Patrons of the Forbidden

The residents of the Demonastery originate from across the many regions and kingdoms of the world of Rathe, unified only by their voracious appetite for arcane knowledge. Biomancers, arcanists, wizards, conjurers, summoners, witches, necromancers, alchemists, and mechanologists number among those who now reside within the mansion, each with their own agenda and field of study.

Every resident of the Demonastery has decided to pursue their own research at any cost, regardless of the consequences. These scholars, irrespective of their backgrounds, are united by their single-minded determination to delve into fields of study long since abandoned by the rest of Rathe. The Demonastery provides a safe haven for these outcasts, exiles and fugitives, offering the opportunity to seek knowledge interference.

For some, that knowledge unlocks a power which grants them the ability to control the world around them. For others, their research is the basis of understanding and wisdom, a quest born out of sheer curiosity. No matter the reason for their arrival at the gates, all residents are welcome at the Demonastery, which changes to fit the needs of those who live within it. Their rooms transform to match not only the scope of their research, but also the value of their studies to the Demonastery itself. Every resident's work is compiled within the manor's records, accumulating an archive of the studies of every person who has passed through its halls.

Residents

Aramis

An incredibly reserved and private wizard, who rarely leaves his room. No one knows exactly what he's researching, beyond the fact that he seems incredibly interested in learning runescripts, and that he studies alchemical formulas.

Caoimhe

A witch who was blinded many years ago, when her twin brother lashed out at her in a violent rage. She learned to 'see' again with the help of her bonded familiar, a falcon named Lorcán, as the result of a ritual which has allowed her to see what he sees. Since coming to the Demonastery, Caoimhe has been studying the magical potential of Rathe's creatures, and their potential connections to íArathael, taking a particular interest in the animals which exist on the other side.

Corva

She had studied necromancy, biomancy and blood magic. After clashing with the Arknight, Viserai, she was disembowelled, and her corpse went missing shortly afterwards. Viserai is known to have taken a grimoire from her corpse which contained all of her research and personal notes, but the tome disappeared shortly afterward, and its whereabouts-and contents-remain unknown.

Jerome

A scientist who takes apart the corpses of various creatures, and stitches together an amalgam of their bodies. Sometimes he seeks to create beings of old, creatures which have not been seen on Rathe for centuries, if not millennia. At other times, Jerome has worked on his own inventions, splicing together different creatures to create one perfect, intriguing anomaly of nature. His associate, a wizard with a penchant for the sciences, lends aid where possible, imbuing Jerome's creations with the illusion of life.

Ivor

When his wife was killed during an experiment gone awry, Ivor was driven mad by his loss and the guilt of having caused her death, and became determined to make it right. At first, he thought there might be no way to bring her back; the arcane energies had reduced her corpse to dust, and so there was no body within which he could revive her. However, Ivor was nothing if not resourceful. It began with a pair of kind, deep brown eyes, accompanied by a polite smile, passing him by on the street. Then her flaxen gold hair, shining softly in the sun; her gentle, dainty hands; her high cheekbones; her dimples. Piece by piece, Ivor began to rebuild his wife, determined to bring her back. When the other townsfolk began to question him, demanding answers as to the loss of their kin, Ivor was forced to relocate to the Demonastery-a place where no one would stand between him and his beloved.

Leone

A short, stocky metalsmith, with an obsession for massive metal constructs, Leone is determined to create a golem capable of independent thought. However, due to her lack of aether affinity, she has struggled to find a way to properly animate her beloved creations. While they can follow simple orders, they lack the intelligence and consciousness necessary to interact with the rest of the world, and some of Merle's former neighbours have taken offense to their occasional involuntary convulsions. It wasn't the golems' fault, of course; sometimes other people got too close, and Leone was still working on their threat evaluation. (Apparently, some people have a very strong response to having an acquaintance's brain matter splattered across their face.)

Maeve

The exact nature of Maeve's studies is unknown-perhaps even to Maeve herself. Once a talented alchemist selling her wares in Metrix, Maeve had to flee the city after 'accidentally' poisoning one of the Cogwerx Conglomerate's top scientists. Within the relative safety of her rooms, she is free to experiment with all manner of potions, poisons and elixirs. Occasionally, she trades some of her rarer mixtures with other residents of the Demonastery, in order to procure a new batch of ingredients for her mysterious projects.

Niall

An arcanist researching the formation of arcane armour, Niall works to create a set of armour which can be worn by a wizard, and charged with aether in order to form a kind of barrier against both physical and arcane attacks. This armour would theoretically work in tandem with the wearer's own aether affinity. Unfortunately, he can't quite seem to make any of his creations fireproof, and willing test subjects were rather hard to come by in his village. Luckily, the Demonastery has no shortage of volunteers-every other week, someone arrives on his doorstep, begging to enter his laboratory... although, on reflection, this may be the result of his visitors trying to escape the cannibal who lives two doors down.

Steve

Steve's specialty lies in plants. In the eight years since he arrived at the Demonastery, he has holed himself up in his room, trading plant materials with other researchers in exchange for information and supplies. His room is overflowing with almost every plant known to man, including some varieties long since thought extinct; as his rooms lack any clear source of light or water, some residents are curious as to how he manages to keep his plants alive.

The Arcane Arts

Most of the Demonastery's residents have studied the arcane arts in some form or another in their careers, seeking to understand the nature of the aether and how it affects the world of Rathe. Some are born into the ways of power, drawing their innate abilities from their own bloodlines; others spend their lifetimes in studying their chosen path, learning how to call upon the blessings of their guiding figurehead. Still others choose a different route, looking to possess the kind of influence which can only be offered by the Shadows.

There are entities which remain unknown to the general population of Rathe, lingering just beyond the edge of the physical realm. Those who seek true supremacy call upon them, trading away their own knowledge, their minds and souls, their futures and their pasts, in exchange for the power of the Shadows. Making compacts with these beings is an unforgivable crime throughout most of Rathe, and those who pursue Shadow aether often face severe consequences for practicing their craft. The Demonastery is the only place in the world where the study and practice of Shadow aether is not only permitted, but encouraged.