===== The Devil =====

The Devil is not regarded by modern theologians as one of the Archdemons of [[..:..:The Choir & The Legion|the Legion]], nor as a fallen angel in the traditional sense. He is instead classified among the most dangerous of manifestations: a being born from desperation itself. He appears when invoked, though invocation rarely requires ritual. Loneliness, ruin, addiction, jealousy, artistic hunger, and the quiet terror of obscurity have all proven sufficient. Where a mortal whispers that they would give anything, he listens. And more often than not, he answers.

Descriptions of his appearance are remarkably consistent across continents and centuries. He wears a white suit cut in an older style, immaculate and sharply tailored, paired with a red tie that seems almost too vibrant against the pale fabric. His hair is black, slicked back and shining with grease. His nails are painted a glossy black. His eyes are green, but within those green irises burn pupils the color of fresh embers. He does not smile. He grins. The grin never reaches warmth, yet he laughs often, quick and amused, especially when discussing the price of what is being asked. Witnesses describe him as charming, conversational, even companionable. He prefers bars to cathedrals, crossroads to courts, backstage corridors to battlefields.

The Devil’s agreements are never symbolic. The results are real. Musicians wake with impossible talent in their fingers. Fighters discover strength beyond their natural frame. Bankrupt men rise to wealth. The lonely become adored. The overlooked become legendary. In every case, the beneficiary believes they have outwitted fate. In every case, the cost arrives later and with precision. Relationships erode. Health collapses. Reputations curdle. Those who sought freedom find themselves bound by invisible contracts that tighten over time. The Devil never needs to threaten. He reminds. He jokes about the terms. He keeps meticulous account.

Unlike many primeval entities, The Devil does not destroy indiscriminately. He curates ruin. He thrives on the moment when a mortal believes the bargain was worth it. Scholars of [[..:..:shardisite]]-manifestation theory argue that he is sustained not by fear alone but by ambition without patience, by talent without humility, by desire untempered by discipline. He is the whisper at the crossroads and the laughter in the empty dressing room. He is the answer to the question no one should ask aloud. And he always collects what he is owed.