Elias Clayborn

Elias Claybron was a paranoid King of Thebron, a city in the CICS. His house, the House Clayborn, had ruled the city for years. They got their name from the vast clay deposits around the city. The founding member, Sarah Clayborn was said to have been birthed in a bed of clay. Thebron is well known for its vast brick structures and intricate ceramics.

Death of Elias Clayborn
By the end of his life, Elias was worried about treachery coming from everywhere. He killed off every member of his family except one son and kept watch over him at all hours. He had the guard on the palace doubled and then tripled during his reign and had large majickal spells carved into the very foundations of the palace to prevent any sort of interplanar or majickal attack.

One night, as he went to bed, Elias felt a little thirsty so he sent a servant to fetch him a glass of wine. The servant knocked on his door and Elias opened it to receive the wine. Upon closing the door and turning around, Elias saw a great black canine figure with wings and a golden scythe. The glass shook in his hand but no voice came to through his throat.

"Do not fear, Elias Clayborn. I am not here to kill you," the figure said.

Elias finally found a small voice and stammered out, "Wh-who are you?"

"I am Hermanu, Chief Arcanoluth and second in command of the Netherworld Organization."

"Y-you lie! You are here to kill me! I knew it! But how did you get through the protection spells?"

"Even your best enchanters leave back doors, Clayborn and I do not lie."

Elias edged away from Hermanu and towards the dresser where he kept a hidden knife. He tried to distract the intruder, "What is the Netherworld Association?"

"The Netherworld *Organization* is a collect of yugoluthi who try to keep mortals from learning what happens after they die."

Elias slid the drawer open. "But why would you do that?"

"We feel like it would make you all worried and not live as fulfilling lives."

He felt around the drawer. "So what does happen after we die?"

"Your soul is engorged upon by the hordes of yugoluthi in the Netherworld. Also do not look for the knife. It will do you no good against me."

Elias ignored the warning and threw the knife anyway. Hermanu easily deflected it with his scythe. Hermanu shook his head, saying "There truly is no reason to fear me. Please relax. I swear I will not kill you."

Elias tentatively took a sip of wine. "If you're not here to kill me, then why are you here?"

"To collect your soul once you die tonight."

Elias sprang up. "So you are here to kill me!"

"No, I won't kill you. I told you that. But once the poison your son put in that wine takes effect I want the soul to be fresh."

The color drained from Elias's face. He dropped the wine. His body fell onto the floor in a pool of wine. Hermanu glided over his body and placed the point of his scythe near Elias's spine. Hermanu dug the scythe into his back and pulled out a form that appeared very similar to the late Elias. The king's body was without a mark from the apparent incision.

Hermanu took off through a window with the soul of Elias Clayborn hooked onto his scythe. He headed for a doorway to the Netherworld not to far from the city.