The avatars of the Yama Kings, the Lords of Death are
their manifestations on Earth. In order to operate directly in Earthly matters,
the Yama Kings created these beings of lesser power. The Deathlords operate as
their creator consciously wills, but command far less power than their cosmic,
otherworldly selves. Even so, the power they do wield is still formidable. Each
Yama King has one Deathlord avatar, while each Deathlord has six Third Circle
Demons serving beneath him. Should a Deathlord be vanquished, a new one is
created from those Demons once the Yama King recovers after a year and a day.
Being such unique entities, each Deathlord has a unique martial arts style,
which only he or she can practice. Because they are diluted forms of
divinity, the Deathlords represent the diminished strength of the Yama Kings,
as well as their amplified flaws and weaknesses. The Tennin, longtime foes of
the Yama Kings and their brood, have conjectured that each Deathlord has a hamartia—a fatal flaw that, if
exploited, could expedite the slaying of a Deathlord and more negatively impact
its Yama King counterpart.
The First and
Forsaken Lion is the avatar of the Demon Emperor. In this form, the Demon
Emperor is a tall, broad, muscular man wearing combat fatigues. Currently, he
operates as an arms dealer and tactician-for-hire. In doing so, he proves his
military capabilities to those of ill repute, earning their respect and fear.
One day soon, he will create a military state through bloody warfare, then
expand his military conquests across the globe. He practices Hungry Ghost Style,
a demanding martial art that complements the Lion’s hunger for conquest. It is
characterized by its destruction of the opponent’s body, as if a malevolent
spirit were eating away at it. The Demon Emperor has made the Lion less active
as of late. While his opponents worry what he could be plotting, the Demon
Emperor worries, too. When the Demon Emperor instills the Lion with enough rage
to destroy an army, the Lion begins to disobey the Emperor’s commands, becoming
a mad creature bent on destroying anything and everything around him.
The Bishop of the
Chalcedony Thurible is the avatar of the Princess of Hell. In this form,
the Princess is an old, wizened man wearing robes of the Catholic Church. He
has infiltrated the organization and has spent the last decade legitimizing his
candidacy for Pope, including creating a believable and righteous backstory. If
and when he ascends to the Papacy, he will use his influence to sway the
largest religion in the world for the benefit of Yomi Wan. He employs Gentle
Embrace Style. It is a seemingly unassuming Style, using light attacks, if it
deals damage at all—until the Bishop uses its most potent technique to
devastating, crushing effect. The Princess of Hell constantly pushes the Bishop
to the point of exhaustion and often beyond. She has found that the longer she
allows the Bishop to rest between missions, the more difficult it becomes to
get him working at full capacity again. When troubles in Yomi Wan prevented her
from concentrating her efforts in Earth for quite some time, the Princess was
shocked to find the Bishop disobeying her commands in favor of laziness—a
shameful discovery she has not disclosed to her fellow Yama Kings.
The Dowager of the
Irreverent Vulgate in Unrent Veils is the avatar of the Grand Arbiter of
Fell Wisdom. In this form, she appears as a tired old woman usually wearing a
white lab coat. She operates as a researcher examining lethal diseases.
Centuries ago, she used her fell powers to orchestrate the epidemic known as
the Black Plague. While this seems to run contrary to the Grand Arbiter’s
desire for stasis, she did it in order to strengthen the population. She
continues her work, quietly mutating viruses and performing open tests on entire
populations, all for the twisted benefit of strengthening mortals—and
instilling obedient fear in them. She emulates her diseases through Poxes of
Contagion Style, a bizarre martial art that grows like a tumor, shutting down
vital systems, until it bursts and spreads its infection. The Grand Arbiter has
spent the last century crafting the Dowager into an autonomous pawn, so that
she may better focus her efforts on organizing the society of Yomi Wan. When
she checks in on the Dowager, she is pleasantly surprised: the Dowager has
acquired many new things of great value and expanded her network of influences,
drawing in a torrent of funds from many sources. Even so, the Grand Arbiter has
begun to notice trivial objects in the Dowager’s collection, what the mortals
would call “pretty.” The Dowager always has a clear and convincing purpose for
the possession of these objects, but doubt scratches at the heart of the Grand
Arbiter. Does the Dowager really need a diamond tiara for the next global
disease conference?
The Lover Clad in
Raiment of Tears is the avatar of the Herald of the Emerald Winds. In this
form, she appears as a beautiful celebrity famous for genuine talent, but more
famous for her amorous escapades. The Herald actually invests her entire
consciousness into this form while resting within the Emerald Sun, using it as
an escape from the boredom. The Lover seeks to become an international
sensation, then use that reputation and her sex appeal to seduce, corrupt, and
cast down the righteous and politically mighty—all for the thrill of it.
Despite the emotional wounds she’s inflicted on others and her own inner
turmoil, she simply bitterly laughs them away. Through Laughing Wounds Style,
she channels her pain outward, inflicting harm on those who have harmed her.
The Herald sometimes gets carried away with her search for the next great
thrill, however. She has discovered that she gets a rush by surrendering her
will to that of the Lover, granting her puppet full control. When she does so,
however, the Lover is filled with the Herald’s need for release and validation
by indulging in wanton, lustful crusades. The Herald had a bad trip recently,
however, when she found that the Lover was reluctant to release control back to
the Herald—but that fear is quickly wearing off, as the danger that situation
poses makes it all the more thrilling.
The Mask of
Winters is the avatar of the Shadow of All Things. In this form, he appears
as a slender, enigmatic figure wearing a featureless white mask that completely
covers his face. He is a multiple agent, far surpassing even the most talented
double agents in his ability to simultaneously manipulate different
organizations. He never lets on what his actual goals are, but he has
accumulated many favors and options for blackmail. He waits in shadow for the
moment, waiting until the right moment to strike and suddenly seize control of
a major power—preferably one with nuclear weapon capabilities. He has the
ability to slip through shadows, granted to him through Ebon Shadow Style. This
martial art focuses on deception, surprise attacks, and immobilizing enemies
for an easy finishing technique. Despite his own slippery nature, the Shadow of
All Things is a tyrant through and through. He fears he may have put too much
of himself into his avatar, however, as there are times he cannot locate the
Mask after having turned his attention back to Yomi Wan. When he does find the
Mask, he is often in the midst of petty identity theft. Police are still trying
to piece together the story behind a woman’s insane account that her missing
husband dissolved into black smoke before her eyes.
The Walker in
Darkness is the avatar of the Mother of Poisons. In this form, she appears
as a strapping man with several horrific scars—some from cuts, many from burns.
Embracing the Mother of Poisons’ dichotomic philosophy of beloved and reviled,
he is a mercenary. He is seen as a liberator and hero of those who hired him,
and amoral and villainous by those whom he has slaughtered. Even though he is
capable with modern weapons, he prefers chemical and biological warfare—they
are much more effective weapons than bullets and rockets, and few forces
anticipate their usage. The Walker channels the dichotomy of the Mother of
Poisons through Dark Messiah Style. At times, the savage darkness of the art is
apparent, but at other times the Walker is truly seen as a benevolent savior.
The Mother of Poisons finds herself putting in an unexpected amount of resources
into the upkeep of the Walker. As time goes on, she finds he must consume more
and more to remain fully active. Even as the quantity of what the Walker
increases, so too does the necessary quality. Military rations and fast food no
longer suffice. The Walker has hired a team of professional chefs to serve him
culinary masterpieces five times a day, much to his company’s delight. There
are times, however, when the Walker’s appetite becomes too great, and he
indulges in consumption of human flesh and blood, which he finds is more
satisfying than traditional foods. The Mother would not mind this idiosyncrasy
if the Walker did not shrug off her control when he pursued a cannibalistic
meal.
Those Tennin who have worked closely with Christian
exorcists or have read supplemental Christian texts learn that the Christian
faith recognizes seven deadly sins: wrath, greed, sloth, lust, gluttony, envy,
and pride. The Tennin have casually discussed the association of the Deathlords
with the deadly sins. While many associations are interchanged, the small group
of Tennin who strongly believe in the validity of the associations grow
worried—there are seven deadly sins and only six Deathlords. Many of their
peers would argue that one of the Deathlords, most likely the First and
Forsaken Lion, could have two sins associated with him, as he is the avatar of
the Demon Emperor. They hold true to the one-to-one associations, however, and
propose the secret existence of a seventh Deathlord. And should there be a
seventh Deathlord, that would imply the existence of an unknown Yama King.
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