The Past and Present

The fall of Aroden was almost like the omen of ill-fate to come. The Age of Darkness was purified, the Demon Lord defeated, and an age never before seen for humanity was around the corner with his return. Yet, as the people panicked at the death of a God, it lead to strings of events foreboading the end of things in the future... though that time has not yet come to pass. And if anything, a man like Devros Sunbane will try his upmost to help prevent that future as well.
 
Devros was born not out of love, but by the cruel twist of fate brainwashing his parents into something irreversible. His parents were some of the most devout worshipers of Aroden, young and in love as they were barely 20 years old before the death of Aroden was realized. For the next couple of decades, they held out hope that the truth was a mere lie. They joined groups, held meetings, did what they could from scrounging old texts to performing ancient rituals with the group they had formed in a vain attempt to bring back the dead God. It was around this time that his parents and their group came upon a charming woman with rumored ancient texts made for bringing back Gods.
 
The woman's name was Dolly Winslow, with a piercing gaze that made it seem like she was looking right through you, and a gentle caress as though you were her lover. She had managed to convince the group that not only was the ritual she had perfect for summoning a God, but that they were be the harbringers of a new age to restore the Age of Glory. Despite a select few of the group holding back their suspicions, all agreed to follow the woman as she willingly handed over the text. However, when it was discovered that the text was written in some foreign language, Dolly offered to help translate and to help with the ritual. Of course, it all had to be done in secret, with as few people knowing as possible as Dolly worked with Devros's parents to send people out to fetch ingredients.
 
Of course it took some time for all the ingredients to be held, to carve out a cave made for the ritual in the outskirts of Absalom, far beyond the nearby towns and close to the north. There everything was to be set up perfectly, with Devros's mother having the perfect position of the most important ingredient... the building of a pure soul... When the time came for the ritual, a hundred individuals, including Devros's parents and Dolly Winslow were in attendence as, if not for the blind fanaticism, people might have noticed the crazed looks in the eyes of the two people following Dolly. Devros's mother was layed on a table, with Devros's father beginning the ritual as the rest of the followers began a chant... before Dolly seemed to be mysteriously missing...
 
However, the ritual was interrupted by the Starwatch. They stormed the area as they seemed keen on stopping the ritual. The worshippers slaughtered despite men simply trying to protect themselves as Devros's father attempted to complete the ritual then and there, but was slain before the dagger he held pierced his own wife. As it turned out, the ritual was to bring back a God... but not Aroden. The ritual was to call forth the Demon Lord Asmodeus, to create a claim within the material plane himself as the unborn child that was Devros was to be his vessel to grow into a powerful threat of the future. But with the halt of the ritual, Asmodeus couldn't be summoned, though the taint of his dark power still had an effect as it twisted the child within his mother's womb.
 
As a result, Devros's birth was instead within a cell of Absalom. Kept with his mother so that he would not perish immediately as her own broken mind and delusions saw nothing wrong with her own deformed child. Yet as he grew up, he was pulled from her arms and sent to the local orphanage, located within Eastgate. There, Devros learned the cruelty of society as he was treated as some sort of blight or curse upon the land because of the fall of Aroden. He was bullied by the kids around him and most adults as well as Devros held man beliefs that he himself did not deserve his own life as he grew up nervous and skittish. However, one of the few people who did not shy away from him or look at him with disgust was Sister Magdelon.
 
Sister Magdelon was a former worshiper of Aroden who switched religions to start following the Goddess Sarenrae. Despite the demonic appearance of the child, she became the mother Devros never had as he was made to follow the woman to church every other day, to pray for forgiveness and to seek compassion in his enemies. Though the light of faith shone down on Sister Magdelon, it never seemed to shine down on Devros despite his consistent worship. It wasn't until he was older however that he learn from a priest of the faith the reason why Sarenrae's light never shone on him. Within Devros was an evil that was clung to his soul. It coiled around him like a serpent as the touch of Sarenrae's light would both purify the creature, but lead to the burning of his own soul. Thus, to keep such a devout follower safe, she refused his light upon him. However, though he may not shine in the light, he could still use his powers to help the other followers of Sarenrae...
 
Over the next several decades, Devros started to both learn to harness the power within himself as well as to help the community around him. Despite the foul and frankly intimidating visage of Devros, the nervous, kind-hearted soul underneath shines best as he helps those from the local children to the elderly. His body forged for work as his strength soared from daily labor. With his talks with the priest and Sister Magdelon, now an old and respected member within the churc, he was to go out into the larger world to both grow his power and to spread the word of Sarenrae, in the hopes that others may seek redemption. As such, Devros left the community he grew up with and made his way out into the larger world beyond Absalom, sure that he may return one day with good news... or that he may find a place to finally settle that makes him happy...