Jekyll

"For an overview of this character in the scope of the multiverse, see: Jack (multiverse)"Jekyll Devoire is a citizen of the city-state of Vorare. His friends call him Jack--or would, if he didn't keep scaring them off. Most people call him the Voratian.

Jack is a strange sort of person, equal parts peaceful and warlike at his own discretion. Despite his heritage, he is largely friendly towards humans--in his way--his presence instantly magnetic to those who are not immediately frightened. He is intentionally a little uncanny, just to unnerve folks.

Jack harbors a strong desire for understanding between his people and the residents of Paraphilia. It is in this interest that he seeks the role of ambassador, in the hopes of fostering a peace between them.

The Halfling Prince
Jekyll came into the world with the death of his human parent, a victim of an ancient and powerful devourer demon.

For the heir to the Spiked Crown to be partly human was seen as a sign of the King's age and delicate position. With devourers largely extinct, it had little choice but to create him. The power and suffering required for the process only cemented that Jekyll was born with a debt to repay. His creator needed an heir, one willing to defend its hold over the surrounding country. He was expected to be a demon, regardless of his nature, and to be a formidable one. If not, the Dark King promised, it would simply take him back.

Needless to say, there was little affection between them. The Dark King tolerated him if only because it needed him, and Jekyll tolerated it because he could not hope to overthrow it.

At least, not yet.

Between Worlds
Raised under strict expectations, Jekyll quickly became familiar the temptations of the human body, and the ease with which they were gained. Any person he gazed at long enough eventually came to his hand, any flesh he considered offered for his enjoyment. He ate a lot of people; it was expected of him, and he enjoyed it. Still, the lingering knowledge of his heritage niggled in his ear, even as he sought to play to his creator's tune. As a demon, it was his right to take what he chose--but a human had died to create him, and so he was human, too.

The duality of his existence drove him to the edge at times. The more he sought to embrace his demonhood, the more his other side seemed to hamper him. Though given the powers of his creator, he was unable to take full demon form at will, left in his halfling guise even as he hunted. The judgment of the others and his creator weighed on him. He took to self-mutilation, tearing at his body in hopes that it would come apart as it was meant to, and harming himself in the process. Then, he would regenerate, and the cycle would repeat.

His failure to manifest the power he had gathered displeased his creator, and with every passing day, his mind whispered of his impending fate: to be eaten, and recycled into something more useful.

Just like his parent before him.

Through Mortal Eyes
Jekyll never knew his mortal parent, due to the nature of his birth. Attempts to identify them led to nothing, as the Dark King valued no human beyond their use as food. Often, he wondered what would drive a vulnerable mortal to such things. To be devoured by a god, in order to create a child they would never know.

If it was willing, the reason was probably kink. After all, their province was called Vorare. More than likely, it was not. Even having known the pleasure of such exchanges himself, he could not imagine someone desiring such an end as being eaten alive. As the threat loomed overhead, Jekyll began to reflect on his nature, and decided in the end that perhaps the other half of his blood deserved consideration.

Embracing a more humanoid appearance, Jekyll sought out largely human villages, settling to watch the goings on with the neutrality of a scholar. He went, having no idea what he was looking for--and the result was mind-boggling.

Though vulnerable to all the threats of Obscenity, he was surprised to find that people in those places lived peacefully, practiced trades, settled in homes and started families. There were even people who co-existed with demons, in a way that was not servile. They interacted with one another in a friendly manner, greeting each other, sharing their names--they even welcomed him. No one questioned his worth, or whether he belonged. They could see that he did not; in a world where everything sought their deaths, it simply did not matter.

The fact of it shocked him. In a world that had only ever shown him violence and death, those with less than him--with less than nothing--seemed the happiest.

Jekyll returned to the keep of the Dark King convinced of one thing: he was going to succeed, by whatever means necessary, if only to replace his creator.

And that was when he met Hyde.

Two Princes
(To be added as it is uncovered)

Personality
Despite his violent and merciless upbringing, Jekyll is very much a people-person, enjoying the trials and trivialities of the average life with all the glee of a child at a fair. Though his body language comes off as intimidating, he is fairly personable, addressing every interaction with an eerily measured calm. He is far from being shy, inserting himself easily into conversations and offering opinions whether or not they were wanted. Most people are too intimidated to question it. His nature gives him certain insights into all things unusual, and his habit of people-watching has left him with an accute sense of when something is amiss. He is very much a hands-on sort; if he senses a problem, he's more likely to handle it himself than to bring it to anyone's attention. His appearance is intentionally unsettling. As "Jack," he retains just enough of his demonic features to make people uncomfortable, all without confirming or denying his heritage. People's confusion regarding his state is a source of constant amusement.

One Wish
(To be added)