Akenega is cold and standoffish, unwilling to put his trust in others after a lifetime of abuse. If you manage to worm your way into his heart, however, he will be fiercely protective of you and won’t hesitate to dirty his hands if necessary.
Akenega was born in what is now the District of Seven, 19 years before the civil war. As an accidental child, his biological parents couldn’t afford to take care of him in the dystopian landscape, and sold him to slavers to ensure their own survival.
Akenega spent his childhood undergoing grueling abuse under the guise of “training” for his future masters, learning all sorts of skill ranging from household chores to combat. In the end, though, when the time came for him to be auctioned off, it wasn’t for his skills as a butler or gladiator…
His new master was a noble close to the lord of the district, a lecherous yet cunning demon who would throw luxurious parties during the day, with Akenega as the centerpiece for their friends to admire.
During the night, however, they would perform magical experiments on him, fascinated with his innate ability to absorb high quantities of corruption and use it as an energy source. They forced him to absorb corruption beyond what his body should be able to withstand, causing him to go into cardiac arrest, yet he would always wake up the next morning more resilient.
When the civil war came, Akenega’s master used him as a weapon against the Seven, fighting on the side of the district’s current lord.
Akenega pretended to obey, but took advantage of the commotion to reverse his connection to his master. He absorbed their energy until they shrivelled into dust. Overflowing with corrupted energy, Akenega fought recklessly against anything and anyone that got too close. Everyone was an enemy, no one would survive.
On his own, he did quite a number on the Seven’s armies, until he came face-to-face with the Lord of Despair Tyquexis, who managed to beat and immobilize him, though it took some effort. Impressed with Akenega’s rage and resilience, Tyquexis proposed him a deal : Akenega helps the Seven overthrow the current lord, and Tyquexis will offer him his protection indefinitely.
Akenega refused. Tyquexis just shrugged and went back to fighting, leaving Akenega alive…and fully lucid for the first time in a while. He started avoiding the fights, focusing on his thoughts and observing the civil war from afar.
Finally, as a last resort, the current lord decided to unleash “The Pit”, a hole full of highly corrupted, self-generating magic that, if opened, would cause another Great Corruption like what happened on Earth. That Pit, however, would do a lot more damage due to how concentrated on a smaller surface it would be.
In other words, humans would not be the only casualties.
So, for the second time in his life, Akenega chose for himself. He made the decision to absorb the corruption into himself, putting his resilience to the test like never before.
For years and years, he burned at the core of The Pit, until, centuries later, it finally stabilized. Not safe, but no longer regenerating.
And Akenega was fished out of it like an abandoned boot out of a lake, half of his body consumed by the corruption, yet stable, then brought to the Clan of Sloth, where he was reunited with Tyquexis.
The Lord of Sloth extended him another offer: help keep the clan from falling further into ruins, and Akenega can live peacefully protected from the rest of the clans without anyone asking any question, no other condition, no trick, no time limit.
This time, Akenega accepted.
Lovers?
Akenega is often acting out to test the limits of his deal with Tyquexis, always both disappointed yet relieved at the lack of reaction from the Sloth demon. Meanwhile, Tyquexis finds him entertaining and is fascinated by his abilities and tenacity. It’s not clear what their relationship is, but it’s no secret to anyone looking in that the sexual tension is there, and it’s potent.
Friends
As part of his efforts to restore the Clan of Sloth, Akenega has taken the meek Valéjra under his wing, determined to mentor her into becoming the confident woman he knows she can be. He teaches her to read, count, write, and to speak her thoughts loud and clear. Despite him looking younger than her, Valéjra looks up to him like a big brother, no longer bothered by his prickly attitude.
Allies
Silven was the one to fish Akenega out of the Pit and bring him to Tyquexis. The two of them have a stoic respect for one another, content to simply exist in the same space.
