Xaris

"I will find you in the dark..." Whispers in the void Chained to hell by yoke and fetters, the living specter of a shadowy sorcerer endures—a dark mind even the Nether God chooses to keep shackled. Shrewd, manipulative, and cunning, the tale of Xaris, The Soulflayer, is one of relentless guile and treachery. Once considered a brilliant young sorcerer by his colleagues during his research at the White Tower, Xaris kept a low profile, having seen through the facade of academic laurels and accolades and sharply perceiving the bitter hypocrisy of elitism there. Attuned to the undercurrents, Xaris managed to unearth clues hinting at secrets hidden within the White Tower, secrets guarded by its elites to preserve order and protect their reputations. Determined to uncover the truth, Xaris delved deeper, intoxicated by the prospect of exposing these hypocrites for what they truly were: Liars. As he secretly pored over volumes of arcane texts in the Magister's office, however, an ominous truth emerged that rattled him to his core. The White Tower's best-kept secret: There was archaeological evidence suggesting that the Tides of Darkness predate Akkadia's fall by several millennia. If this were true, then the pillars of order and chaos in Tya were a myth—a construct designed to perpetuate endless conflict. As the implications slowly settled in, Xaris soon realized his own powerlessness. Any mention of this discovery would be met with ridicule and disbelief, or perhaps even execution. It became apparent there was only one solution left: he would have to seek out the source of the corruption himself, and blaze a trail forward for true scholars. Quietly stepping away from his studies, Xaris immediately made contact with the infamous Cursed Cult, occultists renowned for their mastery of dark magics. Through them he learned of an entity known simply as the One—the deity believed to be responsible for Tya's corruption, and who the Cultists regard as humanity's final fate. In Xaris, the Cursed Cult saw an intellectual powerhouse, a rare mind who could help lead them closer to discovering the One. Fueled by a sense of betrayal and thirst for knowledge, Xaris obliged. Through agonizing rituals and forbidden incantations, he immersed himself into the pervading corruption, each encounter leading him one step closer to the deity, yet one step away from his humanity. For fear of being fully consumed, he kept a bell at hand, ringing it to remind himself of his true identity. Unbeknownst to Xaris and the Cult, the Nether God, guardian of the realms between worlds, had caught wind of the sorcerer's activities. Fearing a connection forming beyond his control, the Nether God intervened swiftly and ruthlessly. With a thunderous decree, Xaris was banished from the mortal realm and cast into the depths of the Netherworld—a place where lost souls wander aimlessly, trapped in eternal torment. In sick jest, the Nether God used Xaris' own bell to shackle him, that he might keep tabs on his newest prisoner. Now trapped in the suffocating darkness of the Netherworld, Xaris bides his time, his mind consumed by a singular obsession: to collect enough souls to help break him free from his shackles and continue his quest for forbidden truths.