Mephiston

"Peace and prosperity are not naturally occurring. They must be imposed."

-Mephiston, the Soulhaunter

Mephiston is one of the greatest of the Fallen Seraphim, and is amongst the most feared of Ynoch's sons in all Creation. He is the Lord Seraphim of the Twelfth Angelic Legion, the Dreadbringers, once known as the Just Wardens. Amongst the most calculating and logical of his brothers, Mephiston was the root cause of the escalation in the violence and brutality of the Angelic Conquest, on the principle that terror would be an effective weapon to help bring about their father's Dream. Following his Fall, Mephiston's focus on order and punishment was driven to insane heights, and he began resorting to absurd levels of terror so as to attempt to enforce obedience and order within his domains. This level of focused insanity, combined with his mastery of torture and fear, makes Mephiston a source of equal loathing and terror among most every being in Creation who knows of him.

Early Life
The twelfth born of Ynoch's sons, Mephiston was in the middle of a trio born in a year by year basis. Growing up, Mephiston was possessed of a desire for understanding and order in all things. Diligent and thoughtful, Mephiston was quickly ingrained with the values taught to him by his older siblings, particularly the virtues of obedience and duty he learned from Michael and Raphael, as well as the strong senses of morality he acquired from the likes of Gabriel and Lucifer.

Like his younger brothers, Bael and Metatron, Mephiston had a great fondness for the palace library. Like Asmodeus and Azazel, he enjoyed reading stories, though his interests lay mostly in the moral quandaries found in various tales, and whenever either one of them read to him, he would often interrupt with questions about why the characters took particular actions. Azazel was always more like to humor his inquiries and answer them as best he could, while Asmodeus often grew frustrated and would declare it time for bed.

The Second Duckling
As Mephiston grew out of infancy, he picked up a habit from his brother Raziel, being the act of constantly following their older brother Asmodeus about wherever he went, to his irritation. Their brother Bael, born one year later, picked up the same habit from them. Mephiston initially had trouble pronouncing Asmodeus's name, and instead addressed him as "Momo", which Raziel and Bael both picked up as well. After witnessing the four of them together, Gabriel began to describe the group as "The Mother Duck and his ducklings", with Mephiston receiving the nickname of "Duckling Two".

Though initially peeved by his Ducklings, Asmodeus eventually became accepting of his role as the Mother Duck, and Mephiston and his fellow Ducklings became even more closely bonded with him. Oftentimes, Asmodeus would lead them into excursions into the woods around their palace, which they combed for materials and items Asmodeus would use to make toys for them. Asmodeus also began to read them stories, like Azazel had, as he wished to prove his ability at the craft. Just as he had with Azazel, Mephiston had the habit of constantly interrupting readings with questions.

The Ducklings Sundered
When Asmodeus turned ten, and thereafter spent much of his day training for battle, the cohesion of the Ducklings began to break down. At the start, Asmodeus constantly snuck off to meet with his Ducklings, eschewing his responsibilities to play with them instead. Though Mephiston did want to play with his brother, he was convinced that Asmodeus breaking the rules was wrong, and on several occasions, would sneak off to tell on Asmodeus to Raphael or Michael.

This eventually drew the ire of Raziel, who confronted him on the matter and demanded that he stop being a tattle tale. Mephiston was insulted by the accusation, as he firmly believed that he was doing the right thing. He responded by stating that Asmodeus was being naughty by sneaking away, and declared that he would keep telling on him until he started being good again. This infuriated Raziel, who fell upon Mephiston with a fury. Though he of course tried defending himself, already the signs of Raziel's growing physical power were present, and Mephiston was completely thrashed. The tearful intercessions of Bael ended the fight, and Raziel attempted to apologize to Mephiston, who only fearfully stared up at him. The arrival of Raphael ended the matter utterly. Mephiston was scooped into his big brother's arms, while Raziel was dragged before Michael, squealing all the while. Mephiston's wounds were healed during the trip, and his pain was taken in by Raphael.

Later, Mephiston and Raphael were both brought before their father when Michael informed him of the incident. Mephiston was well satisfied when Raziel was chided for hitting him. To his shock, however, he too was scolded by Ynoch, for telling on Asmodeus, of all things. Mephiston was greatly confused, as he believed that he had been helping by trying to make sure Asmodeus followed the rules. Ynoch patiently explained that yes, that was all well and good, he should still be loyal to his brothers, first and foremost. This lesson had a profound on Mephiston's moral development later on.

Following his chastisement, Mephiston avoided Raziel, having gotten a good fright from Raziel beating up on him, which lasted for quite a while afterwards.

Beznadi Campaign
The first campaign Mephiston participated in was against the Beznadi pantheon, shortly after the Twelfth Legion had been deemed ready for war. He and his brother Raziel were placed under the command of Asmodeus, who had garnered some experience in a previous campaign. Under Asmodeus's command, the three legions swiftly brought the pantheon to heel, with Mephiston and the Twelfth personally subjugating Chernobog and his realm, taking the god's fortress as his seat. During the final hours of the campaign, the grief stricken Asmodeus ordered his troops to devastate the idyllic realm of Krasivya, the childhood home of Perun, where he had grown up with his adopted father Vodan. Asmodeus ordered the genocide, known as the Decimation of Krasivya, in retaliation for the high casualties his legion had sustained in overcoming the throne realm of Zemja Bogov. Mephiston and Raziel were both shocked and outraged, and the Lord of the Twelfth moved swiftly to begin gathering up survivors and halting the slaughter where he could, while Raziel flew off to confront Asmodeus. When Asmodeus summoned him to bear witness to the fall of Vodan's palace, Mephiston castigated his brother, decrying his act of butchery. This resulted in Asmodeus angrily dismissing him and his men, sending them off to begin consolidating their rule of the conquered realms.

Shortly thereafter, Mephiston was visited by his brother Lucifer, who congratulated him on his first successful campaign, and also came to hear his version of events. After hearing what his brother had witnessed, Lucifer convinced Mephiston to forgive Asmodeus of his transgressions, pointing out that if Asmodeus were to be treated as a monster, he would inevitably become one.

Conquest of the Devas
Mephiston joined his Just Wardens with his brother Abaddon and his Sinreapers for the purpose of subjugating the Devas, the Hindu pantheon. With what intelligence they had indicating that they would find fierce opposition, Mephiston proposed they take a harsher, more pragmatic approach to warfare, reminiscent of the tactics and strategies Asmodeus had employed to grant them swift victory over the Beznadi years earlier. Abaddon agreed, and so their war began.

The brothers and their legions waged war without care for civilian casualties, with the assaults they launched being utterly unconcerned with the damage they caused. Still, the brutality of the war they waged, while effective, stiffened the resolve continue resisting them. The Devas themselves proved greatly troublesome, continually retreating instead of allowing themselves to be surrounded by the Ynochim or made to engage their Seraphim in direct battle, opting to conduct guerilla warfare, using the numerous jungles in their domains to their advantage.

As losses continued to mount, Mephiston convinced Abaddon that they required aid, and as such, reached out to the nearest of their brothers, Bael, Mephiston's fellow Duckling. Bael was happy to assist them, but his eagerness rapidly wilted when he witnessed their strategies. Mephiston attempted to convince Bael of the logic and effectiveness of their methods, but Bael chose morality over pragmatism, and beyond direct battles, refused to have his legion participate in the brutal slaughters the Lords of the Seventh and Twelfth conducted.

The Atrocity of Kyrat
"I do not fear you, barbarian. Do your worst."

"As you wish."

-Agni of the Devas and the Seraph Mephiston, shortly before the violent and telepathically broadcasted torture of the former

Bael's misgivings came to a head as the Ynochim arrived at Kyrat, the capitol realm of the Devas. Learning that most of the gods were located there, and that Shiva and Ganesh were amassing more forces, Mephiston once again advocated callousness, and laid forth his brutal plans. Bael flatly refused to participate, and threatened to alert the Devas to their plans. Abaddon knocked him unconscious as a result, while Mephiston mentally dominated the mind's of Bael's officers to keep the War Sages uninvolved.

The massacre that followed marked a new and bloodier stage of the Angelic Conquest. Whilst Abaddon and his legion worked to slaughter every living being they could find, Mephiston devoted his legion to capturing the enemy gods, and began to torture them, broadcasting their agony telepathically for all the enemy to see, starting with the Fire God, Agni. Bael and the Thirteenth arrived in the midst of the battle, having recovered, and devoted his legion to protecting the civilians while he confronted his brothers. Bael's persistent opposition to their actions gave Mephiston further pause. Bael was among the most intelligent of their brothers, after all, and if even he did not believe the logic of their plans to outweigh the moral shortcomings... Mephiston's hesitation faded, however, when Bael, in the midst of a rage, telepathically obliterated the Lord of the Twelfth's Ophanim guards, reducing them to catatonia. This infuriated Mephiston, who then engaged his brother in a duel, both psychic and physical. Though the superior warrior, and usually able to match Bael in the realm of Thought, Bael's focused fury, combined with his sorceries, nearly overwhelmed him, and would have, were it not for the arrival of Abaddon. Together, the two managed to subdue Bael, though the effort it took to do so was considerable.

Submission of Shiva
Bael remained restrained and replaced by an illusory substitute Mephiston had conjured while he and Abaddon parlayed with Shiva and Ganesh, the last remaining gods of the Devas. They had surrounded their army with their three legions (once more having mentally dominated the officers, and having even fewer qualms about it after what Bael had done to his own guards). Mephiston displayed to Shiva the memories of his wife, Parvati, as he tortured her. The God of Destruction shed tears and drew his blade to attack, but Mephiston coldly informed him that should he make any attempt at resistance, his entire army would be butchered to a man. Furthermore, his son Ganesh would also be tortured in front of him, and their minds telepathically linked, so Shiva would experience every moment of it. As Shiva trembled with rage, Mephiston contemplated his actions up to that point. He had gone down a dark road, he knew, and moreover, he had brought his brother Abaddon along it with him. Bael's opposition made that clear, as did the fact that their actions had only made the Devas and their subjects fight them harder.

Mephiston was on the verge of deciding to repent his actions, convincing Abaddon what they had done had been wrong, that the cost had been too high, and swearing to Bael that he would do everything in his power to set things right. But then, Shiva, mighty Shiva, Destroyer of Worlds, sank to his knees, sobbing, and surrendered to Mephiston unconditionally. And with that, the belief that what he had done had been right and necessary solidified within Mephiston's heart.

Buildup
After the final submission of the Devas was conducted, Mephiston released Bael, and attempted alongside Abaddon to convince him of the necessity of their actions. Bael lambasted his brothers, declaring that they were brutes and monsters no better than the gods they sought to depose. Mephiston stood silent as Bael scorned him, contemplating his brother's words, and remained silent as Abaddon derided Bael as a weakling without the will to see their father's Dream realized. Mephiston finally spoke then, and attempted once more to convince Bael of the sound, pragmatic reasoning behind their actions. Bael would have none of it. He demanded custody of the tortured gods, and Abaddon granted his assent. After some consideration, a deep shred of lingering guilt, along with the desire to appease his brother, motivated Mephiston to give his as well. Bael departed, and Mephiston set himself to repairing the minds of his Ophanim. Until of course, the Conclave of Shangri La was called.

The Conclave
When the Conclave was called, with Ynoch himself presiding over it, Mephiston was understandably nervous. He knew that the actions he and Abaddon had taken went against the principles of the Dream, and was morally bankrupt. The two brothers discussed their predicament, and decided that their argument would be based on pragmatism and numbers. As Mephiston was by far the more logical of the two, it was agreed that he would be the one to speak for the two of them.

Mephiston brooded as the mortal victims of what had become known as the Atrocity of Kyrat recounted their sad tales, questioned by Azazel and Bael. All the while, he repeated to himself that what they had done had been for the greater good of the Dream. But as his brothers began to shout in fury and indignation upon hearing the testimony, his doubts began to return. When Gabriel, usually passive, was so enraged by the testimony that he teleported at Abaddon and punched out several of his teeth, Mephiston came to Abaddon's defense, telepathically stunning Gabriel, though when Uriel rushed to Gabriel's aid the Lord of the Twelfth was slammed to the ground. The combatants were separated by Ynoch and berated for their actions, and Mephiston once more was left to contemplate how his actions had provoked such outrage amongst his brothers.

The next day, as the godly victims of Mephiston's torture gave their testimony, he remained silent, pondering how his ministrations had left many of them so traumatized that it took the entire days for their tales to be recounted. The following day, as the time for judgement came, Mephiston had resigned himself to being punished. When Uriel was the first to take the stage, denouncing them as honorless cowards more suited to murdering mortal children then fighting gods, Mephiston found that the words cut. Not near so much as they did Abaddon, who had to be restrained in his fury.

Subsequently, Mephiston found it his turn to speak in defense of himself and Abaddon. Somewhat miffed by Uriel's earlier remarks, he pointed out that on his first campaign, Uriel had annihilated the Shen pantheon alongside Lucifer, which prompted Uriel to fury, and Ynoch to declare that the next such outburst would result in the perpetrator being chained. Bolstered by the seeming show of support from his father, Mephiston went on, explaining how that their actions, while brutal had prompted a swift surrender from the foes who remained, and that as word spread to other pantheons, fear would make them more likely to capitulate, thus sparing more lives.

When Gabriel took the stage, Mephiston expected a long, scathing speech from his talkative brother. What happened instead was even worse. Gabriel simply said ten words. "What you did was evil. And you both know it." A hole was bored in Mephiston's resolve, and he was on the verge of admitting his wrongdoing and asking how he could make things right when Asmodeus stepped forth. The perpetrator of the Butchery of Krasivya. Mephiston thought of the irony of how he had once admonished Asmodeus for his deeds there, brought on by passion and grief, when his own were so much more vile and calculated. To his surprise, Asmodeus did not chide him and Abaddon, but instead, vindicated them, and advised they both be forgiven for their actions, pointing out the logic in their actions.

Mephiston was elated that one of his brothers, at least, could understand his reasoning, and found his resolve once more strengthening. With each additional brother who added their voice to Asmodeus's, that resolve grew, and Mephiston was once more convinced that what he had done was right and necessary.

By the time Raziel took the stage, Mephiston's view that he was right had been solidified, especially due to the support of Azrael, who was an expert at making sacrifices for the greater good. His support, more than any of the others thus far, convinced him of the strength of his reasoning. Conversely, those brothers who still continued to oppose him, especially those known for their intellect and reasoning, such as Raziel, Metatron, Gadreel, and Bael, infuriated him. Why could they not see? He wondered.

Azazel's words brought back his doubts once more, such was the Evenstar's power of persuasion that even Mephiston's calculating mind was overcome by emotion. With Lucifer the only one left after Azazel's stirring speech, Mephiston's courage once more faltered. If Lucifer disagreed with him, he had to be wrong. But to his delight, Mephiston found that Lucifer supported his autonomy. While it wasn't exactly support of his deeds, it still meant that Lucifer supported him. And if Lucifer of all people, noble, righteous Lucifer, wasn't opposed to him, he had to be right. Doubt was replaced by absolute certainty.

Aftermath
Following the Conclave, when Lucifer sought him and Abaddon out, Mephiston readied himself to convince Lucifer fully to his line of thinking. He never got the chance, as after he and Abaddon thanked their brother for his support, Lucifer cut them off. Both of them had disappointed him gravely, he informed them. Henceforth, their legions were unworthy of the names they bore. As Mephiston evidently wished to spread fear more than justice, his Just Wardens should be the Dreadbringers instead. Sullen with anger, Mephiston accepted his brother's rebuke, and the name, and from that moment forth, he resolved that he would make sure his legion proved worthy of that name. They would be the masters of fear, and with that fear, they would bring about Ynoch's Dream.

Siege of Olympus
Mephiston and his legion were present during the Siege of Olympus, during which Mephiston spent most of his time away from the front lines, coordinating the attacking forces from an observation tower his legion captured.

Mephiston managed to touch minds with Hermes, and alert his brother Uriel that the Windwalker was making his way towards him. Receiving no thanks for the warning he gave his brother, Mephiston then received word that Azazel had been defeated by Ares. Hurriedly, he projected his Thoughts to Azazel's location, placing an Illusory cloak about Azazel to hide him from the enemy combatants. At the same time, he telepathically assaulted Ares, managing to overcome his mental defenses and subdue him. Puppeteering the War God's body, Mephiston ordered Azazel's Praetorians to evacuate their Seraph and their new prisoner.

Afterwards, Mephiston observed Uriel's battle with Zeus, ordering his artillery to target any Sky spirits in order to weaken the storm in the air, in case he found it necessary to aid his brother. As their duel raged, and both Uriel and his legion were devastated by the King of Olympus, Mephiston realized that Zeus wielded the power of Order. Recognizing that defeating him would have a tremendous cost in Ynochim lives, Mephiston opted to engage Zeus himself.

Before he left to face him, Mephiston bade farewell to his high officers, planning to defeat Zeus through devastating orbital bombardment, using himself as a beacon for the Ynochim warships to lock onto through the storm. Upon arriving before Zeus, Mephiston used his power over Darkness to remove Uriel from the battlefield. After ignoring his brother Raphael's pleas to wait for reinforcement, Mephiston barred his mind from intrusion, and feigned talking Zeus into surrender to buy time. When that failed as predicted, he engaged the Lord of Olympus, hoping to distract him long enough to allow the other Ynochim to withdraw from the blast zone.

Mephiston's battle with Zeus almost entirely involved evasive maneuvering, as he could not withstand Zeus's overwhelming power directly, using his power over Thought to anticipate Zeus's movements. So focused was he on staying alive that he was oblivious to the successful withdrawal of the legionary forces, only realizing that they had been removed from danger after he was temporarily incapacitated by Zeus. Before the battle could be ended, however, the two combatants realized that four more Ynochim legions had entered the city of Olympia through the Atlantean teleportation Gate.

Michael, Mephiston's eldest brother, rushed to his aid, preventing Zeus from finishing Mephiston off. Michael's arrival lifted Mephiston's spirits and turned the tide of the duel. Joining their powers together, the brothers were able to overcome Zeus's mastery of Order, and managed to negate his power over the Sky. Even without his deadliest ability, Zeus remained a formidable threat, and would have killed Mephiston but for the fact that he was struck by the power of the Iron Truth's poisoned glaive, Silencer. Struggling against the poison, Zeus was subsequently overwhelmed by the expertly coordinated assault of the two Seraphim, who brought his rampage to an end.

Pre-Fall
Mephiston's original appearance was of the same sort as his brothers, that of an abnormally tall athletic human. The features that distinguished him from his brothers were his locks of black hair which went down to his shoulders and shone silver in moonlight, as well as his golden eyes that shimmered with light as if glowing. In addition, he usually sported stubble on the sides and lower area of his face.

Post-Fall
Mephiston's modern appearance bears little resemblance to his original self. Most of the time he is shrouded in a cloud of darkness beneath a tattered black robe, with only his eyes visible as burning embers, two vast wings as black as night, and a baleful halo above his head, alike to the burning ring around a solar eclipse.

Beneath the cloud, his true body is laid bare. His skin is covered in stitches, gashes and scars, crisscrossing his entire body as if he had been torn apart and sewn together. His veins are visible under his skin, pulsing with black fluid, a side-effect of the venom that saturates his body. At certain points where wounds and veins cross, the wounds ooze that same black fluid. His fingers end in sharp points that drip venom, and his teeth are jagged and stained with venom. His eyes, once golden, have been stained red, and glow brightly enough to shine through clouds of darkness.

Occasionally, he takes another form, smaller and less noticeable, to meddle with the lives of unsuspecting mortals. A small humanoid imp, a bit larger than a child, with little horns on his head, golden eyes in the shape of cat's eyes, and teeth and fingernails perhaps a bit sharper than they ought to be.

Personality
A devious sadist, a tyrannical ruler, a gleeful tormentor. Mephiston delights in striking terror into the hearts of those around him, and in causing pain to those at his mercy. Whole realms can attest to this, as they have borne witness to his cruel acts and threats. Beneath the tormentor, he still has a fondness for law and order, and dislikes disruption to the running of the realms under his control. Those who have known him long know him to be passionate, pouring much effort into his projects, and also driven quite strongly by his emotions. And despite his corruption, he still holds on to duty, serving his elder brother Lucifer faithfully.

Powers
Mephiston, like his brothers, wields many fearsome and loathsome powers through his mastery of Divine Dominions. He is fairly skilled in most but holds the greatest mastery in Thought and Aura, allowing him to meddle with minds and emotions as he pleases. Mephiston is also known to have above-average prowess in the dominion of Darkness. In addition, he shares his brothers' significant power over Order.

Skills
Like all his brothers, Mephiston was trained from an early age primarily for combat and war, from which he attained his knowledge on tactics and battle, his skill for command, and his own fearsome combat capabilities. He commands his armies with confidence and skill, able to direct his forces where they are most useful and apply his advantages to efficiently destroy his opponent, however he cannot match the strategic genius of his brother Asmodeus. In battle he is described as a 'terror', swift enough land his strikes and avoid reprisal, strong enough to make his hits count, durable enough to withstand almost anything his godly opponents bring to bear, and capable of capitalizing on his advantages.

Despite his use of unreasonable punishments and absolute control, the realms Mephiston rules over are efficient and orderly, a testament to his skill and experience in ruling. He wields his authority like a scalpel, enacting precise edicts and crafting policies that improve the functioning and productivity of the realm, although in the modern day they are never to the benefit of the mortal population, and those who rise up against his cruelty will find that their rebellion has ended before it even began - often with many of them carted off as new victims for the Soulhaunter.

But the one skill that makes Mephiston so feared and loathed is his expertise in torturing people. Unrivaled by any being in Creation, Mephiston can break the will of even the mightiest beings in Creation should he capture them. Even before the Fall he forced many pantheons to submit with his methods of pain and torment, but in the modern day he inflicts such pain on anyone who dares break his tyrannical laws.

Silencer
Silencer is Mephiston's fearsome glaive. The weapon has a haft made of ebony wood from the realm of Stygia, and is enchanted for magically form grips wherever it is grasped by its wielder. Should any save Mephiston, its wielder, or Asmodeus, its maker, grasp it, the entire weapon will become insubstantial, and fall from their grasp, unless this effect is countered via some form of magic. The single edged blade of the weapon, optimized to cut and to stab, is made of Stygian Iron, and infused with concentrated hydra venom. The Stygian Iron absorbs and traps the essence of any slain by it (though suitably powerful beings can overcome this effect with time and effort). The hydra venom, meanwhile, is both highly paralytic and ravages the bodies it enters, causing the circulatory system and surrounding system to corrode and dissolve. And of course, given that it was forged for a divine warrior, it is well suited to channel divine energies through it.

Stats
Power Level: 4

Traits
Strength: 8

Dexterity: 11

Endurance: 9

Intelligence: 11

Charisma: 11

Perception: 11

Skills
Academia: 9

Artistry: 5

Brawl: 7

Charm: 6

Command: 11

Craft: 6

Deception: 10

Empathy: 11

Intimidation: 12

Intrigue: 9

Leadership: 8

Marksmanship: 9

Medicine: 10

Melee: 10

Occult: 9

Performance: 4

Seduction: 5

Stealth: 11

Stewardship: 11

Survival: 7

Torture: 13

Magic
Dominion of Aura: 10

Dominion of Thought: 11

Quotes by Mephiston
"Isn't it such a magnificent creature? Something so small, that begets such fear. Beautiful."

-Mephiston, regarding spiders