Khal

Prince of Gilded Chains

Dominus Khal

"Listen to your dominus, stand up straight, and step back into line. All will be well if you simply do as I ask."
— Dominus Khal

Dominus Khal (pronounced KAWL) was once an imp. He was promoted to the rank of dominus by Archdominus Serallus centuries ago. His devotion to Serallus since his promotion is well documented.

Khal holds domain over complacency, loyalty, obedience, and perfection and lives within the House of the Hand that Feeds. He has also taken the responsibility of maintaining the Diabolic archives to ensure they are organized.

History


Centuries ago, Khal served Imperatrice Lovara as her familiar during her time as legatus of the Order of the Iron Fist. Khal recognized that both he and Lovara were servants of Serallus. This meant that when all was said and done, Khal would serve Serallus above anyone else. Lovara always treated him justly in his mind; Khal believed that this was because of his devotion to serving the Archdominus. Khal had no lofty aspirations or plans to rise above his station; he felt fulfilled serving the Archdominus by providing his legatus with anything she needed.

Khal’s situation changed when he noticed that Lovara was growing soft. Khal knew Serallus would not like this, so he ventured to Diabolis and personally informed Serallus of Lovara's concerning behavior. The Archdominus was justifiably furious at Lovara's actions, and she was banished from the House of the Iron Fist. Her punishment ran into unexpected complications due to Exarch interference, but Khal never expected anything in return and believed that he was simply performing his duty. Serallus, however, recognized Khal’s loyalty and sought to use it as an example.

Serallus promoted Khal to the status of dominus and granted him domains, devil servitors, as well as the power to create his own realm within Diabolis. Khal graciously accepted this boon from Serallus, and he created the House of the Hand that Feeds right beside the House of the Iron Fist.

Dogma


Khal is extremely strict about loyalties. All members of the Khallic faith are expected to know where their priorities fall in terms of loyalty and who they truly serve at the end of the day. Life is full of challenges that can cause one to question their loyalties, so it is important to know who truly matters. It is also important to face those challenges with grace and a smile to demonstrate resilience against any amount of strain life can throw at you.

Relationships


Khal chooses every interaction he makes very carefully. He does not want to be associated with anyone unsavory or anyone his Archdominus would not approve of. If someone wants to be one of Khal’s allies, they must plan to be an ally of Serallus as well.

Friends

Khal’s closest ally is Serallus. Khal is always at Serallus' side whenever and wherever the Archdominus may travel. Khal proudly serves as a scribe, advisor, mediator, and a menagerie of other roles that Serallus requires him to fulfill. Many believe their relationship is more intimate behind closed doors, but neither Serallus nor Khal have confirmed this.

Khal generally tries to find something that he likes about each of his fellow Dominion members to ensure maximum efficiency in the running of Diabolis. With so many strong personalities within the power structure, someone must be willing to look past differences for the sake of keeping the plane running.

Exarch Ensi, Khal, and Nidra keep in regular contact. Since they have similar roles, this trio of gods often swaps organization methods and personal strategies for record keeping for the sake of improving their skill sets.

Enemies

Considering Khal’s philosophy regarding his attitude towards his fellow Dominion members, there is one dominus he cannot bring himself to stomach. Dominus Raglen and Khal have been at each other's throats since Khal was promoted. Before Khal was promoted by Serallus, Raglen ruled over most of the devils in Diabolis by himself. Khal’s promotion meant that there was a new dominus who would rule over the devils. Every interaction between Khal and Raglen is full of condescension and backhanded compliments.

Khal does not get along with the Imperators on the best of days but holds a particular disdain for Lovara due to their history.  He believes her actions were an insult to Serallus and could have tarnished his spotless reputation in Diabolis had Khal not reported her behavior.

Khal and Senna's followers have become enemies. Senna's belief in agency and learning have led her and her followers to be opposed to Khal. Khal believes that Senna seeks to divide his followers and sow doubt in their loyalties.

Anyone that Serallus directly opposes is considered an enemy of Khal. Their cults often work together to take down Serallus' opposition.

Appearance


Khal favors the form of a young Honuan man with pointed ears, fangs, white hair, and red eyes with cat-like pupils. He has a flexible pair of wings on his back that appear as a red leather cloak whilst folded. He has a long scorpion-like tail complete with a venomous stinger at the tip. Khal is a fan of accessorizing any outfit and is insistent that he always look his best regardless of the occasion. His favorite accessory is a golden laurel crown that he wears nearly every day. His fashion tends to lean towards decorated versions of royal servants' attire, such as a gwanbok or livery.

Providence


Khal shows his displeasure through intense feelings of guilt or dread. In more extreme cases, he will cause unbearable stinging pain in the stomach, chest, or head depending on the offense. He is most angered when people betray their superiors.

The feeling of doubt one might experience when they are considering speaking up against someone in power or breaking the rules is believed to be Khal.

When Khal is pleased with someone’s actions, he may pull some strings to give them small strokes of luck. This could be the ability to recall and deliver a message to one’s superiors with clarity or an opportunity to be recognized by your peers as a positive example.

Home


Khal dwells within the House of the Hand that Feeds, an idyllic city with beautiful, symmetrical white buildings. There are scenic gardens, the weather is always pleasant, and anyone you may encounter is extremely welcoming to guests. The streets are lined with propaganda advertisements and assurances that the Dominion has everyone's best interests at heart. Statues depicting Khal or the Archdominus loom over the locals with watchful eyes. Planar travelers that have visited the realm claim that they’ve often heard distant screams, or that the streets sometimes run red with blood, or they’ve seen souls being beaten and tortured in alleyways. The locals never seem to notice or care when these events happen.

Servants


Legions of devils serve Khal with perfect loyalty and obedience; they obey his orders without question and perform them precisely to his standards. Khal has been known to share resources with Serallus when necessity demands it.

Praetors

Astaron

First praetor of Khal, they are a massive, rugged, but very well-dressed titan made of white marble, often depicted with a series of thick, jeweled rings on each finger to give his fists more of an edge.

Ruthix

A devil with a doll-like physique. Her body sports two faces and two pairs of arms; she utilizes this second side of her body to interact with others so that her primary side can continue working.

Xenora

A devil who dresses as a mortal nurse or cleric. Her hands are made of different medical implements; she is so skilled in medical study that she can pinpoint exactly what is wrong with someone simply by looking at them.

Yul

A devil often depicted wearing a butler or maid’s attire. They have no mouth or nose, only eyes and ears. He is believed to move with an unnatural speed, as all tasks they have ever been assigned have been completed to perfection in a matter of seconds.

Religion


Khal’s faithful can be found in highly populated areas, particularly in large cities with notable caste systems. They can be found in each of the Four Nations, the Cryptlands, and in Wasteland settlements along the Grand Raptor Railway.

Worshipers

Khal is popular amongst those in servant positions. Members of the Khallic faith are typically middle class, though members of lower classes are sometimes drawn to the faith with its promises of finding satisfaction in servitude. Typically, they work in public-facing positions or jobs where feeling burnt out and overworked are common factors. Their faith in their dominus helps give them solace and the strength to work beyond their normal means.

Clergy

Where there’s one Khallic cleric, there are bound to be more. Members of the Khallic cult typically travel in groups and rarely spend any time alone. They operate through fronts, often working with larger companies within settlements promising to help staff morale and loyalty. What the employers do not know is that cult members intentionally seek out burnt-out employees and manipulate them into joining the cult. While new followers of the Khallic faith might seem fully recovered from their stress and hesitations about their job, they have solace in knowing that their work is now for a higher purpose.

Cult members may often open the doors of their temples to the disenfranchised and offer them opportunities to get back on their feet. Once they start receiving guests, Khallic clerics will immediately get to work in manipulating the temple’s tenants to their faith. Some might even go so far as to orchestrate further tragedy in the lives of their tenants to push them further along the road to devotion.

Temples and Shrines

Khallic temples are regularly disguised as a different establishment, such as a housing complex, hospital, or charity organization. In locations where fiend worship is more common, the cult does not bother to hide their affiliations. Temples are designed to be symmetrical and easy to navigate. The cult prides itself on efficiency, so temple floor plans should be just as efficient. Temples are constructed out of white stone, such as white marble or alabaster, and decorated with red and gold. Cult members are meticulous with temple upkeep; temples are regularly cleaned inside and out to make them appear more welcoming to outsiders.

Khallic shrines are kept in studies or meeting rooms. They are decorated with offerings of red and white flowers such as amaryllis, alstroemeria, or snapdragons. Other offerings include gold chains, honey, bee’s wings, rubies, white quartz, and citrine.

Holy Texts

Khallic priests keep organized prayer books that are used regularly. These prayer books are often paired with note-taking and stationery equipment to ensure that the contents are organized and easy to navigate.

The Law of Devotion

A Khallic text detailing the cult’s religious dogma, expectations of cult members, their definitions of obedience and loyalty, and what it means to truly serve.

Holidays

Day of Ascendancy

A major Khallic holiday celebrated on the seventh day of Titana, it honors the anniversary of Khal’s ascent to dominus. Any promotions held within the cult are given on this day. The cult celebrates with elegant galas where members are encouraged to dress in their finest attire.

Favored Animals

Khal adores the diligent nature of colony insects such as ants and bees. He favors the honeybee the most due to its essential role as a pollinator.

Organizations


Order of the Hand that Feeds

A dreadknight order that specializes in subterfuge and infiltration.

Symbol

A pair of red hands reaching for a golden crown flanked by white laurels

Deity

Category
Devil
Dominion

Titles
Dominus of the Hand that Feeds
Caress of Complacency
Prince of Gilded Chains
Servant to the Great
Voice of the Flock

Follower Demonym
Khallic

Realm
House of the Hand that Feeds, Diabolis

Areas of Concern
Complacency
Loyalty
Obedience
Perfection

Edicts
Show subservience to your betters
Speak with refinement
Pursue perfection in your surroundings

Anathema
Break a contract you have made
Act above your station
Fail to work towards goals

Sacred Colors
Gold
Red
White

Sacred Animal
Bee

Clergy

Sanctification
Unholy

Domains
Glyph
Perfection
Secrecy
Toil
Tyranny

Divine Font
Heal

Favored Weapon
Main Gauche

Skill
Diplomacy

Ability
Charisma
Wisdom

Spells
Rank 1 - Phantasmal Minion
Rank 2 - Pack Attack
Rank 3 - Veil of Privacy
Rank 4 - Honeyed Words
Rank 5 - Telepathic Bond
Rank 6 - Aura of the Unremarkable
Rank 7 - Contingency
Rank 8 - Disappearance
Rank 9 - Power Word Kill

Affiliations

Organizations
Dominion
Order of the Hand that Feeds

Associated Entities
Ensi
Nidra
Serallus
Varal

Opposed Entities
Hikuni
Lovara
Olah
Raglen
Senna
Tamiios
Treald
Ullith

Physical Description

Ancestry
Devil

Pronouns
He/Him

Height
5'1" (155 cm)

Hair Color
White

Eye Color
Red

Religions
Species
Children
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations

Character Portrait image: by ElenaA

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