself was no more pleased. An apathetic and reclusive scholar, she viewed social customs and romantic pairings as irrelevant distractions. She preferred dusty tomes and silence to people, and certainly had no desire to be attached to a sullen Abyss-touched warrior with a temper. Their first meeting was brief and frosted with disdain—two minds too sharp and too wounded to tolerate each other, let alone bond.
But beneath that disdain was a spark of reluctant understanding. They recognized something in each other—an unwillingness to be used, and the silent grief of those shaped by forces beyond their control.
Fractures of the House
This unwanted arrangement only added fuel to the fire smoldering between Astaroth and his mother.
For years, Lenith had sought to bring him into her political schemes, offering him a string of carefully selected marriage candidates—each promising alliances and influence. Each one was rejected. Not out of petulance, but from an unyielding refusal to be controlled. The more she tried to shape his path, the more fiercely he resisted.
He refused her plans. He refused her rule. He refused to become what she demanded.
The final break came shortly after Semiramis’ declaration. Lenith, humiliated and enraged by the deal being called in under her roof—and by Astaroth's continued defiance—cast him out of Vaul’riek.
It was meant to disgrace him. To make him crawl back.
But to Astaroth, exile was liberation.
The Templar Vow
With no ties remaining—save for his sister Lethis, and the quiet companionship of Rei’skaana—Astaroth turned to the only path that was his own.
Acting on an old suggestion from his father, Eldrian, he journeyed to the Temple of the Seven Signs, where he swore the sacred Ga’hensaar—an unbreakable oath binding him to the service of
Aulreth, the Abyssal Goddess.
This was no ceremonial commitment. Once the vow is taken, the soul belongs to the Temple until its purpose is fulfilled. It cannot be broken, even in death.
Inducted into the Temple’s feared Mysitra Order, Astaroth underwent rigorous spiritual and martial training, enduring rites that tested the mind, body, and soul. Unlike the cruel regimens of his youth, the Templar trials were a crucible of transformation, forcing him to confront his inner darkness rather than be consumed by it.
The Tournaments
Even before his exile, Astaroth had begun rebelling in subtler ways—sneaking into combat tournaments across
The Sunless Realms under false names and crude disguises. Forbidden from participating in any form of public violence that could “tarnish” his noble image, he instead masqueraded as a mercenary, a no-name blade-for-hire.
He reveled in the humiliation of prideful highborn warriors—striking them down with half-effort and icy contempt. The crowd rarely knew who he was, but whispers followed him from pit to pit. He gained a quiet infamy among the underground arenas.
His disdain for opponents, grown from his own self-loathing, became performance art. He rarely took opponents seriously, often toying with them before ending matches in sudden, devastating bursts of power.
“You’re not worth the full effort. Just enough to hurt.”
But even in victory, he felt nothing. There was no thrill, no pride. The bloodshed, the dominance, the cheers—they echoed hollow in his ears. The sensation of power, fleeting as it was, brought the briefest flicker of feeling—but it was never enough. He chased it like a dying man seeks air, always left more empty.
His most infamous match was against his own brother, Vaulroth, in an unsanctioned duel. The bout was brutal, personal, and public. Astaroth defeated him cleanly—and coldly. Vaulroth, humiliated before peers and rivals alike, never forgave him. The last threads of brotherhood between them were severed on that blood-soaked floor.
From that day forward, the Arcaine siblings ceased being kin. They became rivals. Enemies. Strangers bound by blood and bitterness.
Present Day
Astaroth now serves as a Templar of the Abyss, roaming the breadth of the Imperium with his Mysitra brethren.
He is currently stationed in the outer reaches of the city-state of Rie’shae, tasked with investigating the growing Charnelite threat festering in the ruins and depths beyond civilized reach.
He is still the Abyss Knight—exiled son, scorned noble, wayward weapon.
But he is no longer without purpose.
He may not yet know what he is destined to become.
But for once in his life, the choice will be his.
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