The Cardinal Sin

GREED
origins

hunger. it possessed every inch of him, painted his teeth and claws of blood and ichor, soil and sea. it devoured his mind with raw power and a need for more of anything and everything until he could think of nothing else but to fill the void situated where a heart should lay.

he consumed it all. set everything before him ablaze with flames whose shape were akin to that of the jaws of a canine, feeding him with their every scorching bite. none were spared.

it wasn't until the frenzy of devouring all within reach had ceased did he take his first breath. the air carried with it scents unfamiliar. scents of the human realm— of peace and calm. of fresh flowers and gentle laughs. of sizzling meats sold to bright-eyed children and to mothers who exchanged glistening coins for a feast.

they had never known hunger. not as he had. they had so much, and he so little. the darkness that pressed against his every nerve enough to drive a man mad— had they felt it? had they fought it? had they fed it?

he desired it all. to live among the sheep and reap what they sowed. to have the emeralds, rubies, and sapphires that made a face so pretty when dangled from the ears and wrapped around necks. and the silks that felt like the heavens and looked like grace, he would stop at nothing to lay it against his skin. he wanted to drink the wines distilled from hands with skill honed by the decades and to wield the blades forged from the very essence of deceased gods. he wished to command the mystical hum of magic that pulsed through the earth like blood through veins.

there was so much the world could offer. limitless were his options, his greed, and starved eyes shone like gold watching it all fall within reach.

About

he is a temporary servant, heeding any and all commands. lending his power to those brave enough to summon him and intertwine their fates with a gradient of catharsis to ruination where in the end, they would be tainted with the most sought after darkness in hell.

the demon of greed would appear in the centre of an elaborate summoning circle drawn with chalk, alight with candlelight and melodic chimes of a mantra that speak life into the markings around his neck. in a cloak of shadows as a haze of black smoke, he would seemingly smile and ask for a name and a shape with which he would swear this loyalty and do his new master’s biddings.

personalized destruction, catering to a tainted soul’s every whim, satisfying their every demand as fast as they could want it.

but all things come at a price.

once they’ve wrung their desires dry, choking on the very demands that once kept the demon entertained, he would turn his attention to them because his goal had always been them. the time they spent together, be it months, years, or decades, he relished in their desires, splitting open their minds and letting their filthy desires guide his hand in painting them their version of a picture perfect world with the colours of their mind.

that was his favourite part; setting the stage. there isn’t any word to do justice to the thrill he felt bearing witness to the materialized visions held behind each glossy eyed daydreamer with a crooked smile. humans. they were exciting in the way sparks were when they initially burst aflame. but it all ends the same, with the climax of another soul taking their throne amidst his collection as the new novelty, a new jewel cemented in the spotlight of a ravishing performance. he would adore them, put them on a pedestal for the beauty of their mind until the next one came along and summoned him to paint another macabre masterpiece.

TLDR

b a s i c a l l y lucien is a customizable demon who will grant all his summoner's wishes.

he takes on whatever form and name most comfortable for his summoner and will keep requesting new commands and desires to satisfy, fail to give him more, let his entertainment fade and he’ll harvest the summoner’s soul.

he is allowed to travel freely between his realm and the human realm between successful harvests and being summoned again.
during this time he takes on his default form (described below) and goes by Lucien.

BASICS

Name: Lucien
Sex: male
Gender: he/him
Orientation: pansexual
Age: as old as humanity itself, appears 26

DEFAULT APPEARANCE

Height: 6’2”
Build: Slim, toned
Hair colour: black
Eye colour: normally, light grey.
when practicing illusion manipulation, bands of gold surround his pupils. The opacity and intensity of which are indicative of the effort drawn to create his illusions. They’ve only ever turned completely golden once.

Scars: abundant
Piercings: double helix, multiple lobe and cartilage piercings, conch, orbital
Tattoos: A ring of enchanted words in a dead language around his neck— glow when being summoned

ALIGNMENT

neutral evil

ABILITIES

Illusion manipulation: the creation of seemingly real illusions, causing targets to see, hear, touch, smell, and taste things that do not actually exist; alterations of their reality, causing them to perceive things differently from how they truly are.

Illusive appearance: perceived alterations of his physical
appearance to look like something or someone else

Illusionary environment: area-effect illusions that alter the
appearance of the environment

Mirage inducing: illusions that last, and feel entirely real

Cloaking illusion: renders him invisible to the naked eye,
replaces the image of himself with that of his background, an
advance form of camouflage

Materialization: is able to bring the object of his thoughts into real life

Allspeak: the ability to interpret and communicate in all existing
languages (granted by a piercing on his ear)

Levitation

Psychometry: the ability to sense or read the history of an object or person through physical contact

Possession

TRIVIA

he is immortal
he sees no colour in reality, ironically, only in his illusions does he see a vibrant world
he has a vast collection of rare artifacts, manuscripts, weapons, scrolls, potions, you name it and isn't opposed to trading them, for a price, of course

EYES LIE

to the little boy it was a sparkling rose he carried in both hands, delicately as to not damage its beauty. so proud of his find, his eyes were bright and filled with wonder. he had found something magical and his sister would be amazed. she’d praised him and her admiration for her older brother would grow into an awed smile that would warm his heart. he naturally went looking for her to share his delight, but when her gaze fell upon the flower, she let out a gruesome scream.

to her and the rest of the world, his hands were covered in a thick layer of crimson blood. at their center was a heart, a beating heart still warm from some dead animal he left behind in the woods from which he emerged with no memory of the slaughter. no one believed him when he said the heart was not a heart but a rose. not when it still oozed blood with every palpitation.

even though a heart did not beat so vigorously outside the body.
even though it was unlikely a child could have taken down an agile deer all on his own.

their eyes did not lie. and what they saw was the
t r u t h.

WRITER'S NOTES