Beleroth
Although many stories circulate about demons, ranging from documented historical events to tales of a hero venturing into the depths of hell and rescuing his beloved, even the magical community's knowledge of them is limited. There are countless demonic realms, each inhabited by numerous distinct types of creatures.
It was in one such realm that Beleroth's story began. He was unfortunate enough to be one of the "pit demons"—the lowest stratum of his native society. Unlike pure-blooded demons, they were not born naturally but came into being through the processing of humans captured during visits to other worlds. Consequently, they had no families and often not even names. Their role in society was simple—most performed the most arduous and menial tasks, while the stronger and more resilient served as soldiers. Occasionally, pitborn individuals experienced visions of their past lives, which only served as further reason for "true" demons to regard them as little more than pathetic mortals.
By the standards of his kin, Beleroth was lucky—he was not only born strong and resilient but also experienced frequent visions of wars from his mortal life. These memories were often quite contradictory, as if belonging to different people. Deeper knowledge of warfare allowed him to outshine his more experienced brethren, but it also added to his feelings of inadequacy, making him feel like an even lesser demon than the other pit children. But this very complex drove Beleroth forward, prompting him to seek new ways to earn glory and recognition, first by becoming a legend among his peers and then by leading their rebellion.
Although he did not possess any particular charm or tactical skill, serving rather as an idealized image for the soldiers, the war initiated by Beleroth proceeded quite successfully for him. Perhaps it was because his former masters were too preoccupied with their own squabbles and often underestimated the danger posed by an army consisting entirely of pit-born creatures. In any case, when his opponents realized the seriousness of the problem, they were no longer able to stop the uprising—one demonic lord's stronghold fell after another until Beleroth's forces finally reached the capital.
***
Enjoying his victory, the demon triumphantly strode through the hall, savoring the moment. The former ruler, chained and with broken horns, awaited him at his former throne. A throne that now belonged to Beleroth. Did the prisoner suspect that one day his fate would be determined by a pit-born creature? Hardly.
Stopping before the overthrown king, Beleroth had already opened his mouth, preparing to deliver a mocking speech, when the hall was illuminated by a bright flash of light. When the demon's vision cleared, there was no trace of the throne room around him. Instead, he found himself staring into two pairs of eyes belonging to the most repulsive creatures in the universe—humans.
—Are you sure this is an incubus? According to the illustration, they should be naked, but this one is covered head to toe in armor," said the owner of the first pair of eyes uncertainly, looking at Beleroth.
—Just a second, I'll check! — replied the owner of the second pair of eyes and, rushing to one of the desks piled high with papers, began flipping through a book. Finally, having completed his search, he sighed disappointedly, —You're right, I made a slight mistake. We'll have to repeat the ritual later.
The owner of the first pair of eyes muttered something unintelligible, then turned back towards Beleroth and looked at him again:
—What are we going to do with this one?
—Hmm," said the owner of the second pair of eyes, stroking his chin, —probably sell it. Looks dangerous."
The demon, observing the conversation unfolding before him, was so shocked that he could not utter a word. These pathetic mortals had not only interrupted his moment of glory due to some absurd mistake but, realizing their error, were now planning to chain him up again. The rage and fury boiling within Beleroth would have been enough to burn down the entire room, along with the humans inside. And if he had free will at that moment, Beleroth would certainly have done just that. But his abilities were severely limited by the spells cast by these insignificant creatures. He was powerless.
***
Eventually, Beleroth's existence became tied to a magical bracelet, which passed from master to master for many years until it was lost. Only centuries later did it find a new owner in the person of an elf. And only time will tell whether he will be the last.
Origin:
Demon (+20 stat points; +4 skill points; unique skill tree)
Stats:
Strength - 50 (100)
Agility - 45
Perception - 5
Endurance - 50 (75)
Intelligence - 5
Willpower - 5
Skills:
PolearmsAbilities:
Proficiency: +2 damage per point of Strength
Accuracy: +1 accuracy per point of Agility
Parry (dodge against accuracy)
Ranged Attack: The character can attack an enemy at a distance of 3 cells
Cleave: Double damage; chance (accuracy vs. dodge) to hit the enemy in a vulnerable spot and cause bleeding (-25% of maximum health for 3 turns; cooldown: 4 turns)
Knight
The character cannot be stunned
+5 health per point of strength
Critical hits deal normal damage
Removes speed penalty when using heavy armor and shields
Legionnaire
+40% to health, willpower, initiative, and accuracy if at least one ally is participating in the battleAbilities:
✧ Specialist ✧ Fully upgraded combat skill (x2) Pit-born
+0.5 to accuracy per point of Strength
Stealthy attacks during battle deal normal damage
Character's Strength increased by 2 times
Character's Endurance increased by 1.5 timesAbilities:
✧ Extra Attack ✧ (x2)
✧ Flames of Hell ✧ +2 additional fire damage per point of Endurance; character's attacks deal damage to mental entities (x2)
✧ Bloodlust ✧ In battle, effects affecting the mind, as well as poisons, diseases, and bleeding, do not affect the character.
✧ Camouflage ✧ Allows the demon to create an illusion of human appearance; characters with high willpower (40 or higher) see the demon's true form Inventory:
Full plate armor, helmet, and halberd