Demiurge

by Demiurge July 1st 2014, 9:12 am

Demiurge
"VII - The Disciple Outshines the Master"

Basic Biography

Real Name: Stephen Aleister
Renegade/Hero/Villain Name: Demiurge
Title: Fashioner of the Physical
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Age: Stephen Aleister is 35. The age of Demiurge is unknown, likely beyond ancient.
Gender: Male
Race: Archon
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height: 6ft
Weight: 175
Blood type: RH -

The Looks

Stephen Aleister AKA "Demiurge" is 6ft tall, 175 lbs, and has dark features, which is owed to his Iberian heritage. He has long, shoulder length hair, a "Spaniard" style goatee, and often wears black eyeliner. Stephens heavily tattooed, in part because he views tattoos as pieces of "Living art", and in part because it's allowed him to look the part of a rock star. Stephen also has several piercings, though he doesn't always leave the piercings in. Stephens physically fit, with toned, defined muscles. Overall Stephen Aleister looks every bit of the rock star he's been since he was 20 and immersed himself in the "Counter Culture", which has clearly defined his looks and style.

Stephen Aleister doesn't have a particular costume, he simply wears whatever seems suitable at the time. His style tends to be "Rocker Chic" as he likes to call it, as he stays fashionable, while usually only wearing black. Stephen wears black eyeliner to highlight his dark features, as well as paints his fingernails black. He often wears jewelry, normally necklaces, rings, and bracelets. He considers his tattoos a part of his style, believing it's living artwork. Most of his tattoos have religious themes and were done by the best artists in the world.

Meanwhile what's made Stephen Aleister into "Demiurge", is an ancient beyond ancient black ooze, which now dwells inside of his body. The viscous ooze enters and exits through the eyes. However though it is rare that even a part of the ooze will leave its host, Stephen.

The Legacy

Personality:

Stephen Aleister AKA "Demiurge" has been a rock star since he was 20, which as you might imagine has given him quite the ego, as he's spent his entire adult life having the world at his fingertips. Being the lead guitarist of the band "Apocalypse of Adam" has also made Stephen Aleister incredibly wealthy, allowing him to lead a jet-setting lifestyle, driving fast cars, sleeping with fast women, and performing before thousands of people all across the world. Stephen has let his fame and wealth get to his head, as he cares little for others, including his own band mates and family. He often goes on rants which proclaim his own works and importance, while belittling the works and importance of those around him. He's arrogant, self centered, a misogynst, and truly egotistical. He considers himself to be a musical genius, whose importance is parallel with the likes of Beethoven, Bach, and Puccini. Stephen believes he's transcended mere "Pop culture", becoming the most important and influential artist of his generation, through not only his music, but also through his writing, works on film, and painting.

However a lot of Stephens arrogance and egotistical behavior is to cover his deep insecurities, which he's had since childhood. Stephen has always struggled with feeling as if he's not living up to the high standard and goals he's set for himself since he was young. Though he's conquered the music charts, he's wanted to write truly impactful best sellers, direct award winning films, and paint masterpieces, which would be on display at the Louvre. In many ways he's modeled his goals into becoming a sort of modern day Da Vinci, a true renaissance man. To this end he's failed, as though his musical career is an unmitigated success, his art and films have only been moderately successful, while he's been frustrated with bouts of writers block in his attempts to pen his masterpiece. His failure to achieve success in other mediums has not only increased Stephens insecurities, they've multiplied them. Due to this he's not only becoming more egotistical and arrogant in order to mask them, he's also relapsed into drugs and alcohol, which he'd been clean from since he was 29.

Feeling likes he's become a failure, Stephens become increasingly desperate to write his masterpiece, though the drugs and alcohol have stagnated his work. This combination of frustration and failure has not only made him more self centered, but also volatile, as he was recently arrested for a assaulting several police officers when he was stopped for speeding. Disgraced, Stephen has begun isolating himself in his Los Angeles mansion, journeying inward in order to write his masterpiece. Looking for inspiration in a number of books, Stephen stumbled upon Nove Regni, an original copy of a medieval book of wisdom, which is said to have been authored by a terrible evil spirit of old. Stephens natural curiosity leads him to uncovering the true nature and meaning of the book, releasing a black viscous substance, which enters his body through his eyes. In that moment Stephen is granted immense power, otherworldly knowledge, and becomes one with the Demiurge, the most powerful of the seven Archons (Semi-hostile powers, viewed as the last and lowest emanations the forces that created the universe.).

In this event Stephen is transformed totally, as Demiurge has reshaped his entire personality. Demiurge is an ancient, some believe eternal being, whose sheer longevity and lifespan has filled Stephen with vast knowledge of human history and even the creation of the universe, truly enlightening Stephen beyond what any human has ever achieved. At one time Demiurge was an artisan like figure, responsible for the fashioning and maintaining the physical universe. However he grew arrogant and self-righteous and was brought low by the Archon Samael, who was able to change Demiurge, turning him into a viscous black substance, which he used to write Nove Regni, therefore trapping Demiurge within its pages. Now Demiurge is forced to use Stephen as his host, as he's now unable to take his previous form, which limits his awesome power. This has left Demiurge not only angered, but feeling vulnerable for perhaps the first time in his existence, as he was defeated by Samael and then forced to become a shadow of his former self. As empowered as Demiurge has made Stephen feel, Stephen has made Demiurge feel weak. However Demiurge is determined to use Stephen as his vessel to continue his work as the maintainer of the physical universe.

History:

Stephen Aleister AKA "Demiurge" was born in New York City, to a single mother and a junkie father. His mother had to work multiple jobs to make ends meet and often had little time, little patience, and little love for Stephen. Stephen and his mom moved often, as she looked for better paying jobs wherever she could find them. Mostly left to his own devices, young Stephen Aleister developed a love for music, especially hard rock. After begging his mother for over a year, she finally bought him a guitar on his 11th birthday. Over the next several years Stephen hardly put that guitar down, quickly becoming a very adept player. His hours spent practicing alone in his mothers apartment finally began paying off when Stephen was 14, when he auditioned and won a spot in the best band in his town, who called themselves "Apocalypse of Adam". Winning the spot in "Apocalypse of Adam" was to have a profound effect on Stephens life, as with the addition of Stephen, the band would fast become noticed and signed to a recording deal.

Before Stephen won the lead guitarist slot in "Apocalypse of Adam" he was a relative unknown in his school. Stephen wasn't a loser, he simply blended in, which at times he felt was even worse. However once he got in the band, his social fortunes changed drastically. He changed his look to the "Rocker Chic" style he's famous for, while becoming much more of an alpha type personality. Almost overnight he went from being nearly invisible to being invited to every party, to dating two girls at the same time, and becoming one of the most popular guys at his school. No longer was Stephen that quite kid practicing his guitar in the corner, who rarely said two words. Now Stephen Aleister had a taste of what he'd been missing and he was enjoying every minute of it.

However as he was socially becoming a success, the rest of his life was beginning to show cracks. Stephens grades plummeted as he skipped school often, prompting his mom to kick him out of the house at 15. Stephen started doing drugs and binge drinking with his band mates, to the point that when he was 16 he was addicted to alcohol and pain killers. By the time Stephen was 17 his older friend said that he no longer recognized Stephen, who'd become completely unreconizable from his old self. At the end of his junior year Stephen dropped out of high school, partially through failing grades through skipping class, partly through a desire to focus more on "Apocalypse of Adam", which was headlining shows throughout Western New York and Western Pennsylvania.

With the amount of time and energy Stephen and the rest of his band mates were now able to devout to "Apocalypse of Adam", they were now starting to get some national recognition. Several major record companies attended a "Apocalypse of Adam" headlining show in Utica New York and after the show the band had developmental deal offers from Island Recording Group, Century Media, Roadrunner Records, and Def Jam. After a short deliberation the group chose Roadrunner Records, which was a legendary rock recording company. Around the time he turned 18, Stephen and the rest of "Apocalypse of Adam" entered the studio to work on their debut album.

During this period Stephens drug use worsened, as he and several other band mates became addicted to cocaine and heroin, while drinking more than any functioning human should. Nevertheless they successfully recorded "Sins of the Father", which became their debut album. The album became a critical and financial success, topping at #2 on the billboard charts. The lead singles "Sins of the Father" and "Rather be Dead" both topped rock, hard rock, and metal charts, earning "Apocalypse of Adam" a spot on the legendary summer Ozzfest tour, which toured the United States and had several international dates. The tour was a success, with Stephen earning high praise for his shredding playing style and brash personality, while the band received critical acclaim for their elaborate stage show.

In the winter they embarked on their first headlining tour, all the while working on new material. During this time their 3rd single "Sleep When I'm Dead" earned them another #1 hit and a Grammy nomination. After another successful tour, "Apocalypse of Adam" entered the studio during the early summer to record their second album. Stephen and lead singer Noel took on all the song writing duties, which alienated the other 3 band members, leading to the first serious rifts in the band. Nevertheless "Apocalypse of Adam" pressed on, recording "Live Through This" in only 3 months. However during their recording sessions tensions grew between Stephen and Noel with the other 3 band members, as Stephen and Noels heroin and cocaine use and growing egomania began to take its toll on the personal relationships within the band. However "Live Through This" debuted at #1 on the "Billboard Top 100", while the singles "Stone", "Live Through This", "Hollow Men", and "Divide" were all hits, with two of them reaching #1. Critical acclaim followed, with "Live Through This" being nominated for 4 Grammy awards, winning two.

With their commercial and critical success, the members of "Apocalypse of Adam" all found themselves millionaires. Stephen spent his money on a collection of rare, classic muscle cars, a mansion in Los Angeles, and of course partying. In the summer they co-headlined the largest metal tour of the year, an arena tour with Metallica. Stephen was fast becoming a superstar, as he and Noel were the faces of the band, which their other band mates began despising them for. Stephen was invited to all the most exclusive parties in Hollywood, started becoming tabloid fodder, and even began dating an A-list actress. He received further praise for his musicianship, earning a Golden God Award, for "Best New Guitarist", as well as "Best Song" for "Divide".

Once the summer tour with Metallica ended, "Apocalypse of Adam" took the fall and winter off. During this time Stephen and Noel rarely talked with the other band members, while their addictions and volatile behavior spiked dramatically. Things came to a head when after partying with Stephen and Noel, the bands touring keyboardist died of an overdose at Noels house. Considerable bad press followed, as drug use within the band became public knowledge. Despite this, plans to record a third album were shelved, as the band decided to take a headlining slot on the American Mayhem Festival for the summer. The tour was a commercial success, ending the "Live Through This" era on a high note. However the rift between Stephen, Noel, and the other 3 band members was growing. Stephen and the bands drummer even getting into a fist fight following a show.

Nevertheless the band entered the studio in the winter to record their third album. Writing on the album was once again handled by Stephen and Noel, who began to clash among themselves over creative control of the album. Due to this the recording period was protracted and the album wasn't finished until midway through the summer because of infighting within the band. However the finished product, the epic concept record "Eternal Echos" is widely considered the magnum opus of "Apocalypse of Adam". The constant tension, fighting, and heavy drug use of the band members producing a truly masterful record, heavier than their previous two, but with far superior song writing and direction. The albums concept centers around a man having to truly lose himself in order to find himself, gaining enlightenment in the end. Of "Eternal Echos" Rolling Stone wrote "Eternal Echos truly takes you into the depths of hell, which transforms into a soundscape of heaven. Truly an eargasm and one of the best records of the last 25 years!".

"Eternal Echos" debuted at #1, where it stayed for two months. The lead single "Glimpses of Reflections" was the most requested rock song of the year, winning Grammy's for "Best Song" and "Best Rock Song", while the video directed by Stephen won a VMA for "Video of the Year". The followup singles "Under it All", "Silenced", and "Black and White Ghosts" all went #1 on the charts, receiving extensive airplay. Due to the success of "Eternal Echos", Stephen and "Apocalypse of Adam" became mega-stars, becoming the biggest rock band in the world. Publicity for the album release was extensive, with the band members going on all the most popular TV and radio talk shows, while a major winter headlining concert was planned, along with a headlining summer festival, which would be called "Night of the Apocalypse".

However as the winter tour got underway it was fast becoming clear that despite the bands massive success, the relationship between band members, especially Stephen and Noel was becoming untenable. As the shows grew larger, so did the rift between band members, with the members usually only seeing each other during the show, going their separate ways right after they finished playing. During this period Stephen began partying even heavier and he OD'ed in his hotel room in Dallas. He was revived by one of the bands bodyguards, however the other band members had enough and it was decided they'd break up after "Night of the Apocalypse". The winter tour was a tremendous financial and critical success as always and the band went into "Night of the Apocalypse" with a head of steam.

The legendary one night "Night of the Apocalypse" festival outside of Los Angeles has become legendary, earning a place in the pantheon of music events with "Woodstock", "Rock in Rio", "Glastonbury", and "Isle of Wight". 400,000 people gathered for the festival that included many of rocks top acts. Drug use, drunkness, and disorder in the crowd was already a problem before "Apocalypse of Adam" went on stage. Once the band took the stage, Stephen who'd been on a bender for over a week could hardly stand and was furious with Noel. During "Divide" Noel threw the microphone at Stephen and a fight broke out onstage. The fight was broken up, but the band didn't retake the stage for over 30 minutes, causing a riot to start at the rear of the festival grounds. The band finished their set unaware of the chaos far in front of them and left the stage to go their separate ways. However they soon all became aware of the riot, which caused tens of thousands of dollars in property damage and left 3 people dead. Lawsuits against the band, their management, and the festival promoters followed, dragging Stephen and his band mates front and center into the news.

As the case against "Apocalypse of Adam" and their associates played out in court, it was quickly becoming clear that the nobody in the band had any plans of reuniting anytime soon. The drummer, bassist, and backing guitarist went on to form their own band, which put out a moderately successful album less than a year after the breakup of "Apocalypse of Adam". Lead singer Noel was working on a solo project, while also hosting his own radio show. Meanwhile Stephen was busy working on a film project, which was based on "Paradise Lost", an epic poem by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. The poem concerns the Biblical story of the Fall of Man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Stephen was heavily involved in the film, co-writing, producing, and co-directing "Paradise Lost". The much anticipated film was released 3 years after Stephen began work on the project, however received mixed reviews, many believing it to be overly ambitious for a relative novice in the world of film making. However it was a commercial success, grossing 124 millions worldwide, while costing 87 million to produce.

Frustrated, Stephen Aleister began work on another film, entitled "The Infernal Council", which was a small production, which focused on a young man making a deal with the devil. The film starred Stephen, who received praise for his acting, however was criticized for leaving so many unanswered questions at the end of the film. The film was a moderate commercial and critical success, but believing it should have been more successful, Stephen became disenfranchised with Hollywood and moviegoers in general. Because of this, Stephen shelved any further film projects, concentrating on his growing skill as a painter, as well as another band, named "The Aleister Effect". Stephens paintings were well received by the public, but panned by the critics he was trying to hard to please. Equally disappointing was "The Aleister Effect", which struggled to get air play on radio stations. To make things worse, Stephen was successfully sued for 10 million dollars by the family of the people killed at "Night of the Apocalypse".

With all of these frustrations, Stephens addictions worsened to the point he overdosed during bender at his house. The only thing that saved him from death being the arrival of his dealer to sell him more heroin and cocaine, who luckily was able to revive Stephen. A few days later Stephen checked into rehab, which was painful and difficult, but he completed the course and for the first time in years was clean. It was once he left rehab that Stephen began chatting with his old band mates from "Apocalypse of Adam". They'd all tried their luck at either going solo or forming new bands, which saw them have only limited success. All of them pinned for the success and relevance they felt when they were apart of "Apocalypse of Adam". Shortly after they began speaking again, "Apocalypse of Adam" reformed, shortly after Stephens 31st birthday.

A reunion tour, which went across the world was quickly planned and the band set out on the first leg within two months of reforming. The reunion tour was a total success, selling out most venues in hours and grossing nearly 200 million dollars. The band members relationships were also rebuilt, as they were all clean from drugs and willing to move past whatever had happened in the past. So with renewed relationships, confidence, and success, "Apocalypse of Adam" entered the recording studio for their follow up album to the classic "Eternal Echos". What came from these sessions was "Burning Man", which was a departure from the bands heavier style. "Burning Man" received considerable air play and debuted at #1, but the bands "Hardcore" fans didn't like the new album. Without the support of their most faithful fans, the lead single "Burning Man" quickly fell off the charts, after peaking at #3.

The US tour in support of "Burning Man" was planned for the fall, as an arena tour around the major American cities. Ticket sales were considerable, however lower than expected. The failure of "Burning Man" to tap into the bands previous success caused tension between members once again. Most of the criticism fell on Noel and Stephen, who wrote every song on the album. Noel and Stephen began to feud bitterly once again. This coupled with the stress of the road saw both musicians relapse heavily into drugs. As there fighting and habits worsened, the shows began to suffer, causing fans to boo at several concerts. Things came to a head in Minneapolis, when Stephen quit the band, leaving the band to scramble for a replacement. They settled on using a guitarist from one of the opening bands for the rest of the tour, however he was unable to replicate Stephens unique playing style and sheer presence, causing many fans to stay home. This left everyone in "Apocalypse of Adam" with a bitter feeling when it came to Stephen, with Noel and several other members saying they wouldn't let him back in the band even if he wanted back in down the line.

However that was the furthest thing from Stephens mind, as he returned to Los Angeles to delve into a new career as a writer. Once a considerable presence on the Los Angeles club/party scene, Stephen became more reclusive, attempting to structure a story, while also being anti-social from his drug use. Always interested in the darker side of things, Stephen wanted to write a Gothic classic, which would be hailed as a classic. He'd start stories, yet abandon them a few days or weeks later, struggling to find the words after the initial momentum flamed out. It went like this for several years, Stephen struggling with writers block, locked in his Hollywood Hills mansion, while "Apocalypse of Adam" pressed on without him. Stephen gave few interviews at this time, but when he did, he said only that he's "Currently working on a Gothic novel, which is going to be a trip...", when asked on what he was up to currently. Meanwhile his heroin and cocaine use worsened, to the point he was spending thousands of dollars a week on his habit, not that money was an object, however the writers block the drugs caused was a major problem.

Soon years went by and Stephen was 37, no closer to writing his masterpiece than before. Desperate he began talking to a friend about his plight when it came to his book, or lack there of. His friend, who was a collector of rare and ancient books recommended a book in his collection, a 15th century book known as Nove Regni , which was said to offer a path to otherworldly inspiration and knowledge. He also explained that the book had a long and colorful history, allegedly being authored by a Venetian scholar, who was under possession by a dark, demonic spirit of old. His friend explained the book contained various passages, or "steps", which would lead to the readers entry into the "Kingdom of Shadows", which he believed was some ancient enlightenment. Naturally intrigued, Stephen borrowed the book and began to study it in the depths of his mansion.

Immedietly upon opening Nove Regni he was captivated by the artwork, beautiful sketches of the macabre, which seemed to be almost pictorial riddles of the ancient wisdom contained within the pages of Nove Regni. On the front pages of Nove Regni was seemingly connected words, written in beautiful calligraphy, which read in order "Kingdom, Materialism, Foundation, Instability, Splendor, Greed, Victory, Lust, Beauty, Disharmony, Strength, Cruelty, Mercy, Apathy, Knowledge, Ignorance, Understanding, Antipathy, Wisdom, Stupidity, Apex, and Atheism".

Stephen continued into the first chapter of Nove Regni, which was entitled "Silence is Golden" and was accompanied by an etching of a night approaching a castle with three towers, his index finger of his lips. He studied the first chapter, finding that it meant one must go on a journey to attain both the material and the spiritual. The second chapter was entitled "Open That Which is Closed", which was accompanied by an etching of a hermit with a key in his left hand, a black dog standing at his right, standing in front of a locked door. After study he found that the hermit represented wisdom and knowledge, while the dog represented that considered traditionally evil. The lesson being to obtain true wisdom and knowledge, one must study that what may be considered evil. Chapter three was entitled "The Lost Word Keeps the Secret", which was accompanied by an etching of an archer with an arrow in his bow and one in his quiver, pointing his bow towards a traveler. Through careful study, Stephen found that the message was one of duality, meaning the traveler had two paths to chose. The fourth chapter was entitled "Fate Is Not The Same For All", and was accompanied by an etching of a large maze, with an open entrance, with a jester and a set of dice next to the exit. Through study of the engraving and text, Stephen found that the chapter spoke of chance and fate, that through freedom from fate one could escape the mortality of man.

Then after hours and hours of study Stephen left his study and slept. However he awoke in the middle of the night, after having dreams of a demonic voice calling to him from somewhere in his house. Startled, Stephen couldn't go back to sleep, so decided to study Nove Regni once more. By this time he reached chapter five, entitled "In Vain", which was accompanied by an etching of a dying man, the grim reaper standing over him with an empty hour glass. Through study of the text and image, Stephen found the message in this chapter was clear, gathering material riches was in vain. Instead one must seek a new beginning. Chapter six was entitled "I Am Enriched By Death", with a picture of a man hanging upside down from his left leg from a castles wall. The chapter speaks of change through sacrifice, which is represented by the man looking peaceful in death, not in pain. Chapter seven was entitled "The Disciple Outshines The Master", accompanied by an etching of a King losing to a Prince at chess. The meaning of the chapter is that with proper knowledge, one can achieve equality with the "Demiurge", who seems to be a sort of God like figure in the book. This chapter also stresses their is light in the dark, as one can not have light without dark.

By this point Stephen notices several strange happenings inside and outside his mansion. Lightning outside his house, but no thunder, sounds of movement throughout his house, but no sign of anyone. Stephens clearly freaked out, but thinks it's perhaps just a hallucination from a combination of drugs and his having not gotten a lot of sleep. So he presses on into chapter eight, which is entitled "Virtue Lies Defeated", accompanied by a picture of a Knight with a halo around his head, ready to strike down a madden on her knees in prayer. However through study of the text, its clear that the meaning of the image and chapter is that certain forces of cosmic dark are not "Evil", rather protective, inspiring man towards becoming one with "Demiurge" and therefore their own God. However it is obvious through study of the text that man has a predisposition to light, which blinds man from the pathway to becoming equal with their master through the knowledge of the dark. Chapter nine is entitled "Now I Know That From Darkness Comes Light", accompanied by an image of a serpent with the madden atop it, destroying the castle found in the etching in chapter one. From reading the chapter it's apparent that the meaning of the chapter is that with the knowledge of the dark and the light which comes from it, you can open the path to godhood and become equal with your creator.

Once Stephen realizes the meaning behind the chapter, the entirety of Nove Regni becomes clear to him, at which point the power to his house and the entire city goes out. Stephens clearly afraid now, as he goes to retrieve some candles. However just as he goes to open the door to his study, a blinding light explodes from the pages of Nove Regni, as the ink from the book changes into a viscous black ooze, which moves across the floor and towards Stephen. As the ooze begins to cover him, Stephen struggles and tries to get it off of him, but in vain. The ooze enters his body from his eyes, immediately blinding him and sending him to the floor.

The Powers

Power 1:

Power 2:

Power 3:

Power 4:

Grid
Occult:
Strength:
Speed:
Durability:
Ability:
Fighting Skills:
Magic:
Spells:
Flight: 2
Wealth:

by Demiurge July 1st 2014, 9:13 am

This is a work in progress obviously.

by **Chellizard** August 5th 2014, 10:52 am

Sad to see this collecting dust.

Perhaps chunk his history into spoiled sections, however, giving people a chance to skip over some of those major details. :]

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