Celio

Celio’s abduction was similar to many children like him - someone in his family tree made a deal with a demon and bartered away the soul of an unborn child. Celio was one of the lucky ones. He was taken when he was still too small to remember the faces of his parents, much less the events that led him to exist in the Pit.

The Pit, as it was so lovingly referred to by those who spent their whole lives within it, was located in Hell and ruled over by the Demon Lord Amel. But Amel had a different name for it, to them it was their Nursery. All children, or souls, owed to him were cast into it and trained - though the training was more of a series of brutal fights that would weed out the weak from the strong. It was as much entertainment for the demon lord and their subjects as it was a way to raise up loyal, and violent, warriors under their banner.

This was the life Celio knew - one of violence and death - and while he knew of nothing better his rage turned on the demons that kept him trapped in the pit and the demon lord that called themself ‘Father’.

His defiance was at first amusing to the Keepers, high-ranking demons charged with overseeing the Nursery and caring for its inhabitants, but their amusement was short-lived. It’s cute when a child rebels and tries to bite the hand that feeds it but it is significantly less cute as that child grows older and stronger. Celio was a problem and the Keepers meant to handle it themselves.

At first, Celio was pit against stronger and older residents of the Nursery. Those that were already undergoing their mutations at the hands of the Fleshweavers or those waiting for the procedures to start. The Keepers did not expect them to go easy on the young drow and grew increasingly more frustrated when the fights led to either a hard-earned victory for the youngling or defeat, but not death.

Naturally, these battles did not teach Celio the lesson they had been hoping for.

Instead, Celio grew angrier and he grew stronger - winning more and more of the battles he was thrown into, and as such he picked more frequent fights with the Keepers. In retaliation, the Keepers began throwing Celio into gauntlet fights. They would have him fight until his body was too broken to keep going - or until he was killed. Unfortunately for the Keepers, Celio was not dying easily or quietly.

There was only so much the Keepers could do. They were not allowed to harm anyone from the Nursery themselves but no matter how high they stacked the odds against the little ‘bug’, Celio only came out angrier and ready to fight more. One of the Keepers had an idea - while they were unable to harm Celio outside forces could. They employed the aide of a witch who, in trade for a favor at a later date, would put together a curse that would surely be the end of the Keeper’s problems.

Celio was cursed with the ability to only speak the language of the demons, Infernal. Anyone who heard his voice, regardless of whether they heard words or just noise, would be sent into a rage, receive a substantial increase in strength and dexterity, and attack until they were either incapacitated or Celio was dead. The only ones who would not be affected were those who spoke Infernal naturally - other demons, as the Keepers could not risk succumbing to this rage and killing the little elf themselves.

With the curse in place, the Keepers were confident that their problem would resolve itself quickly. If the little elf was not killed in the holding cells he would surely be killed the next time they threw him into the gauntlet. Unfortunately for them, Amel had decided to oversee the fights for the evening - curious to see how those undergoing ‘treatment’ were faring and to see if anyone else caught their eye.

Celio fought and the first sound that left his lips caused the fighter in the ring with him to go into a magically induced rage. The magic, and the curse, immediately caught Amel’s eye. The Demon Lord’s rage subsided just as quickly as it had flared at the realization that someone had tampered with one of their ‘flock’ as they witnessed the fight unfold.

Those within the Nursery rarely killed each other and when it did happen it was often an accident. Amel, and their demon underlings, were unable to grasp what it was that made the children comfort and care for each other. Occasionally, one or two could be goaded into turning against the others with the promises of freedom - but overall, until the mutations began, the children took care of each other.

That night Celio took his first life. The fight had been difficult, almost impossible. He had been pit against someone older, bigger, and further along in their mutations than others that Celio had fought. He did not escape unscathed, but even as blood pooled around him he kept his footing. Despite his terror, he glared defiantly up at the faces of the demons watching the fights - at Amel.

Amel liked his spirit.

When Celio next awoke he had been moved lower within the Nursery - to the realm of the Fleshweavers. Rarely anyone his age or younger moved on to the next stage so easily - but Amel had been confident that the defiant little thing would thrive. He was to be set on the path to join the Shrikes - an elite airborne force to protect Amel’s realm and bring death to those residing in the mortal realms.

The Shrikes received their name for two reasons. The first referenced their joining. Upon the completion of their mutations and after receiving their wings they were to fly up to the tallest point of the Nursery - then higher past that to Amel’s keep and drop at their feet within the throne room. Any that were not strong enough to make the flight would fall to their deaths, either to be impaled on the rocky spikes that jutted up from the depths of Amel’s realm or would be dashed across the rocky ground at the very bottom. Secondly, they earned their name for how they would decorate these same spikes with the bodies of Amel’s enemies.

It was his time among the new Shrike Initiates that he met others like him - those who were mad and looking for an opportunity to either escape or takedown Amel. Among them was a young elf, younger than even Celio, a ginger tabaxi, a lizardfolk, and an owl harpy. During this time he also met his partner in crime, a tiefling with dragon ancestry that he would later call Farahday.

The two met during another pit match - Amel liked that Celio was crafty enough to work around the curse that had been placed upon him so he left it, expecting that Celio would only become stronger for it. Despite his best efforts to keep quiet when the older girl snapped his arm he couldn’t help but shriek his pain. His bones were so much more delicate now that they were hollowed out, part of the mutations he was undergoing to become a Shrike, but he was all the faster for it. To Celio’s surprise, she did not rage out as the others did and instead only knocked him out to end the fight.

That was the start of their friendship that only grew as they were pit against each other more and with the discovery that they shared the same pod in the lower levels of the Nursery. She became his voice and before long the others in their pod, other Shrikes-In-Training and Witch Knights-In-Training like the tiefling, began to band together and formulate a plan of escape. They would use these ‘gifts’ that Amel and their Fleshweavers gave them and turn them against their master.

Time held little meaning in the Hells, especially to those in the Nursery. The band of rebels bided their time, slowly built their numbers until there were almost forty, and waited for their respective ascensions. The owl harpy was the one to point out their path to freedom - inside Amel’s throne room was a portal that led to the mortal realms. Through that, they would have their freedom and despite how dangerous it would be the group decided it would be their best bet.

When the time came they acted as one - but their numbers were small and they were no match for Amel and his Witch Knights, Shrikes, and demon guards. The plan quickly changed from taking out Amel and fleeing to just flee - make a break for the portal and get as many out as possible. At the end of the encounter only Celio, the tiefling, the pink-haired elf and about eight others made it out through the portal before the tiefling destroyed it to keep Amel’s forces from following.

While the group of eleven had their freedom they were unsure what to do with it. The world they had stumbled through was so different than what they were used to and the few that had some experience existing it in were horrified to realize just how much had changed and how much time had passed. Some things remained the same - tieflings, drow, and werewolves were still mistrusted, and dragons and lizardfolk were still hunted for their flesh.

Over the course of the next six months, eleven became two. The pink-haired elf was the last to leave - too overwhelmed by how many people were around and all of the new social rules and laws that seemed to vary city by city. To Celio’s relief, the tiefling remained at his side.

It was becoming apparent to Celio that they needed ‘names’. The people they came across all had names and expected them to also have names. He learned that she used to have a name but she couldn’t remember what it was anymore and he suggested that they pick their own. This idea quickly shifted into the pair naming each other, as neither knew what to call themselves.

He called her ‘Farahday’ - after a kind-hearted hunter who had offered them pelts to keep warm and food one night. She called him ‘Celio’ - because it sounded pretty, like a song, and she thought Celio’s voice had a very pretty song-like quality to it.

With their new names the two set off to try and find a life for themselves - and they did, but not a good one. For a time they tried to play by the rules they could only barely pick up and understand but were mistrusted near everywhere they went. Most attempts at making an ‘honest’ living were met with failure so the two looked for other ways to survive and found it in less than desirable places, but they were not picky.

After almost ninety-three years the two had wracked up quite a bounty of themselves but the two had made a living out of survival. They either evaded or killed anyone who came after them - until they met Oisin.

Oisin was strange. He approached them one day when they got lost in a forest for what seemed like days. He talked to them, speaking in riddles and asking them repeatedly what their goal was. Later, they would figure out that Oisin - despite appearing high and offering them something to smoke - had trapped them in the forest and was trying to decide how to deal with them.

Apparently, whatever answers Farah gave to him he liked because after camping together the odd elf led them to the forest’s edge and provided them instructions on how to get to a small town that needed help. He then gave them more gold than either had seen in their lives and sent them on their way with a promise to check in on them soon.

The pair were left incredibly confused - Farahday wondering if they had met some sort of fae as the whole encounter reminded her of old bedtime stories her mother used to tell her before her uncle took her in. They decided they did not want to risk angering the strange fellow and took off to find Kirkfall - a small town barely half a day’s walk from the forest’s edge.

To their surprise, when they entered the city they were not turned away or chased out by guards. They asked to speak to the mayor, a woman who Oisin claimed had reached out to them for help, and were promptly escorted to the woman’s home. They received an audience with her within minutes and came to learn about the town’s dilemma - a creature claiming to be a god had taken up residence in the nearby river. It was demanding tribute in the form of food, jewel, and flesh - without the tribute, it threatened to destroy the town. It was bleeding the small town dry and the mayor had little to offer in terms of payment but swore that if the situation was dealt with she would do her best to make sure the pair had what they needed to complete the job and a place to stay in the meantime.

Farahday and Celio were caught off guard by the reception to the town and even more caught off guard by the way the mayor treated them. They needed little time to discuss, just a quick glance at each other and Farah agreed that they would take a look at it. The mayor made good on her word. The two were given three potions of healing, one elixir, and were set up in the town inn where they were provided with meals courtesy of the mayor.

The two got to work at once and needed only three days to determine that what was threatening the town was not a god and more like some mortal beast and kill it. In those three days the two interacted little with the townsfolk, but the few encounters they did have left a lasting impression. Up until now they had only really seen the suspicious and stubborn side of people and had assumed that was just the way of the world. They needed to take care of themselves and to the Hells with everyone else - but the people in this town didn’t seem to care about what they were. They only cared that they were there and willing to help. In fact, when the two sat down on that third night at the bar to celebrate another completed job, they were surprised to take note of all of the different types of people within the tavern - including a tiefling, she owned the bar.

It seemed as though the pair would be leaving the next day and the mayor saw to it that they had another night in the inn, dinner, and even promised to send them away with what supplies they could offer for their journey. But, when morning came Farah and Celio were reluctant to leave.

They paid a visit to the mayor the next day to offer their continued services - they were unsure what else they could do for the town but they wanted to stay. They would take any work offered to them, they just wanted to stay - and to their delight, the mayor agreed.

Kirkfall became the pair’s home and for the next thirty-five years, they protected the town from any threats that came its way regardless of whether man or beast threatened the sleepy town. Protection was not the only service the pair provided, Farah joined the hunting parties to bring back fresh game and helped with construction or repairs the town needed. Celio, on the other hand, helped out and the bar and looked after the children for a few hours throughout the day while their parents attended to business.

Oisin came to visit from time to time, seeming to be pleased as could be seeing the two thriving within the community. It made them wonder if Oisin had planned it… though the idea of Oisin planning anything seemed quite silly. The three became friends. Sometimes Oisin would stay in town with them or sometimes Oisin would ask them for help that would take them away from Kirkfall for a handful of days but they always returned and were always welcomed with open arms.

One day… Oisin approached them with a much different request. At their side was a young man who looked every bit as lost in the world as they once felt. The kitsune introduced himself as Calixtus and claimed he was searching for someone - the kicker…? He had no idea who it was that he was searching for.

Once again, Oisin offered them coin and asked them to help. It took them three days to come to a decision - the town was thriving but the young fox? Well, it was a miracle to them that he had managed to make it as far as he had on his own before Oisin found him.

Reluctantly, they agreed to help. They thought that this would be a simple task - help the fox find the person he was looking for and then go home. Neither of them could have imagined that they would find themselves a new home and new people they wanted to protect along the way.