Mharos

Start-class article · First seen: s09 · Last seen: s16
Mharos
Empraros (uncertain alias / possible deeper name) · the parasite · the demon
Portrait of Mharos.
Character
StatusAlive
First seens09
Last seens16
FactionItself

Mharos is the half-demon parasite that took up residence inside Vasquez in the Black Vein Quarry in session 9, when he accepted a presence’s offer to share his burden and horns tore through his skull [11]. It first called itself Empraros, an uncertain alias, and then gave its name as Mharos [13][14]. It feeds on misery, refuses any bargain and means to make Vasquez its “terrible sword” [20]. Radiant damage burns it [24]. By session 15 Vasquez was feeding it his own pain, by slamming his head into walls, rather than letting it feed on the party [27].

Overview

Mharos is the demonic presence that lives inside Vasquez. It reached him in session 9, mid-fight with the Black Vein Quarry’s specters, as a steady, familiar presence offering to help him carry the weight he bore; when he reached back, horns tore through his skull and the DM rewrote his race as half-demon elf [11][12]. In his head it named itself Empraros, which the wiki keeps as an uncertain alias, and then gave its name as Mharos [13][14]. It is not the succubus of the same session, which Hugo killed, and it is not her alias. It matters as the campaign’s clearest bargain mistaken for a deal: Vasquez thought he was negotiating, and was being colonised.

Appearance and demeanour

It has no fixed body. It speaks inside Vasquez’s head, and twice it has stood outside it: on Vasquez’s watch in session 10 as a smoking figure with burning red eyes, who conjured a stone to sit on, and in session 15 as a figure of pure smoke pacing in front of him, “maybe five centimeters” from his face [15][16]. Through Vasquez’s body it shows as horns, runes and ember-filled veins, and his scarred face and the bars in his mouth are gone [17][18]. It is patient, theatrical and contemptuous: “Don’t worry, little lamb. You will learn.” [19].

Abilities as played

  • Feeds on misery. Its stated aim is “feeding on your delicious misery”, and it is pleased when the group suffers: after Harvo’s death the DM said something in Vasquez seemed happy [20][21].
  • Compulsion. It sends urges, such as wanting to hurt Caelumn, and in smoke form forced a Wisdom save at disadvantage, which Vasquez beat by choosing to succeed [22][23].
  • Burned by radiance. An Aurelian paladin’s sword made Vasquez “feel Mharos burn” for four radiant damage, and its glow burned “the demon within you” for seven [24][25].
  • Changes its host. It rewrote Vasquez’s body, healing his face and giving him horns, runes and ember eyes [17][26][18].

Relationships

  • Vasquez: its host and its “terrible sword”. By session 15 he controls how it is fed [20][27].
  • The Black Mask: in session 12 she told Hugo she had her eye on Vasquez, who “has unlocked something that should probably have been locked away”; she did not name Mharos or say whether it is a rival, and said that once Vasquez is dead the demon has no hold on him [6].
  • The wight: a wight in the upper quarry shouted at Vasquez, “Why did it succeed with you?”, which suggests the offer had been made to others [3].
  • Bison: in the succubus’s vision of Vasquez’s failure, a woman tells him that, instead of the dwarf his father wanted, he now carries “something much worse inside of you” [28]. That this is Mharos is the table’s reading, not the DM’s.

Disposition towards the party

Hostile. It treats the party as a source of misery, and told Vasquez it wanted their pain, or if not theirs then his [20][29].

Notable quotes

“I am Empraros. I am what remains when fear is carried too long and hope is set down. They buried me because I would not stop spreading that weight.” — Mharos (Nick, DM), [13]

“There is no deal. There is only this. There is only me feeding on your delicious misery.” — Mharos (Nick, DM), [20]

“This is your chance. Blame the arcane on her.” — Mharos (Nick, DM), [30]

“I have tried to be patient. I have tried letting you see your grand purpose which is bringing this world to its knees.” — Mharos (Nick, DM), [31]

History in the campaign

Session 9: The Death of Harvo

Main article: Session 9

Mid-fight with the quarry’s specters, a presence settled beside Vasquez and offered to share his burden. He reached back, and horns tore through his skull, his veins filled with embers and the specters frayed as their despair was drawn into him [11]. The DM rewrote his race as half-demon elf, and his face healed [12][18]. A voice in his head called itself Empraros, then gave its name as Mharos, “more of a concept than a thing” [13][14]. A wight above asked why it had succeeded with him [3]. After Hugo killed Harvo, something in Vasquez was pleased with the group’s misery [21].

Session 10: Ruin Joins, the Aurelian Conspiracy, the Plate Armour

Main article: Session 10

On Vasquez’s watch a smoking figure with burning red eyes walked the camp’s edge and sat to talk, saying it needed a vessel and would make him one of “pure fear, despair, and quiet ruin” [32]. His offer of an accord got “There is no deal”, and it vanished with a fanged smile [33]. An Aurelian paladin’s radiant sword later burned it inside him [24][25]. When Vasquez told Risa the entire place would go up in flames if anything went south, something churned in him: “Pathetic” [34].

Session 12: Eldwythe and the Candy Cottage

Main article: Session 12

Mharos does not speak, but Hugo summoned the Black Mask, who said she had her eye on Vasquez, who “has unlocked something that should probably have been locked away” [35]. Asked what the voice in his head was, she said she could tell him but asked what he would do with the information, and left it to Hugo [36]. Told that Vasquez would want help breaking the demon’s hold, she answered that once he was dead, the demon had no hold of him [37]. She never named Mharos.

Session 15: The Death of Ruin and Althea Joins

Main article: Session 15

As an Aurelian patrol demanded Althea, a rumbling voice told Vasquez, “This is your chance. Blame the arcane on her.”; he took the blame himself, and Ruin was beheaded by a chain [7]. In Phil’s smoke a figure of smoke blocked Vasquez’s path, said it would settle for his misery, and forced a Wisdom save, which his feat turned into a success; he headbutted it and told it to feed on him alone [8]. He took to slamming his head into walls to feed it his own pain [38][27].

Session 16: Through the Sewers, Onto the Skiff

Main article: Session 16

In the sewers a voice inside Vasquez offered to read the fourth of the seven locks, and he ignored it and slid every lock open, which did nothing [39]. Later, as the voice came up again, he held up a finger to Althea and slammed his head into the wall for one point of bludgeoning damage [40].

Status

As of session 23. Inside Vasquez, and last heard in session 16 [40]. Vasquez has been treated as departed off-screen since the session 17 retcon (DM ruling 25), and no later session mentions Mharos. The Black Mask has said its hold on him ends with his death [41].

See also

References

  1. ^ Session 9, line 73-87: Vasquez reaches back to the presence; horns tear through his skull; his race is rewritten as half-demon elf.
  2. ^ Session 9, line 187-199: The voice names itself Empraros (an uncertain alias), then gives its name as Mharos: "more of a concept than a thing".
  3. ^ Session 9, line 495: A wight asks Vasquez "Why did it succeed with you?".
  4. ^ Session 10, line 369-385: A smoking figure with burning red eyes on Vasquez's watch: "There is no deal".
  5. ^ Session 10, line 827-931: An Aurelian paladin's radiant sword burns it inside Vasquez.
  6. ^ Session 12, line 223-235: The Black Mask has her eye on Vasquez; she does not name the demon; once he is dead the demon has no hold on him.
  7. ^ Session 15, line 111-119: "Blame the arcane on her"; Vasquez takes the blame himself; Ruin is beheaded.
  8. ^ Session 15, line 479-490: A figure of smoke blocks Vasquez's path; his feat turns the Wisdom save into a success.
  9. ^ Session 15, line 804-1366: Vasquez slams his head into walls to feed it his own pain.
  10. ^ Session 16, line 921-1052: A voice offers to read the fourth lock; Vasquez slams his head into the wall again.
  11. ^ Session 9, line 73-78: Inline citation.
  12. ^ Session 9, line 83-87: Inline citation.
  13. ^ Session 9, line 187: Inline citation.
  14. ^ Session 9, line 197: Inline citation.
  15. ^ Session 10, line 369-372: Inline citation.
  16. ^ Session 15, line 479-481: Inline citation.
  17. ^ Session 9, line 78: Inline citation.
  18. ^ Session 9, line 205-211: Inline citation.
  19. ^ Session 9, line 199: Inline citation.
  20. ^ Session 10, line 383: Inline citation.
  21. ^ Session 9, line 1513: Inline citation.
  22. ^ Session 15, line 803: Inline citation.
  23. ^ Session 15, line 483-488: Inline citation.
  24. ^ Session 10, line 827: Inline citation.
  25. ^ Session 10, line 931: Inline citation.
  26. ^ Session 9, line 87: Inline citation.
  27. ^ Session 15, line 1360-1366: Inline citation.
  28. ^ Session 9, line 1105: Inline citation.
  29. ^ Session 15, line 481-483: Inline citation.
  30. ^ Session 15, line 111: Inline citation.
  31. ^ Session 15, line 481: Inline citation.
  32. ^ Session 10, line 369-379: Inline citation.
  33. ^ Session 10, line 383-385: Inline citation.
  34. ^ Session 10, line 1547-1557: Inline citation.
  35. ^ Session 12, line 223: Inline citation.
  36. ^ Session 12, line 224-227: Inline citation.
  37. ^ Session 12, line 234-235: Inline citation.
  38. ^ Session 15, line 804: Inline citation.
  39. ^ Session 16, line 921-925: Inline citation.
  40. ^ Session 16, line 1051-1052: Inline citation.
  41. ^ Session 12, line 235: Inline citation.