The continent of Arvium. Sixty years ago, these lands bore witness to the arrival of a being henceforth known as the Demon King. His foul, corruptive presence was immediately apparent; nature itself twisted before his very existence, and it wasn’t long before a horde of demons and monsters fell upon the nations of man.
It was a dark time. No matter how many times these heroes struck down the Demon King, death proved to be naught but a temporary setback. He soon returned; He always did. And, when the animals themselves were ready thralls for his forces, attrition was on the Demon’s side.
Driven to desperation, it was the learned men of Arvium who would discover a solution. The Demon’s soul would be pulled from His body, and sealed within that of a human. Without his influence, the demonic plague would fracture and vanish from the face of Arvium. The continent would know peace once more.
It was a solution. But it was a flawed, fragile one. The flesh of the human struggled to contain the Demon’s might, and it wasn’t long before he broke free once more, rampaging across Arvium before he was sealed away anew.
In time, these custodians of the Demon King’s soul would come to be known as “Vassals”, recalling the original meaning of the term which was used to define those who entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or a monarch.
"The Vassal shall devote their life to keep the King in check, while being revered as the savior who bore all of the evil on themself." - From the Chronicles of Arvium, Chapter 6
Today, Arvium appears at peace. The current Vassal, Lady Faratras Hoikade, has contained the Demon King’s soul for nearly 21 years, the longest serving Vassal so far. The people have begun to grow complacent, to truly consider the possibility that perhaps He is sealed for good.
But as is so often the case, outward appearances can be deceptive.
