The Enslaver of the Nine Circles
Divine Enslaver
a.k.a Divine Enslaver
"There are beautiful things in the deepest and darkest of places. Wonders in the the Hells that make the darkness bearable."
HISTORY
While violence and hatred are not foreign to the Ma'ab, it seems to be the very lifeblood of the Divine Enslaver. While powerful and cunning, she is most known among her own people for her bloodlust, a savage and barbaric individual that seems to fluctuate between revelling in hedonistic delights and simmering in rage when denied the opportunity to indulge herself. Many believe she has always been this way. Such people go so far as to suggest that during the early stages of the revolt, she was in it more for herself than for the cause of her people.
Such hushed rumors have swirled around the Divine Enslaver ever since her Ascension because she chose a path to power not trod by any of the others: the Fourth among the Ascended reached beyond the Greylands to bargain with Infernal entities.
While the Prime respected her, she never granted the Enslaver a full measure of trust. Concerns of divided loyalties and the possibility of double-dealing like the devils she'd bartered with hung over the Enslaver like a black cloud; she became a double-edged blade held to the throat of ally and enemy alike.
In truth, the Enslaver was honest in her dealings and her wish to join the struggle of her people. This distrust has been a wicked sliver that those with whom she holds contracts happily work deeper and deeper into her psyche. She sacrificed much for the cause but continues to feel slighted by those she calls allies and peers, particularly as some of her behavior is actually dictated by those very contracts. This distrust has poisoned her disposition and her view more than any devil or demon could have hoped to do on their own.
The Enslaver is well versed in the denizens of the Abyss and Hells, their histories and, more importantly, the rules of dealing with them. She has journeyed to each of the Hells and worked to create contracts with the ruling orders in those planes. Though many tales state she has binding contracts with the Archdevil of each Circle, such a thing would be unlikely as many of the rulers would refuse a contract to someone already bound to a rival regardless of the terms.
Even so, it is an extraordinary feat to seal pacts with multiple Infernals, much less to hold binding bargains with all nine circles simultaneously. The terms of her contracts often dictate certain habits or afflict her with some form of curse in order to keep her end of the deal. No one has full knowledge of the terms of each contract save the Enslaver herself, so it is unclear what she has actually gained and what she stands to lose from each. She works hard to hide some of her weaknesses so that others cannot capitalize on them.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
The Enslaver is taller and more physically imposing than any Ma'ab female; this was true even before her Ascension. Her body and aura both bear the marks of the Hells for all to see, burning sigils sealing her numerous contracts. No one can look upon her without knowing she has been deeply touched by the Infernal.
Her flesh is no longer completely her own, for she has culled pieces from various Fel creatures to bring about her Ascension. Unlike the other Ascended, the Enslaver is not undead, though it is not easy to define the precise nature of her current existence. In many ways, she transformed herself into a patchwork devil with the sum of the results of her contracts, now Infernal in all ways but birth. One might say that she has traded her Greylands heritage for that of the Nine Circles... or the Infinite Pit.
Once-pale flesh is now stained red and once-dark hair has bleached white. Her left eye is that is that of some infernal, a yellow slit pupil that glows with golden light surrounded by binding sigils. Tusks push up from behind plump black lips, the rest of her teeth are similarly too sharp for a Ma'ab. Her long, forked tongue is pierced with several pneuma flint studs, clearly seen as she flicks out to taste the air. Claws extend from her hands and her legs have taken on a digitigrade stance while feet have formed into lion-like paws.
Her favorite weapon is a leathery whip of devil flesh with razor-sharp pneuma flint shards woven into its length. It snaps and wriggles with a life of its own, carried at the small of her back when not in her hand. Her garb seems rather primitive in comparison to Ma'ab society and connects Ma'ab diabolism with the more barbaric practices of Miurag's northern tribal cultures consumed by the Empire. Her leathers are affixed with bangles and trinkets of power and protection as well as tokens and trophies harvested from Infernals. On some occasions she has braided her hair with such jewelry related to her craft, but mostly leaves it wild and unkempt.
MAGIC
The Enslaver sees the magic she teaches as not only a craft of the spirit but also of the flesh: one must steel the soul and the body alike to endure. As such, many of her acolytes must endure mystical body-hardening rituals that can leave them dead or crippled if unsuccessful. She chooses the moment to inflict these techniques upon a student at any time with no warning, forcing them into horrific experiences intended to divorce them from notions of human decency and compassion. While most who teach the Enslaver's brand of magic are sadistic to a level that draw the admiration and attention of the Chenkyte, the Enslaver herself doesn't appear to care much for the misnamed "chain devils."
The Enslaver has at times maintained a diabolic entourage, though these beings often take very mundane forms with only their bindings and some extra unnatural feature hinting at their true nature. These devils remain silent and do not interact with anyone unless directed by the Enslaver. She intentionally obfuscates the number and strength of such beings she has on retainer to keep enemies guessing about resources she commands.
One creature that has appeared multiple times is a being like a cloud of smoke and flame with a fanged visage that hides amongst the incense in the Enslavers quarters; even when it is not visible many have felt its presence in the chamber. Some suspect that the incense actually makes it visible and is not part of how the Enslaver binds it.
SERVANT OF THE ENSLAVER
Naghuk the Pyrestrider
“Oh, I am paid well by my mistress in smoke, blood, and gold.”
Normally not visible or taking the form of a cloud of smoke and flame with a fanged visage. When forced to take a fully corporeal form Naghuk is deceptively small, more in size and form with an adolescent human female. Her clothes and weapons are simply extensions of her essence and these magical conjurations vanish soon after if taken from her.
With crimson skin and smoldering eyes leering above short tusks. Pointed ears frame her impish face and a plume of flickering eldritch flames trail from her head like hair. Armor of polished brass plates covers her in battle, though this suit clings like a second skin and bends with a flexibility impossible for mundane metals and she calls forth a pair of heavily decorative curved brass swords that glow as if fresh from the forge and smoke in her hands.
Normally kept as the watchdog for the Enslaver's private chambers. Occasionally she will be taken as a bodyguard with lesser devils standing in for her.
Powers-
Smoke blade- Releasing trails of smoke from her blades Naghuk can blind a foe in a cloud of thick smoke or obscure the battlefield if given time. In poorly ventilated areas this smoke can build up enough to cause difficulty in breathing.
Smoke Form- Can become immaterial smoke, used to avoid damage. Can also move against air current and seek to do things like suffocate a person by forcing herself into their lungs.
Smoldering attacks- Actual attacks from her burn, her swords cut as much as they burn. She enjoys it as it cauterizes the wounds of her opponents letting her savor the maximum amount of blood from a slain opponent or enjoy a well cooked meal fresh after battle.
Fire Spells- The usual plethora of slinging elemental fire. Balls, blasts, pillars, etc.
POLITICS
It is unclear to most who the Enslaver considers an ally. Her attitude is almost always antagonistic, as if constantly seeking to assert her dominance even amongst her 'equals.' Wherever she goes, tensions flare.
She holds a respect for The Vermillion Lady even as it pains her deeply that, despite their similar burdens, it is often The Chirurgeon of Souls that the Lady turns to. She is of two minds about the The General of the Undefeated Void with his lack of magic, but he has proven himself time and again to have a strength of spirit and flesh that would be perfect for an acolyte. He has also sided with her in order keep some of the Physician's influences in check.
For the Physician she holds only a burning hatred, seeing the Chirurgeon as overconfident and wasteful in her actions. The Physician looks down on her magic as being inferior, a degenerate offshoot of proper necromancy and the manipulation of souls. Such oversimplification and dismissal for her personal sacrifices and abilities provokes the Enslaver to antagonize the Physician in return, often embracing her savagery around the Physician to get under the cold woman's skin.
The Artisan of Blood, much like the devils that whisper to her, is an opportunist. The Enslaver is aware how the bloodsucker in it for personal power, but more often than not the younger Ascended's goals have aligned themselves with hers. The Enslaver is more than happy to leave the Artisan to her lesser games of social intrigue with the nobles; she has her eyes set on the larger picture.
The Mother of Entrails is a strange individual and far too enamored with the life magic of Miurag. The Enslaver can only see this obsession as a weakness. Life magic does not have enough benefit to offer as a counterpoint to potentially weakening their innate sorcery.
Lastly The Opener of Ways From Within is an ever-present danger, a viper clasped to her breast, the personal devil of the Ascended whose contracts and manipulations are as far-reaching as they are obscure. There isn't a death sure enough for the Divine Assassin that she could ever fully stifle the fear in her heart that he would return.
