Lord Phineas

"Someday I'll return for his other eye." -Wrath In the shadowy depths of Tya's infernal underbelly, where power and treachery entwine like serpents, one figure rose from obscurity to dominance, his dark strategies earning him a seat at the highest of tables. This is the tale of Lord Phineas, the Viscount of Flame. Phineas was once a minor demon, barely scraping by in the lower echelons of the Infernal Blast. Yet as Valderon gained infamy as the leader of the Chaos Dominion, Phineas foresaw a unique opportunity: By assisting Valderon's ascension in Tya, he could ride the wave of power that would accompany his rise, and moreover peel the Infernal Blast from under the boot of their greatest rival, the Nightmare Council. Though it was a cunning plan, Phineas was not the first to envisage it. For Wrath, Valderon's esteemed loyalist, and leader of the rival faction, had long since been positioning himself for that role, and had no intention of yielding it. To Wrath, the Viscount was just another petty demon lacking the talent needed to ascend. However, such a misreckoning would cost him dearly. Phineas soon learned of a dagger belonging to Wrath, fashioned from a shard of Valderon's own greatsword. Imbued with the Chaotic Lord's essence, this dagger symbolized Wrath's favored position. Understanding that possession of the weapon would gain him attention and respect, Phineas set his sights on it. With patience and guile, Phineas managed to infiltrate Wrath's lair and found the dagger resting on a crimson mantle, its blade glowing dark with malevolent fire. As he grasped it, he felt a surge of power, seemingly a connection to Valderon himself. What Phineas didn't know is that Wrath had placed the dagger there in anticipation of the Viscount— he was tipped off. The moment having arrived, Wrath emerged from the shadows with a dark grin and pounced on the thief, intending to end his reprehensible existence. Caught completely off-guard, Phineas summoned every ounce of his cunning and fury. In a desperate and calculated move, he drove the dagger into Wrath's side, twisting it to the hilt. Wrath howled in anguish and proceeded to plunge his claw into Phineas' eye with a sickening crunch. Aware that it was now life or death, Phineas' twisted mind snapped as he set himself aflame with the blade's black fire, and as the two writhed in pain, fully consumed by the flames of Valderon, Wrath loosened his grip just enough for Phineas to break free, bellowing madly as he vowed to one day finish the job. Both incensed and impressed with his vileness of character, Valderon felt that Phineas had proved himself with sheer tenacity, mutilating his flesh with the dagger's flames in defiance of death. Phineas had earned the respect of fellow demons and the Chaotic lord, but it came at the cost of his physical form, which was burned beyond all recognition. Today, although he wears a bronze mask hiding his facial scars, his body remains charred-black, a reminder of the high price of admission to enter hell's inner circles.