Past Titles: The Demon of Vice / The Demon of Mind
Race: Demon (unspecified variety)
Age: Unknown
Sex: Male
Residence: Makai (
, The Netherworld). Skills/Powers: Battle-wise, Mateus possesses a proficiency extremely similar to Eastern martial artists’ control over Qi (
, “life force”) to enhance strength and vitality. However, as a demon, he possesses a much different brand of life energy, the youki (
, “demonic energy”), an aura-like force which could be further condensed with malignance, creating jyaki (
, “evil energy”), a miasma which is harmful towards non-Netherworld dwellers. He is capable of manifesting his youki, usually in the form of malleable lavender or purple mist (depending on density), coating them usually around his hands or legs while he strikes, or to create a temporary shield (or wrapped around his tail as a lance, if needed). In the past, he has called upon his youki in his palms, molded them quickly into several grapefruit-sized projectiles, and hurling them in quick succession as an offensive. As they are a part of his natural energy, he hardly needs to take aim, as the “bullets” would align themselves in the direction of his desired target.His title, however, arose from his innate ability of subtle persuasion. This power is not quite in his grasp, and is undetermined in its methods. It could be that his body emits brainwave-like energies that resonate with the minds of those around him, causing the little shadow of doubt they may or may not have to grow, and whisper behind their unconscious minds; those hidden-away notions and emotions, suppressed or denied by the conscious minds would soon seem more plausible, more “suggestable” by him. Inversely, it could be through his voice, where these powers find their way into his audiences’ thoughts.
However, he is incapable of knowing himself what those hidden desires are (though being able to gently coax it out helps). Naturally, those with firm mental facilities would be able to ward off these effects.
Additionally, he has access to common demonic arts: from forming pacts and contracts, sealing and unsealing capacities, runic powers, all the way to coming into contact with the souls of others.
Personality: Usually introverted, but selectively playful, Mateus displays a behavioral pattern not unlike other demons of class. He distances himself from those overtly colorful characters, and usually draws towards the more refined and outspoken, his abilities aiding him in flattery and helping them out of their shells. He has a way with words that only years of observation, imitation, and understanding of conversation could bring him, and would calculatingly aggress, or sweeten against, his peers with extreme subjectivity; a very uneven, and perhaps inconstant, personality.
Weapon of Choice: Usually Mateus is barehanded, shaping his youki to his will, creating bladed, pointed, or blunt “shapes” that he swiftly swings at his targets. If need be, however, he could pick up simple weapons and enhance them with his powers.
Biography: Born a motherless birth, Mateus came into creation from the distilled deepest, darkest desires of humans, brought into the deep inferno, and placed in hellfire, then given a breath of energy, the fateful touch of youki, from an unknown demon. In the years to come, the red-skinned demon has often pondered the identity of this figure, and has only been able to draw the conclusions that the demon must have been male to create a such a demon in his image (which would have been the same gender as his creator), and that said demon must have been extremely powerful, that merely a shred of his energy from his figure could create life; a wretched beginning, however, as he barely had a form of his own, his body being a crude amalgamation of collective desires taken from humans.
He never bothered to search, however, as he knew it would have been a meaningless and barely romantic pursuit, and that he simply did not seek to know his creator. He instead spent his origins carefully slinking through the vast recesses of hell, usually obscuring his form behind the flames in which he was born. From a distance, he observed the sufferings of those cast into the inferno, but most importantly, the interactions between demons, the condemned, and the chemistry of these meetings. There were several other demons, naturally, and they found great pleasure in toying with the unfortunate damned souls in endlessly creative ways. While the maturing demon found this to be mildly amusing, he was surprised when he realized that he was mainly interested in only one aspect of the pleasurable torture his “mentors” were providing their victims: the “pleasurable” half. He began to observe the forms that humans found appealing, the various kinds of aesthetically-pleasing shapes, and soon took his first step out of the fires he had been hiding in, taking the appearance of a young humanoid male.
He did not yet want to draw attention to himself, or come to a dispute with other, more experienced demons, and so he slinked back into the flames, wandering the familiar fiery grounds, before finally coming across a lone man, not yet touched by the others. Stepping forward rather dramatically from the flames, he approached the man, who was of course terrified at the sight of a live demon. Mateus, however, found his voice, and began to lull him with gentle words. It was at this point, his first real interaction with another, where his powers over the unconscious surfaced.
Like a novice, Mateus proceeded to practice what he had learned, turning out positive results much to his delight. Soon after, the human’s spiritual body ignited, burning with the flames of his retribution; such was the nature of hell. Before he was reduced to ashes, however, the red-skinned demon tenderly asked for the human’s name; a question to which the answer was “Mateus”. That answer became his final words, his spiritual existence coming to be extinguished before he could continue. In honor of his first “victim”, the demon then took up this name to make up for his lack of one. As time went by, the newly-christened demon seeked out more “victims” to add to his experience. He however selectively chose only males, as they were the only ones that caught his interest.
But the damned, those who will soon face their annihilation, only left Mateus feeling empty and deprived each time they disappeared, leaving him once again alone. He did not connect well with other demons, and after much deliberation, decided to leave the inferno that was his home. It took him much time to plot his way out of Hell, finally finding his way into Makai. The Netherworld was a realm much different from Hell; one filled with denizens of all sorts and sizes, and with an ecosystem of its own. The youthful demon had to learn from the ground up the loose laws and etiquette, the currency and opportunities, and finally to hone his natural skills. It was through careful observation of humans who have come to train in these miasma-filled lands that Mateus mastered his ability to control his youki, as well as gaining basic knowledge of a hunter-gatherer for a decent living.
He never made great fame for himself, chosing only to associate with the occasional lover or partner, slaying mindless creatures to gather substances or collecting rare materials that could be sold for a fair price outside of Makai. It was not long after this that Mateus learned to traverse the borders between the Nether-realm and the human realm, eventually gaining enough power to even create his own portals.
A blend of curiosity and impulse led Mateus to traveling into the more hidden pockets of Makai, his sharp sense leading him to find what looks like an abandoned island, wrapped in mist and stray energies just waiting to be harnessed. Gleefully, the demon took upon the spot, marking it with several seals and incantations as his domain, affording it mystical protection that ensured the island would be protected from catastrophic weather disasters, as well as being hidden by those he did not find desirable. Only on few occasions did an uninvited guest make his or her way through the barriers, in which cases the perpetrator found little to steal, seeing as the island only held articles of comfort. Additionally, the demon's presence was ever-heavy in the atmosphere of his territory, constantly feeding thoughts of deterrence into the minds of the unwelcome; the effect guaranteed, as those who step into his domain are bound by his rules.
In this way, the Demon of Mind lived, drifting through the borders between worlds, visiting upon Hell, the Netherworld, the human realm, and even occasionally Limbo, following his impulses and never being tied down. There are few spots here and there where he visits with greater regularity; where he finds entertainment and captivating ordeals. It is only pleasure, for the desires of himself and others, that he exists.
