Malachias

Passage from The Pit Lord of the Last Hell, as written by Agrian Fleetfoot.

"The demon known as Malachias was once known unto the world as Karov, the Archangel of Justice. However, due to an unknown accident, he fell. His fall was a great ordeal for him, eventually causing Karov to swear off all association with celestials. Upon his fall, he contacted The One, the dark lord of the Last Hell that has no real name. This One ordered him to commit a greivous sin against his brethren. And so Karov did so, by killing his "brother," Kerov. With Kerov's death, The One transformed Karov into a demon, fueling his dark powers with what once were powers of the Light. Karov became a Barbazu. Shunning his given name, he claimed the name Malachias, which, in the Infernal language, means "Reaper of Souls." And that is what he did. His exploits were well known, as he was an expert assassin of Celestials, and soon gained a great reputation. His thirst for power did not abate, and he soon found a way to assassinate and gain the powers of one of the two Pit Lords, whose name was lost to time. Soon, Malachias had subdued even Ichar, who was only inferior to The One. His future goals are unclear, but it is believed he might be trying to find a way to surpass even The One in power...which is a frightening concept.

Malachias is unique, as he was the only full-blooded demon to ever come from an archangel. There have been some to follow his footsteps, but none have ever made the full crossover. As a result of his strange nature, he gained a resistance to both elements of Shadow AND Holy, which is part of the reason to why he's so powerful. This caused an uproar with most Celestials, who found they could not kill him with their current powers. This eventually led to the creation of the Law and Chaos spells. The Law spells were formulated by the Celestials. These spells eat away at the very essence of a demon, harming them greatly. To counter this, the Demons formulated the Chaos spells, which were the exact opposite of the Law spells.

To you who are reading this: Malachias must not be allowed to follow through with his plan. Now, we Tzel'toah are secretive, and rightly so. However, we are also forgetful. I bet that I have forgotten about this, so it is up to you to follow through. In the back of this book is a charm necklace. Within it is the power of Law. I hope you can use it well. Signed, Agrian Fleetfoot, heir to the throne of Tzelara."

The Demon Lord

Malachias is (was) a demon that terrorized Doma in the year 1313. He started as a small nuisance. Though a powerful Pit Lord, he could never really get the hang of being summoned into Gaera. His first incursion failed, causing him to be banished. However, he knew that if he could find the one who first contacted him, Ichar, he would be able to reenter Gaera, perhaps permanently.

Note: The Chosen One follows the story of Malachias' return.

After being summoned by Ichar, Malachias made a show of stealing an artifact of Nikumu. Deciding that it was unwise to tamper with an instrument of the gods, he created a golem to wield the weapon. His first bid was to use it to make any nation that defied him a pile of rubble. However, this was not to be. When a group consisting of many of the members that helped summon him in the first place came to destroy him, he saw his oppurtunity. Malachias manipulated them into destroying the Demon Lord, Cygnus (Also known as the One, for the One leader of the demons). Malachias immediately consolidated his power, claiming the title of Demon Lord, and the powers that came with it. However, Malachias was a fan of twisted contracts and promises, and told the group that he would never return to Gaera while they still lived. He gave his word, and though he was a Demon, he was true to his word.

Malachias spent the next year or so placing agents in high places within Doma. At one point, he even possessed the King himself, though he couldn't act on it. Malachias was bound and unable to return to Gaera while the four still lived. Thus, Malachias manipulated beings behind the scenes to kill Ara, Hakaril, Rai'm, and Jak Snide. He took particular pleasure in this, since they were thorns in his side. With their deaths, his promise was fufilled, and he was free to reenter Gaera. His first move was to storm Doma Castle, and claim the entire country for his own. What then ensued was what was later known as the Malachian War.

In the eve of the Battle for Doma City, the four he killed had returned, his generals were dead, and his plans were slipping away. Slowly sliding into madness, he was confronted by the group while his army was being crushed outside the city. Drawing upon all his powers, he transformed into a gigantic beast, and swallowed the group. His army routed, Malachias became the objective for the armies gathered to retake Doma. Malachias fought hard, but the odds were against him. The four inside of him survived, and found his black, pulsating heart, and destroyed it with the Light of Law. From there, it was only a matter of time. Malachias let loose an unholy howl, cursed all those who lived, and died, his body crushing the City in a last act of vengenance.

Malachias' head was separated from his body just to make sure he was truly dead. Any indication of his powers immediately faded. Though there may be a few people, especially demon worshippers, that pray for his return, there is no sign that Malachias can or will ever return. What awaited him after death was perhaps what he truly feared, whereupon he had to face the wrath of the Gods themselves, especially that of Mithra, his old rival. What their punishment is remains to be seen, but to one of the greatest threats to Gaera, it is unbearable.