Helheim (Witches!)

[Magik]

In contrast to the other threads, here's a rambly, different take for some good 'ole sympathetic villains. Inspired, in part, from the lore of Minoria.

Helheim


     Origin
In the time of ancient past, before Eternia was crafted by Kraus's careful hand, Atmos was a soup of energy and life, chaos in complete. He, much like the angels, was just another entity within this realm. When Kraus made his great pilgrimage to craft a new world, a new home for life itself to roost, it was He who slithered onto the procession, hiding amongst the angels. At first, He felt the world was just and good, happiness abound - but as Kraus fell silent in his sacrifice and the angels began to bicker, the beautiful creation began to wilt. A quiet observer, He was stuck as an outside force, kept at bay by Kraus's Procession like so many others. And like so many others, He, in his dissatisfaction to the status quo, began to quietly subvert and influence the world from afar, gaining traction.

For in his great wisdom, He thought he could do better. The world was rife with pain, the cycle of Life and Death within the Stars being all but barbaric in His eyes. Azrael in his infinite wisdom made an attempt, but suffered for it until his mind was no more, preaching an insane cause that was counterproductive to his desires. He, however, agreed with the fallen angel; drastic age was needed for a better world.

A new world altogether, His world.

While throughout Eternia's creation He could do little more then whisper to humanity it was ultimately an equally frustrated Amalia Elaide who made contact with Him, establishing a connection. The Archwitch and He devised a plan together to subvert the world into a new one entirely by way of transforming Eternia into a Spirit Realm, where the concept of life and death didn't exist and, in theory, there would be no suffering. The laws of Spirits and Reality were wholly different, however, and that fact combined with the vehement opposition from the divine spirits, the living gods, made the ideal virtually impossible. However, it was now also inevitable; with the pact between He and Archwitch made their new reality was made and their disciples simply had to bleed it into reality, to subvert and take it over bit by bit.

That is the purpose behind Witches; turning all into spirits, harmonious with nature. Wherever spirits have a pull it is because of Him.

     Boons
Despite their noble, if destructive, intentions however the opposition against Witchcraft was great. It became abundantly clear to Him that he would have to bolster his disciples with power, though he had little to give. Ultimately, by way of "stealing" and transferring it to the spirit realm then the Witch could displace some of that spirit power back into themselves, bolstering their abilites to some degree. This, of course, only made the opposition all the greater, as it was rather permanent, completely preventing a person's soul from being reincarnated short of somehow being transformed back from being a spirit by a similarly equivalent exchange. 

Further more, those within His service already had their souls marked for this realm - if not torn from their bodies once the pact was made altogether. Should their mortal body fall they would immediately be embraced in their paradise, able to be summoned back into "reality" once again by a complicated ritual to serve His will once more. However, this changes the individual drastically both physically and mentally. Physically, the Witch's bod adopts the likeliness of a fusion of human and demon, adopting any manner of quirks and powers. Animal qualities and horns - or antlers - are common, as well as a pale complexion. Universally, however, their eyes are pitch black orbs and their blood equally dark as a testament of His terrible power. Mentally, the fact that their soul has resided as a spirit for so long causes the Witch to suffer a complete dissonance towards what's real and otherwise, though how this effects and individual depends both on how many times they have been reborn and their own nature. Some take to complete, blabbering insanity, while others are merely whimsical and flighty. None the less, the passage of time and death become alien concepts to them, to self-absorbed in petty hedonism and their purpose to care. Anyone they kill would ultimately be kidnapped into the spirit realm, so for these inhuman monsters there was little reason to not. Because of the violence against His disciples they too become increasing violent in an unfortunate cycle.

Fortunately for their enemies, however, there needs to be a bridge between the spirit realm and reality in the first place to bring disciples back, something that is rather obvious and resonant throughout the land; sudden mystical forests where there was not, openly visible spirits dancing through the air while the concept of reality itself starts to bend, and the like. Typically it's rather visiually obvious even from afar when a coven has managed to make a bridge, though such a rift is also painfully obvious to both metaphysical and ethereal wielding magi, albeit differently.

Ultimately, while altruistic and well-meaning He is a bitter, cynical figure, paranoid by betrayal. This mentality bleeds into his followers, making them very secretive. So much so that the spirit realm they populate doesn't even have a name, though followers usually call it Helheim's Domain after Him.