Demon - Bard of the 9 Hells
Classification: Demon
Origin: All Bards of the 9 Hells are “children” of the Grand Maestro and one of the Kings of Hell, Beleth. Occult historians argue the exact time frame, but many agree Beleth was one of the first angels to join Lucifer’s side after the Fall. Thousands of occult accounts detail appearances of Beleth at various points in human history, usually appearing during era’s of great artistic expression. All accounts describe the demon’s human form differently, some saying they are a man, others arguing they are a woman. The prevailing theory is that Beleth appears as a mirror of the mortal they are attempting to entice, showing the mortal as they would be if they took Beleth’s deal. Beleth has two demon forms, one of a male big band musician dressed in a large garish suit which routinely changes color, and the other is of a female crooner dressed in a long red sequin dress and a fedora. Both forms have dark red skin, are bald, and have a pointed chin and ears.
Creation: Throughout history, Beleth has courted the great “underappreciated” musicians of their day. They are always musicians who valued the fame and fortune their music would bring them over the pure creation of music. Beleth promises them fame and glory in exchange for their immortal soul. Occult historians note that most of these musicians die in the span of a year or two after the deal is made, with many believing that Beleth orchestrates their deaths so as to have them as servants sooner than they expected. Upon their death, these musicians are sent to hell and become Bards of the 9 Hells. The music they loved in life becomes their curse and they are eternally compelled to spread their music by enslaving and tormenting mortals, usually those who despise music.
Appearance:
Demon Form: Leathery skin, ranging in color from bright pink to dark red. No hair anywhere on their body. Their ears and chin are comically pointed like an old style cartoon of the Devil. Mouth full of bright white, fang-like teeth. Face is covered in intricate design of black scars and gem like protrusions. Long manicured claw-like nails, regardless of gender.
Human Form: Appears as the same age they signed the contract with Beleth. Only hints at demonic essence are flushed skin and unbelievably sharp bone structure, mainly around the chin and cheeks.
Life-Span: Immortal* (see Weaknesses). Bards don’t need to ingest food or drink (although they can do so) to survive. Their vitality comes from the admiration and obsessive love given to them by mortals and supernatural creatures alike. While a Bard can survive without their “fans”, they will waste away and have less success when using their demonic abilities and become incapable of taking on their human form.
Strengths:
- Bards of the 9 Hells are incredibly charismatic, with even older, more powerful supernatural creatures feeling compelled to hear what the Bard has to say.
- By channeling their demonic power into their chosen instrument, Bards can manipulate mortals easily, compelling them to obey any command issued by the Bard, unless it would cause them direct harm. Supernatural creatures cannot be compelled through this magic, but can have their emotions manipulated, depending on the type of song the Bard plays (sad songs evoking sorrow, happy songs evoking unbridled joy).
- Due to their own powers of charm, Bards are immune (or resistant depending on the charmers power level) to being charmed by supernatural means and, unless expertly hidden, can detect when a charm has been used.
- While each Bard has a specific instrument and genre of music that they prefer, they can play any instrument, including singing or dancing, with unparalleled proficiency. However, they can only cast charms using their chosen instrument.
Weaknesses:
- As creatures of music, Bards are susceptible to their own musical charm. If a recording of them using their ability is played for them, the Bard will become entranced by the music, unable to move, and overall compelled to respond to any requests asked of it, unless it would cause them direct harm. Once the recording finishes, the Bard regains control and can no longer be entranced by that recording. However, another recording made of a different instance of them using their ability will produce an effect.
- *While Bards are immortal and cannot die from old age or sickness, their bodies are not much more resilient than a mortal’s. If killed, their soul returns to Beleth and is unable to reform as a Bard.
- Since their soul is owned by Beleth, they must obey any and all commands given to them, else they be stripped of their status as a Bard and be sent back to Hell to be tormented. This does not mean that they are always compelled to follow the task, but few would refuse a direct order from Beleth, even if it meant harm to them.
Life Style: Bards are beings of vanity and as such, they desire a mortal following wherever they exist on the mortal plane. This is usually done by playing their music in bars and nightclubs until they gain enough of a “fanbase” to feed off the collective admiration. They spend most of their time abusing their power over their mortal fans or tormenting mortals who despise music, especially the genre that the demon is proficient in.
Common Personality: All Bards are “born” of a chaotic evil nature due to both their twisted desires in life and the effects of being reborn as a demon. Some occult accounts make reference to Bards achieving a more neutral disposition, and there are even rumors of Bards who became good, although there is no hard evidence to support it. But all Bards tend toward the chaotic end of the spectrum. They are incredibly excessive and garish, dressing themselves in over-the-top outfits reflecting their genre of choice. They have a very high opinion of themselves, rarely admitting personal fault and almost always laying the blame at someone else’s feet. They are prone to debauchery of all kinds and have very little respect for the “rules” of modern society. Bards despise anything they find “unattractive”, although the exact definition is different for every Bard.
Affiliation: Bards hold allegiance only to themselves and their patron Beleth. Two or more Bards in one city is a rare sight since they are very territorial over their “fans”. If they are forced to coexist with others of their kind, they typically will do whatever they can to undermine their brothers and sisters.
Vampire Interaction: Vampires cannot draw blood out of them and if they manage to acquire their blood somehow, it won't sustain them but it will give them auditory hallucinations of music for the next 24 hours.