Vaz Demonslayer

Morganth was born to parents in a small village in Faerûn. At a young age, her city was ransacked by goblins and her parents were mortally wounded. In a desperate attempt to save her parents, Morganth prays to Asmodeus. He appears to her and bargains her parents’ lives for her first born child. She accepts the terms and the deal is done; thus a witch she becomes. She trains and hones her new abilities and six years later, she becomes burdened with child and births a healthy human son. She becomes overwhelmed with love for her child as well as regret and fear for her pact with Asmodeus. In order to protect her child, Vaz, she flees to a village just below the temple of Tyr in hopes that the temple’s sacred power will protect them and cloud Asmodeus’s searching eye.

One fateful day, Asmodeus comes to collect on Morganth’s dues, having finally amassed the power to materialize near the holy temple. Before Vaz’s eyes, his mother is ripped open and her soul consumed by Asmodeus. Ominously, the Hell Lord turns to Vaz, tears him open, and attempts to take his soul. Before Vaz is drained completely, clerics and paladins of the holy temple, having sensed the demonic presence, storm the room and begin to banish Asmodeus. Asmodeus begins to dissipate but before his presence is rejected, he seethes to Vaz, “This matters not. Learn their tricks and ways and you will become a fine champion indeed. I claim you as mine.” Vaz’s body is racked with tremors and his skin begins to tear; his skull sickeningly splits and obsidian black horns emerge, his flesh tears from his body revealing blood-red skin, a tail descends from his lower spine, and fiend-like wings tear from the flesh of his shoulder blades. The paladins and clerics gasp and Asmodeus smiles devilishly as he finally disappears. Many of the paladins and clerics begin to flee the room, deciding to leave the spawn of Asmodeus to die. One of the older, wiser paladins speaks up and begs them to spare the life of this young boy; he states that he also despises the wickedness and abominations of Asmodeus as well as this spawn but preaches that the justice and mercy of Tyr would not allow for the death of this young boy. The crowd of holy warriors reluctantly agree and revive Vaz. As Vaz heals and grows, the paladins are glad of their decision to save him, seeing much promise in his abilities. He takes his paladin oaths and titles himself Demonslayer. With this new title he swears to Tyr that he will reclaim his mother’s soul and destroy the wicked hell Lord Asmodeus.

The new paladin becomes a drifter in search of vengeance and a portal to the Nine Hells. While he interrogates and tortures cultists of Asmodeus in varying cities across the plane, he begins taking up contracts on monsters and demons in order to earn the coin he needs to survive. Vaz continues to live like this for almost ten years. While praying to Tyr for strength and direction, Tyr leads him to a contract on a village infested by demons of Asmodeus. Vaz thanks his deity and agrees to take up the contract, craving the information he might discover. The contract tells him to travel to the village and seek more information about the infestation from their contact there. Vaz goes to the village and meets with the contact, an unimpressive drunken gnome who slurs on and on about chickens and something called the Cluckoning. Vaz grows impatient with the gnome contact and decides to face the demon horde without the contact’s information. Vaz is quickly outnumbered and has to retreat. The drunken gnome fretfully follows Vaz and explains that he can help the tiefling paladin. The gnome leads Vaz to some sort of temporary workshop underground. There the gnome quickly gets to work, brewing potions, poisons, and deadly blade oils, his drunkenness seemingly vanished. Vaz is astounded by this gnome’s handiwork and apologizes for his previous rude behavior. The gnome brushes off the apology with understanding and wags Vaz out the door with a satchel filled with the brewed potions, poisons, and oils. Vaz quickly defeats the horde of demons with these potions and grows curious of the quirky gnome. The two chat long into the night and the gnome introduces himself as Ipaben Bilmorn; Vaz and Ipaben swap stories and grow intrigued each with the other. Ipaben, excited by this tiefling paladin and perhaps newfound friend, tells Vaz of this guild he works for called the Shield. Ipaben excitedly explains that it is better pay than monster slaying and can provide a more permanent source of shelter. Vaz grows intrigued and Ipaben grows even more excited and carries on saying that the libraries are vast and might hold some of the knowledge Vaz seeks. Vaz is pleased with this new information and interested by the gnome and his offer. The vengeance paladin agrees to join the guild and ventures out with Ipaben in tow to the guild’s quarters.

Personality Traits
I have many scars, some of which I have gained through monster hunting. These I show off and flaunt with pride. Others are my own doing where I have tried to violently remove my new demon attributes. I hide these as best I can.

I relate to and feel sympathy for outcasts and those who are scorned.

My soul has been corrupted by Asmodeus and as such I can feel a lingering pull towards sin, wrongdoing, and darkness.

Ideals
I fight to destroy the evil which corrupts our world.

My marks must be destroyed without question or hesitation.

Bonds
Asmodeus holds my mother’s soul and I must get it back.

I want vengeance for the corruption of my own soul.

Flaws
I tend to be self-sacrificial because of my desire to prove Asmodeus wrong as well as my hatred for my demon body.

I am obsessed with killing every last demon and will brave insane dangers in my quests.

I am fearfully self-loathing of my image and my impurity. (Sidenote: Imagine it like the Catholic priests who used to hit themselves for Christ because of their self-aware impurity and devotion. Kind of like that.)

My life will end at the achievement of my vengeance or else I will not know what else to do with my life.