When giving lectures on we call the Archdemon "species," I am often asked why it is that their forms vary so widely. In truth, they do not. While it is true that there are variances in form, these are mostly minor variations. What are the differences between a Zag'durin and a KargachArchdemon, for example? It is a matter of tiny things, like horns or no horns, wings or no wings, or the color of their skin, hair and eyes. All of that being said, there is a single glaring exception, which raises the question:

How do we explain the Kodesters?

— Oriana Tansea, "The History and Biology of the Archdemon"
 

Overview

A close-up of Maelis Kodester in his small basal form.

In the frozen southern reaches of Incaendium, where the mountains reach beyond the clouds, there is a cluster of black towers inhabited by the remnants of a once plentiful Demon Race Subline, the Drereccas.

Though relatively weak in their basal form - and few in number due to past exploitation, the survivors have made it thus far for one reason: They live in the shadow of Maelis Kodester.

When first encountering Maelis, his moniker - and the credit given to him for saving the Drereccas - may seem inappropriate... for he looks more like a pet than a beast. But as the saying goes, looks are deceiving. For beneath his adorable, stuffed-animal-like exterior, lies one of the most powerful archdemons in the world.

The first among Siv-Drereccasi... The Black Beast of Ryul.

History & Status

Maelis was born the third son of a third wave of colony births in Ryul. Maelis' mother, Rarassa Kodester, was considered the leader of Ryul at that time, being just within the lower limits of strength necessary to be considered an archdemon. The family, and their territory, were sworn vassals of the Imperator, Bellos Nykythan, the Dominus Regas of Siku. Being perhaps the most talented of her offspring, Maelis quickly became Rarassa's favored heir.

Gabriel's Notebook

I've never met Maelis, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. It does kind of sound like it's for the best.. demon lord that devours everything in sight and all of that. But at the same time, Cain and Grigorius tell me he looks like a wicked kitten, and it's really tough not to want to see that for myself.

The biggest issue is, even if he's evil... wouldn't I want to pet him?

It's a problem, I know!

Gabriel

As her favorite, Maelis was among those Rarassa took with her when Nykythan called the House of Kodester - and the Drereccas as a whole - to serve in the The Three Cycle War, which had recently been declared. At the time, the decision was controversial as the Drereccas were not known for their extraordinary power; Imperator Bellos Nykythan swore that they would be permitted to serve as support - with the exception of the Kodesters who, as Siv-Drereccasi, were considered among the most powerful lines in Incaendium.

It became quickly evident that this promise was a lie, as the Drereccas were invariably put on the frontlines to serve as cannon fodder for those subjects in whom Nykythan found more value.

Alteration of the Cycle

Over the course of the Three Cycle War, Rarassa and her chosen children fought at the frontlines on Lord Nykythan's side, tearing through the enemies of his rule. However, years of watching their Kinlings used as pawns and cannonfodder - thousands of Drereccas being overrun by the stronger forces behind Abrazus Zozket's grasp for power - began to wear on Maelis. This caused a fissure between Rarassa and Maelis with Rarassa choosing to maintain her loyalty to Nykythan , while Maelis defected to the challengers, joining Baehar, Amaya, Kinat and Elhare.

Rarassa had feared the consequences of turning on the Imperator when he won against his challenger... but in the end, Nykythan fell. Maelis' wager paid off.

What's In A Name?

Ephithets

Black Beast of Ryul
Maelis' most typical epithet, used by allies and academics.

Black Fiend of Ryul
A derotagory name given to him by enemies and people who don't respect Drereccas.

Great Shield of the Kinling
The name given to him by his people, who see him as their salvation and their guardian.

Nicknames

MayMay
A nickname imposed on him by Asmodeus Zanedine. It makes Maelis growl.

At the conclusion of war, after the fall of the Nykythans (see: Dead Houses), Siku was absorbed into Baehar and a new Imperator - Abrazas Zozoket - came to power, Maelis returned to Ryul... without Rarassa. According to Maelis, Rarassa had been killed in battle, though there are numerous rumors that the battle in question was with Maelis himself. Whether or not that is the case, Maelis had seemingly grown significantly stronger, by then.

The Beast & Shield

Taking the position of Head of The Kodesters, Maelis established not just Ryul, but his home (Miurmar Castle) as a safe haven for the surviving Drereccas, thus earning his reputation among them as the Great Shield of the Kinling. Living among his own, he never chose a true mate, but did manage to sire a number of offspring as well.

Outside Ryul, his reputation is not nearly so kind, as Maelis proved a ruthless - and merciless - enemy, devouring any who dared challenge him, earning him the less affectionate moniker, The Black Fiend of Ryul.

Centuries later, when Gorgo Asther had fallen and his son Samael Asther became the aggressor in another (even longer) war of conquest, The Endless War, Maelis' old ally, Imperator Zozket, demanded that he provide assistance to resist the onslaught of the Wisemen.

Maelis responded by devouring every envoy the (then) Imperator sent.

Eventually, Abrazus himself came to demand support. Maelis agreed, and then promptly contacted Samael Asther for a treaty of non-aggression, permitting the Crimson Legion to back Baehar's forces into a trap. The ensuing battle destroyed most of Baehar's forces, and permitted Samael to drain the Lumen from Abrazus, resulting in the fall of the old Imperator and the rise of the new.

Status Quo

Maelis' basal form is especially small, even for a Drereccas, and resembles a cat-raccoon hybrid.

To this day, Maelis remains allied with Amaya. To maintain their diplomatic ties, he ventures there at minimum every decade or so for the Luto's Gambit celebration.

This has also allowed him to establish additional diplomatic ties, including a particularly strong alliance with Hollow's Thaciona Sengiver.

Maelis and Thaciona have sworn to defend one another in the event that another power struggle breaks out between Samael and whatever-usurper-may come... and to resist Samael should he demand that they join the war as his predecessors had done.

This, they believe, is the only possible way to resist the sheer power of Amaya and its lord.

This is hypothetical, however, as Amaya, Hollow and Ryul currently remain on good terms.

Psychology

Despite his non-humanoid form, Maelis is every bit the cunning demon that one might expect from one of the most powerful beings in Incaendium. Indeed, his ruthlessness, destructive tendencies and unending appetite has earned him a reputation as a foe very few would wish to make. His role in the downfall of the previous Imperator only affirms this reputation: no one has forgotten that he was sworn to Zozket's service when Zozket fell, just as he had been to Bellos Nykythan at the time of his death.

Maelis after a small meal.

Maelis is aware of this, and prone to playing up his own treacherous image. He is also very aware that his stature - and his general appearance, not to mention his Drereccas lineage, will tend to make others underestimate him. This is suitable as far as he's concerned, and he enjoys playing into the prejudices and assumptions of others almost as much as he enjoys devouring them whole when he's reached the limits of his patience.

All of that said, Maelis does have a single loyalty to which he is wholly devoted: his loyalty to the Drereccas themselves. After having seen his people used as cannonfodder by more powerful Demons, he came to realize how little other species care about those who differ from them to the degree that the Drereccas do, and as such he has developed a distaste for most other subspecies, and distrust of all those outside his kind. Of all those outsiders he has dealt with in the past, he can only just begin to trust Samael Asther and Thaciona Sengiver... and in the former case, he maintains enough skepticism to have already formed a plan of resistance if Samael were to betray their non-aggression pact.

On a personal level, Maelis is extremely hungry... all the time. This applies in nearly every facet of his life: as a creature of gluttony, Maelis is constantly physically hungry and highly food-motivated... or "food" motivated as the case may be (see below). He is also hungry for attention, for power, for respect. ...particularly for attention. This sometimes fuels his behavior in ways that make him seem quite narcissistic, though in actuality he isn't... quite that.

Aside from being paranoid, calculating and highly skeptical of others' motives, Maelis is - to put it bluntly - dramatic. From the loud, high-pitched and freneticly paced speech patterns he exhibits in his base form to the ear-shattering roars of his final form, he enjoys making an impression. At times, he will delay his entrance into battle until he finds a suitably glorious moment in which to present himself.

Finally, Maelis keeps pets. Unfortunately, these are actually other sentient creatures with more humanoid forms.

Presentation

Maelis in an interim-form during a visit to Amaya for Luto's Gambit.

In his base form, Maelis is an approximately 11 inch tall animal-like creature resembling some sort of cat-raccoon hybrid, perhaps with a bit of bear thrown in. In this base from, he has short, stubby limbs, a small body and a large head. He is covered in fur - mostly black with a white mask around his eyes and onto his muzzle and the sides of his face. His paws are slightly lighter in color than the rest of his fur, but not as light as his face. He also has a fluffy, raccoon-like ringed tail.

As Maelis consumes his "food," his body immediately converts it to both energy and mass. His grows in size and changes form, becoming increasingly leonine. The light fur is swallowed by the increasing black fur, and he sprouts a substantial mane while the fur of his tail appears shorter as it does not grow at the same pace as the remainder of him.

When he reaches his strongest form - his "final" form, one might say - he appears as a massive lion-like demon standing approximately 90 feet tall and 270 feet long (not counting the tail)

In all forms, Maelis has a mouth full of exceptionally sharp teeth not unlike those of a shark. He also has red eyes that glow as though aflame. His expression can be quite manic, as well.

Social Inventory

Maelis approaches his final form.
Family

Maelis does not know, nor has he ever known, his father or his father's identity - or even whether he remains alive. He was raised among dozens of brothers and sisters by his mother Rarassa... but after the Three-Cycle War very few of his blood relatives remained.

He has never taken a true mate, but he does have any number of children.

Friends & Allies

Being somewhat distrustful of other demons after being betrayed by both Bellos Nykythan and Abrazus Zozket, Maelis maintains emotional distance from those in a position of power over him. That said, he is practical enough to understand the value of maintaining ties with Samael Asther, and he does trust Samael somewhat more than Nykythan or Zozket because Asther never demanded that he or the Drereccas actually involve themselves in the fight - only that they stay out of it.

That said, his closest and most trusted ally outside of his own people is Thaciona Sengiver

Shitlist

Abrazus Zozket (would be an enemy if he weren't so diminished

Pets

Various humans, and low-powered Celestials and Demons

 

Ability Inventory

Maelis's Final Form, the Black Beast of Ryul, towers over a fleeing human.
Physical

Maelis is a creature born of and "representing" gluttony, and as such it is unsurprising that he is always "hungry..." though what hunger means to Maelis is not always coincident with what it means to others. While Maelis does enjoy a good meal, his way of feeding is both more "flexible" and more demanding than that of most beings. In short, he can devour anything - animals, energy, objects both organic and inorganic. The energy created from those things he has consumed is then converted into mass by his body.

Of course, Maelis' physical power increases as his size increases as well, with his final form being among the most physically powerful demons - or even archdemons - in Empirica Sin.

When at full strength, Maelis can take any previous form along the way to his infernal lion form. The smaller the form, the less energy it uses. When in a more powerful form, expended energy eventually causes his form to revert and he must consume more energy to maintain his larger frame.

In every form, Maelis has razor sharp teeth as strong as reinforced steel and jaw strength that permits him to bite through metal. He also has similarly dangerous claws on all four of his feet. Both teeth and claws grow in length, and thus lethality, as his body grows.

His tail is fully prehensile and can be used as an additional limb.

Trivia Moment!

All demons are born with bits of the emotions, fears, dreams, etc of Celestials and Mortals woven into their being. In most cases, this doesn't to much other than make them slightly unnerving to Celestials and Mortals, but some have a stronger connection to that side of their nature than others, and this connection may shape their abilities.

In Maelis's case, he is strongly aligned with gluttony.

Magic

A powerful Void Dancer, Maelis has a natural talent for the External War, Learning/Communication, Deconstruction, and Black Magic spheres. He is highly skilled, particularly in destructive magics - and his durability, and thus his ability to properly channel Void Energy varies with his active form. By his final form, his abilities could be considered catastrophic for the area where he happens to be.

He is also skilled at transportation magics, and will often appear or disappear into tunnels summoned to bridge the space between one area and another.

Psionics

While not an overwhelming talent in the use of Od, Maelis does have a talent for Extra-sensory and Metabolisic abilities. These are used to enhave his already impressive abilities in the sensory and physical realms.

Elemental

Maelis is aligned with Earth elementalism at a high level, That said, most of his uses of Earth elementalism are less aggressive than practical - he uses it to keep the land around the Miurmarju Mountains fertile, and to help shape the mountains' interiors to benefit expansion of Miurmar Castle.

General Combat Style

A close-up of Maelis Kodester in his final form.

Unsurprisingly, Maelis in combat is quite a vicious sight... though the impression left will vary greatly depending on his size, as will the specifics of his actions. In his smallest form, he will bite and slash out throats. In his Black Beast form, he will bite people in half or cut through them with his immense paws. He may crush them, throw them around with a swipe of his tail, etc.

Aside from his physical power, his magic is an excellent addition to his combat abilities - he will use his black magic to manipulate and soldify shadow, or his purely destructive magic for classic manifestations such as fireballs or missile attacks.

Threat Assessment

Of course, the threat posed by Maelis Kodester will depend strongly on his form at any given time. In his base form, you could consider him Vaham for the most part - certainly stronger than one would expect from his appearance but nothing overwhelming.

However, in his final form... his intelligence, overwhelming physical strength and mastery of destructive magic and enhancing psionic abilities makes him far more formidable. Bearing that in mind, and considering his ability to make others underestimate him, as well as his ruthlessness and intelligence...

Maelis Kodester is considered a Vallus+ level threat.