The Flayer

"Pain/Pleasure. Pleasure/Pain. We flay the mortals doomed to die."

Character Name(s): The Flayer

Good or Evil: Evil

Age / Birthday: Unknown

Physical Appearance: Eighteen feet tall; body consists of an oversized, malformed human skeleton: no legs, an elognated tail of spiked vertebrae, and oversized fingers (four on each hand plus a miniscule thumb; each finger is ten feet long and clawed); horned skull; black eyes; the body is shrouded with a blue-white glow, resembling fire, especially on the arms and back, giving The Flayer a ghostlike appearance, while he is always floating and appears to be "flying" by the movements of his oversized, winglike limbs. His body (except for his fingers) is insubstantial and translucent.

Personality: no human characterisics whatsoever. The Flayer is intersted only in bringing suffering to the unsuffering living. His thought process is completely different from that of the mortals, and is, as such being so much more advanced, cannot be understood by mortals. He cannot speak, but is able to produce sound. The Flayer understands all languages, but does not speak them. He is apathetic and utterly self-serving, putting his own worth before others, except in the case of Azazrael.

History: The Flayer is an upper echelon demon from The Abyss, serving under the Lords of Darkness. Originally a being of consciousness from the higher planes of reality (both the Ethereal and the Astral, which he visited often), The Flayer was--as are a percentage of all beings--corrupted by Darkness and made a demon. The Flayer, as a being of higher creation, mostly of thinking, speaks in stream-of-consciousness and is more ethereal than physical, even in terms of his demonic counterparts. He earned his name from his imaginative treatment of the spirits of the damned. When Azazrael, the Maiden of Misery, began her campaigns in Caerleon, she recruited The Flayer. The demon's lair is in the Graveyard, located in far east Caerleon, where he lords over an army of undead and haunting spirits. He places strong faith in Azazrael, choosing to fear and respect her; this decision inspires respect and dread in return from his demonic allies, as The Flayer is the second-most known and feared demon (after Azazrael) in Caerleon: the most faithful, most powerful retainer in the Order.

Strengths: Because of his ethereal form, The Flayer is able to pass through solid objects. His developed consciousness leaves him being unable to be frightened or surprised. The Flayer can instantly detect any life within a sixty-yard radius, being especially attuned to sentient intelligence. His demonic powers allow him to summon ghosts and to create undead, as well as drain the lifeforce of a mortal, should he pass through a mortal body. His original powers, obtained from the upper planes of reality, allow him to travel distances instantly, and The Flayer also possesses a developed sense of telepathy. His mental powers are the strongest in Caerleon.

Weaknesses: Because of his ethereal body and its skeletal frame, The Flayer has weak defense; but physical damage cannot be made upon his insubstantial body. Only his oversized, razored fingers can give and receive physical and magical damage.

Hobbies: none

Likes / Dislikes: death; suffering; pain; conflict / everything the Light stands for

Weapon (if one): none (not counting his spearlike fingers)

Attacks:

Life Tap
This skill allows The Flayer to literally suck the life from his victims. The Flayer is able to reach into the wellspring of mortality and siphon off its essence, consuming it to replace his own.

Bone Spear
This spell summons a long shaft of bone issuing from The Flayer, and piercing any opponents in its path. Since the force of this projectile is mystical as well as physical it can pass through one opponent and carry on to the next, rending and tearing through whatever is in its path.

Gnashing Teeth
The spell summons a multitude of huge white projectiles shaped like human incisors, composed entirely of negative energies. The Flayer releases them generally in a one-hundred-eighty angle. The projectiles will consume themselves and burn out after a certain distance, if they not first strike and damage a target.

Revive
This spell gives The Flayer the perfect reanimation and control of a dead creature, maintaining the purity and properties of its body while releasing its soul to allow The Flayer full control.