tick tock went the clock—

[multipliable]

the devil's martyr

verse

LYRIC LINE

• In a world not too different from our own, a war rages on between Heaven and Hell. An eternal strife between the angels and demons, the saints and the sinners. Their chosen battlefield was the very soils of Earth. Forever eclipsed by the horrors and destructiveness of an unceasing holy war, humans became the tools of the two opposing factions. They were turned into puppets and soldiers, either tricked or forced into doing their bidding. The population quickly dwindled as a result.

• YEAR CCC-99, human population is only in the thousands now. Most of Earth has been turned into ruins or active war zones, but in order to salvage what is left of God's once beloved creations, Heaven and Hell struck an accord and granted three cities for humans to safely live in. The cities were named Arsi, Ros and Ventus, scattered throughout what we would know as Asia. Of course, whatever treaty was established didn't stop either side from continuing to use humans for their own gains.

• YEAR CD-49, a mere fifty years later — a prophesy came to light of a human who would become the deciding hand of fate for a clear victory between the two sides. Heaven and Hell went into a frenzy looking for the one known as "The Martyr of God". Little information is known of them, except that they would have the mark of Creation. And so the search began for any human who would have such an unique symbol.

• Our story begins in the year D-55, a little over a hundred years since the emergence of the prophesy. Human population is currently in the low thousands. Arsi and Ros have become the cities of the sinners and the saints respectively with Ventus as the only true remaining neutral ground. The Martyr has still yet to be found, but the Devil has set a plan in motion of his own — and his name is Ilias.

the martyr

LYRIC LINE

Name Ilias
Gender Male
Species Presumably, human. He is The Martyr of God, so he may be a divine entity.
Birthday June 24
Age 32
Height 6'2"

Sexuality Bisexual
Marital Status Single

Faction Heaven, but secretly aligned with Hell.
Current Location Ros, Earth
Soul Rank Primary

CONTENT WARNING: physical and psychological abuse, violence, self-harm, human experimentation, institutionalization, mental instability.

BACKGROUND
• Ilias is the primary soul. He is the one who's awake the most. You could say he's the host of the body, even if he's beginning to question it.

• He is an orphan who was taken in by a group of traveling performers. No idea who his parents are. He was taught and trained in not only acrobatics but a variety of different stunts while he grew up. The ringleader was cruel and volatile. Screw up? Get beaten and no food for the day. Screw up again? Get beaten, no food, and no sleep. It goes on and it gets worse.

• When he was 15, he ran away from the troupe while they were traveling through Ros. He didn't get to enjoy his freedom for long before he was forcibly recruited to be a soldier for Heaven. Defiant by nature, he stirred up one too many troubles for himself. Once again, he was repeatedly beaten and punished for his unwillingness to cooperate. His behavior never improved, so the angels decided to use him for something else. With little luck in their search for The Martyr, Heaven grew restless and the Archangels began to toy with the idea of human experimentation and it just so happened that they needed a new subject for a project that has met more failures than successes.

• The Multi-Soul Infusion Project, or Project MSI, was research into whether a human vessel can contain more than one soul for a form of advanced reconnaissance. Ilias was going to be the final subject before they would permanently shut the seemingly futile experiment down. To their surprise (and absolute delight), he was their first and only success. They were able to inject two souls, Caleb and Aeron, into him over the course of three years, starting at the age of 19.

• Five years later, on the day the angels were going to inject a third soul into him, Ilias managed to escape on what seemed like extremely good luck at the time. It wasn't until he came face-to-face with the Devil himself that he realized it was simply another cruel twist of fate. With no other alternative, he struck a deal with him. He would be his pawn in exchange for salvation. Ironically, he would have to return to his captors first. And so, a third soul was soon inserted into him — Robin.

• YEAR D-55, Ilias is now 32 years old. Project MSI has been terminated for eight years. Known as the Archangel's Blade, he is stationed in Ros as he quietly and efficiently carries out Heaven's Will. Unbeknownst to them, his true alliance falls with the Devil who has promised to free him from his restraints in three years' time. But despite his hope and determination, his grasp for control over his own body has weakened tremendously and he fears that he will no longer be the host.

• To date, Ilias is unaware that he is actually no longer the host. The host is now Robin. He also doesn't realize that he is The Martyr — a fact that Robin (and only Robin) is aware of. The Archangels can control which soul is out, all except for Robin. Ilias cannot communicate with any of the souls. Neither is he conscious of what they do when they're in control of his body. He is the most disconnected.

PERSONALITY
Rebellious, outgoing and witty, Ilias is surprisingly full of life for someone who almost unfailingly gets the short end of the stick in practically every situation. He is strong, stubborn and determined with near inflexible morals and a huge heart. Brave and kind, he wants to use what power he has to help humankind in the face of an endless war between Heaven and Hell. Despite his status as the favorite lapdog to both sides, his innate defiance to authority never really went away. He has a very snarky sense of humor and he believes strongly in the concept of "fist first, talk later". Given his terrible luck, it rarely ever goes well for him. It's a good thing that he is so oddly unbreakable.

Curious by nature and adventurous in spirit, he loves to travel and meet new people. He tends to ask a lot of questions and he is always up for a good time.

But underneath his cheerful demeanor belies a lot of darkness. He hides all of his anger, his fears, and his pain behind his smile and his laughter, yet there are moments when he slips up. He slips up when he finds himself awake in a place he doesn't remember going to, he slips up when he finds the blood of innocents on his hands and he slips up when nightmares and unwanted memories flood his brain.

In those moments, he falls under the spell of alcohol and a searing hot shower as if they can wash away all of his problems. As optimistic and resilient as he tries to be, Ilias knows what he really is deep down — desperate, scared and weak. He may be physically strong, but most days, he feels like he is fighting a losing battle against his own mind and spirit and sometimes that very negativity crushes him to the point where he wants nothing more than to disappear.

And so he does.

Ilias speaks with a subtle British accent. He never takes off the necklace around his neck. His sense of style is utilitarian at best, nonexistent at worst.

ABILITIES
Presumably from years of angelic experimentation (and his own identity as The Martyr of God), Ilias has enhanced strength, speed, senses and agility. He is able to take down lower levels of demons and angels with his bare hands, and he can pick up new skills quickly. With an extremely durable body, he can bear more physical damage and heal more rapidly than most humans. He also possesses a mild case of energy absorption which the Archangels have dismissed as a side effect from Project MSI (as they have done with most of his abilities). He is immune to telepathy and mental manipulation, and he can sense the presence of supernatural beings as well as identify them on sight.

Since he is unaware that he is The Martyr, the full extent of his real powers remain dormant. Robin has, however, discovered that Ilias' body hides a pair of wings and he has psionic capabilities which he has left unexplored for the time being. After all, Heaven and Hell are watching.

With a background in acrobatics and a stint in Heaven's army, Ilias is skilled in reconnaissance, military tactics, hand-to-hand combat and the use of various weapons, ranging from guns to blades. He has an extensive knowledge on exorcising and killing demons as well as other supernatural creatures.

He also knows how to snuff the holy light out of an angel, but it's currently highly ill-advised.

After his deal with the Devil, Ilias will stop aging at 35. He can be killed, but he won't stay dead. After all, his soul doesn't belong to him anymore and until the collector takes it, not even Death can interfere.

the host

LYRIC LINE

Name Robin
Gender Male
Birthday Unknown
Insertion Age 19; injected 2 years after Aeron
Current Age 27

Sexuality Kinsey 4
Marital Status Single

Faction None
Soul Rank The Host | Third (final)

Robin was never supposed to happen. Call it fate or a mistake, but the angels fucked up when they injected his twisted soul into Ilias. Having grown up in the merciless streets of Arsi, Robin fit right in as the cockroach of all roaches. He was a born and bred psychopath who was more than happy to dirty his hands as long as he got what he wanted. He stole, he cheated and he killed. He was a venomous snake in a city of rats and he could have had such a promising future.

Instead, he was nabbed right off of the streets at 19 and his soul was shoved down the throat of someone who had five years on him — and it pissed him the hell off.

Emotionally unstable, volatile, and hostile, Robin is like a deranged dog who aims to hurt himself when he can't hurt the angels responsible for his plight. Severely traumatized and angered by the loss of his body, he channels all of his hate through extreme violence. He can't be stopped either. The Archangels have control over the other souls, yet despite all of their best efforts, they can't seem to control or get rid of him. And so the only solution for them is to restrain and lock him up whenever he surfaces.

And he surfaces a lot.

As the host, he can almost always emerge when he wants to. He is fully aware of everything that happens even when he isn't in the driver's seat and he can communicate with both Caleb and Aeron easily. He can't, however, prevent the Archangels from forcing a switch and he is constantly in a power struggle with Ilias who seems to be able to wake back up at any moment when he is out.

During a forced switch, Robin is suppressed for at most 24 hours, but once he regains control, there is no way to shut him back in until Ilias wakes up or he chooses to step aside.

Antisocial, ill-mannered and sarcastic, Robin has a serious potty mouth and a bad attitude. He rarely smiles, a frown permanently etched onto his forehead. Due to consistent forced isolation, his sanity has slowly been chipping away at the seams over the years. If Ilias fears loss of control, he fears a loss of self. Robin scratches his arms incessantly, so all of the souls are required to wear a pair of gloves at all times in case he surfaces. He switches from docile to rabid in the blink of an eye, especially when he catches a whiff of the divine. There is nothing he hates more than angels.

As mentioned, Robin knows Ilias is The Martyr of God. He may be the only soul who can awaken (and therefore use) his powers other than Ilias himself. This revelation came to him purely by accident. He has yet to decide on what to do with his current knowledge, so until then, he is more than happy to let Ilias continue playing host. He doesn't enjoy being out, but he always immediately emerges after Aeron.

Robin speaks with a Brummie accent. He cares very little about the way he looks, so he is generally unkempt. He likes ravens, hoodies and sharp pointy things.

the scientist

LYRIC LINE

Name Caleb
Gender Male
Birthday August 30
Insertion Age 17; injected when Ilias was 19
Current Age 30

Sexuality Kinsey 2
Marital Status Single

Faction Heaven
Soul Rank The Prototype | First

Caleb was the first soul to be injected into Ilias. Born into an elite family in Ros, he was the second oldest out of four. His parents were one of Heaven's favorite puppets, completely fanatical and loyal to the Archangels. They were disgustingly subservient and they taught their children to be the same. While growing up, he wanted nothing more than to please his father and mother, yet he could never outshine any of his other siblings. In fact, he was considered the most defective with his mild misophobia and his obsessive compulsive disorder. He could never become a soldier of Heaven.

Not that he cared to join the army. His interest had always lied with the sciences. He wanted to invent, experiment and cure. He wanted to make a name for himself and finally be acknowledged by his parents. His ambitious desires and crippling insecurities ultimately led him to Project MSI.

Young and stupid, he jumped at the chance to help the angels who'd sought him out.

Blinded by his faith and naivety, he lost himself as a result. He may have gained the praise of his family and he may have acquired all the tools and resources he needs to pursue his goals, but he is no longer him. And as if fate hasn't laughed at him hard enough, he once again shares a life as the second of four and every single one of them outshines him. He can't even control when he comes out.

Caleb is cold, detached and systematic. Serious to a fault and socially awkward, he prefers to focus on his work. He is exceptionally talented at pharmaceutical and biological sciences, becoming one of the few humans the angels have recruited into their various projects. Bitter and jealous, Caleb has very low self-worth which he has buried beneath a mountain of skin-deep pride. He may seem cool and collected, but he is genuinely a high strung, self-loathing ball of anxiety.

He speaks in an American accent, clinical and dismissive. Obsessed with cleanliness, he is the only soul who likes wearing gloves on his hands. He never takes off his lab coat, not even in public.

the hitman

LYRIC LINE

Name Aeron
Gender Male
Birthday August 3
Insertion Age 25; injected 3 years after Caleb
Current Age 35

Sexuality Pansexual
Marital Status Single

Faction Heaven
Soul Rank Second

Not much is known of Aeron's past. Oldest of the souls, he originated from Ventus where he was the guardian of his eleven year old niece and his eight year old nephew. With no allegiance to Heaven or Hell, he became a hired mercenary, working for anyone who had the means to pay him for his services. Charming and easygoing, he always kept his word and he had a flawless track record with completing jobs disregarding their level of difficulty. It was his confidence in his abilities and his cocksure attitude that persuaded him to accept what could only be called a suspiciously dangerous mission. Long story short, he crossed the wrong people (and, by people, we mean angels).

Normally, Aeron was too smart to fuck with demons and angels, but his contact was willing to pay him an insane amount of money and they happened to leave out the very minor detail that he would be coming up against angels. He naturally completed the job, but it would become the one instance in his life where he wished that he had failed. Suddenly, he caught Heaven's attention in the worst possible way. With little time to spare, he managed to send his niece and nephew away, but he was captured and introduced to Project MSI. His soul was shoved into the body of a 22 year old Ilias.

Aeron is the Archangels' favorite for carrying out missions, especially when it concerns ones that Ilias would disagree with. For the sake of his niece and nephew, he complies with their wishes only so that they won't have reason to search for them. Although his life has taken a pretty awful turn, he may be the only soul who isn't too worked up over the loss of his body. Flirtatious and playful, Aeron will hit on and sleep with anyone he finds attractive. It doesn't matter if they're human, demon or angel. He loves good food, good music and good parties. Even if he has no control over when he gets to come out, he takes advantage of every second that he is active. But despite how genuine his carefree attitude is, he occasionally can't help but think how much happier he would be if he could see his family again.

Aeron speaks in a light Scottish accent. Sweet and caring, he has a soft spot for animals and children. He loves to wear leather jackets and tinker with vehicles. Robin argues with Aeron the most.

relevant info

LYRIC LINE

TYPING QUIRKS
• Ilias: he types like this with little to no punctuation
• Caleb: He types with perfect grammar.
• Aeron: he types like this with perfect grammar.
• Robin: he gives like 0 fucks lots of runons zero grammar