Viktor the Blackheart
Name
Viktor Lucian Crane AKA Viktor the Blackheart
Race
Human
Gender
Male
Age
35
Appearance
He has fair skin, grey eyes, black hair, and a short, fashionable build. Were it not for present circumstances and his current outfit, Viktor would easily pass for a sheltered noble. His pale skin proof he has no need to toil in the sun, his physique healthy but unstrengthened by the labour of peasants. With his true nature out in the open and much of his wealth confiscated he wears his durable ritual robes as standard, gloves keeping his hands physicaly clean even as he metaphorically dirties them.
Personality
Viktor seems to be a polite, eloquent gentleman, friendly and harmless. Or rather he did, for that was but a facade, a mask he has little reason to wear, condemned as he is. He's ruthlessly ambitious, lies as easily as he breathes, believes himself superior to just about everyone he meets and is possessed of a cunning, schemeing mind.
He maintains a strict outward control of his emotions, coming across as calm and in control, usually.
He is ruthless, but not cruel.
Background
Viktor is the second child of a once prosperous noble family, born nearly ten years later than his brother. His childhood on the family estate was comfortable, a solid education his only real duty, an almost idyllic upbringing. As time passed it became clear he was far smarter than his elder brother, yet it was the oldest child that would inherit the title, lands and power.
As he reached his early twenties he was encouraged to put his intellect to use as a scholar, of what his family didn't really care, he just needed to be doing something respectable that still kept him out of the way, far from any allies he could make, for it was clear who he thought should be inheriting. Ever thirsting for power, it was the study of magic he pursued, this eventually led him to finding a short treatise on the summoning of demons, hidden in a seemingly dull book on the history of magical diagrams (he would later realise this was far from a standard inclusion, clearly whoever bound this copy intended to surreptitiously pass on this forbidden knowledge).
In the dead of night with circles of blood and silver, he called forth a middling demon by the name of Izgath, though no payment exchanged hands that night, a bargain was struck, Viktor would receive knowledge of dark and forbidden magic in return for each sacrifice he made, he need simply include one of Izgath's personal runes in an appropriate sacrificial diagram.
A plan was easily hatched, gold changed hands and a few criminals 'escaped' from the nearest prison, Viktor was nothing if not efficient, their souls were traded to Izgath, their blood painted ritual diagrams and their corpses made for obedient, tireless minions.
A few years past, his power growing slowly with each victim. Eventually his parents die, at this point he is far from home and between the time news takes to find him and his own travel, his brother has had months to establish himself. The estate is in notably poorer condition, the locals he greets, not realise quite who he is, reveal a rather poor opinion of their new liege, for his brother has expensive tastes and little interest in his people.
A few nights of planning, a further few of negotiating and Viktor has his twisted plan. He places a subtle withering curse upon his brother, taking advantage of their shared blood, then he simply waits a few days and returns home to 'help his dear brother in this difficult time'. Izgath's rune is carved on the outside of each wall of his brother's room, then concealed with a little rearranging of furniture, passed off as just the brother-regent getting comfortable, a complex diagram in the basement to tie it all together. Viktor's brother dies, Izgath gets a new soul, and Viktor claims his title at last.
The plan goes off without a hitch, Viktor actually rules well, he's well liked, the family coffers (now really just his) grow under his leadership, the roads are safe and noone asks what happens to bandits.
Alas it could not last. A bandit summarily executed by ritual saacrifice was apparently related to the king, classic tale of less than chivalrous knights out of work causing trouble, of course Viktor was well within his right to execute him, it's when they find his skeleton standing at attention in the depths of the family crypt, unholy sigils visible on his skull that causes a problem.
In for a fiefdom, in for the crown, as they say, Viktor makes a stand, refusing to come quietly, certain that torture and the pyre await him. It goes well at first, he doesn't have much in the way of minions, less than a dozen basic skeletons, but his magic is powerful, flesh rending battle curses, blighted fogs and hellfire massacre the initial response, but it seems word got out and the next morning he wakes up in chains with
Her looking down upon him with a gaze more terrifying, more inhuman, than any demon he's ever met, for a moment he thought maybe the pyre wouldn't have been so bad. He never did find out who let the King's men in, though he doubts any of his knights could really have stopped them, so it's not a matter he dwells upon. Of course when the 'offer' was made, that thought was soon gone.
Talents
- He's well educated in topics such as history, politics, etiquette, literature and generally whatever you'd expect an intelligent noble to learn in this setting. (Probably need to say what that would cover if accepted)
- He's well practiced in the art of summoning demons, usually binding them in circles to bargain.
- Basic necromancy, one of the earliest pieces of dark lore he bargained for was the skill to animate corpses, though he never pursued this particular art much further,.
- He can cast curses on people, bring ill fortune, slow death, weakness and such.
- He has bargained for much magical knowledge, he knows how to call forth blasts of cursed hellfire, rend a man's flesh from his bones or sap the strength from a whole squadron of soldiers.
- Sigils of Sacrifice, he has an ongoing deal with the demon Izgath, granting him the ability to incorporate one of the creature's personal runes into much of the magic he has learned, condemning their victims' souls and furthering his own bargain.
Flaws
He's arrogant, prideful and power hungry. He rarely considers the possibility of being wrong, making mistakes or being outwitted. Despite thinking himself the manipulative one, he's easily lured by promises of power.
Physically he's very much just a man and he never picked up much defensive magic.
Equipment
Viktor has little in the way of equipment.
The one item of note are his set of ritual robes (with gloves and hood), though beyond the fact they're unusually durable, more like leather than simple cloth and keeping him cleaner than expected, they don't seem to have any other abilities, though they bear some sigils of unknown purpose, Viktor bartered them from a demon, asking for something that would keep him "clean and safe" while practicing his fell sorcery, three condemned men were given to the creature alive as payment.
He does have a small pouch of common chalk and charcoal sticks, and a dagger, tools of the trade.
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