[OOC] A history lesson
In order to understand Raenef, the fifth demon lord of the Raenef line, we must understand Raenef IV (who from this point on will be known as “IV” to avoid confusion between those of the Raenef line). Though he lived for only 500 years (short for a demon lord), he was easily the most powerful of the Raenefs that preceded him due to his own cleverness at spell creation. However, during the Hangma War - a battle between demons and heaven's creatures - IV was cursed by heaven: The Annihilation of the Name. As a demon lord's powers are transferred through their name, if the name is eradicated, the entire line is destroyed including the future kin. In cursing him, the creatures of heaven pulled Raenef V from 3,500 years in the future into his predecessor's timeline, where he would be expected to wipe himself out. How? The future Raenef's personalities would split into two, one holding his magical prowess and intelligence, the other holding his innocence and magical storage. He would, essentially, lose his mind and basically implode.
Noting this, IV took a gamble: If he caused his own death before the curse could take his life, he could save his energies and bind himself to the Raenef name. In doing so, the future Raenef's mind would still fracture but only one personality would emerge. The second one would be drawn forth the same day IV was scheduled to die. But since one of the personalities would had existed longer than the other, there was a chance that it would crush the second one and save the future Raenef's sanity. And as long as one other Raenef was still alive, IV could live as well. Of course, no one knew the details of his curse as well as his preemptive actions except him and he carried that secret with him to the grave.
Where does that leave Raenef V? Orphaned and with no memory of his life beforehand and with a fragmented personality destined to drive him into madness. But, until then, the innocent and ditzy Raenef we know and love emerges. And his story begins:
Raenef V was born in Pulhel, a city in the south, as a member of the thief guild. This all changes when a demon from the north visits the city. Raenef encounters him three times, which is considered a 'meeting of destiny'. This proves true when the thief guild is arrested for an attempted takeover of Pulhel. Raenef, who wasn't apart of the mission, tries to save them only to be captured himself. At the last moment, the sword the guard tried to kill him with splits and breaks on his head... as do the guard's hands. It is after Raenef wakes (he passed out at the sight of the hands) that the demon explains that his name is Eclipse and that Raenef is the heir to a noble demon line. Plus, this demon is his tutor and servant. Talk about rags to riches!
Trouble with Raenef starts early. First, he manages to ignite laughter from the other demon nobles and elders due to his botched attempt at being mean. Then, he proves that he's not the ideal student, as he can't pay attention during any of Eclipse lessons (On a good day, he falls asleep. On a bad day, he faints). Later, after Eclipse leaves for a mission far away, Raenef fights and beats a knight named Erutis looking to slay a Demon Lord only to take her on as his page (which is just ridiculous for a Demon Lord to do.) Wanting to be a better Demon Lord for Eclipse's sake, he runs away only to find himself summoned by an equally dense heir to the Temple of Rased, Chris. Chris, of course, wants to kill him. Eclipse figures out where he is and saves him at the last moment. However, Raenef nicely allows said dense heir to follow him back to the castle. These four have to live together now, because Eclipse can't disobey his master and Raenef just likes the company. Fortunately Raenef managed to keep one person from living a his Castle - The ten-year old Leeche who switched with the bride/offering to the Demon Lord to (yes, you guessed it) try and kill him. But she falls for him and tries to betroth him before being taken home by her father. Raenef Castle is never boring!
When Raenef Castle is visited by Demon Elder Krayon, Raenef learns that he wasn't the only one Eclipse could have served. Krayon, insulted that Eclipse chose Raenef V over Krayon's offer, traps Raenef, Chris, and Erutis in his realm - the dream realm. The trio learn that Raenef, being a demon, can't use his powers here. They find that they're really in the dream of the Demon Lord/Seer, Merusahae and understand that the only way to break out of the dream is to find Krayon himself. As his friends run off, Merusahae comments that Raenef will weigh his friends down being powerless. Raenef glares and it's so out of character for the young Demon Lord that Merusahae jumps. She decides to divine his future and gets even more nervous when she can't. And then, IV appears...
Eclipse finds the trio and saves them in the end, something that's near impossible under the circumstances. But it proves that a true connection is forming between Raenef and Eclipse. Eclipse, injured, tries to teleport them out but fails. Instead, a shadowy figure does. Too bad Raenef can't remember him all that clearly, huh?
Later, Raenef is summoned to another Demon Lord meeting. Afraid that he'll embarrass Eclipse again, he finds a magic book and wishes for it to make him a Demon Lord. What it pulls out is Raenef's hidden personality, a shadow of the true second self, but still strong. Unsettled by Raenef's sudden change into a cruel, cold person, his friends search and find for the cause. However, it's IV who returns in secret that burns the book and pushes Raenef's second self back under his first personality. Raenef emerges from this with no memory of what happened to him.
The night before the 150th anniversary of Hangma War's end, a holy day for those who follow the God Rased, Raenef begins having prophetic dreams about himself - that he is a shell waiting to be shattered by someone who looks and talks just like he does. Throughout the day, he hears echos of 'the time approaching' in his mind. It's Chris who, between his prayers, delivers the final bit of important information by chance: That a curse from the heaven's creatures would be cast, the same one meant for IV, would be targeting Raenef V at midday. As the countdown begins, everyone seems hesitant for what's about to come.
[RP canon ends/true canon continues]
At twelve, the creatures of heaven appear and draw out Raenef's second personality, thereby forcing both personalities to co-exist in the same body. But Personality #2 dominates Raenef's original self. This version of awakened self pales in comparison to the one the book unlocked. He's controlled and cold, yet seemingly dangerous with much better understanding of his magic skills. IV appears before the shocked crew and explains Raenef's destined end. He tells Chris that the only way to save the Raenef they know is to fight him head-on. The two square off in an intense light vs. dark magic battle. Unfortunately for Chris, Raenef is near unstoppable at this level. But when he summons a powerful magic knight to attack Raenef, Eclipse calls out and the first personality, the Raenef we know, stops his newly transformed self from attacking back. He's hit at full force by the holy energy and knocked unconscious. IV restores Raenef's soul as one, unifying self.
But it doesn't end there. After Raenef wakes, stabilized, seemingly smarter than his former self (yet still undeniably adorable), IV attacks his very existence. Why? There's only supposed to be one Raenef Demon Lord and technically this is his timeline and he called dibs. Worse still, Eclipse is forced to witness Raenef V slowly die as his former master, Lord Raenef IV, has technically returned. Chris and Erutis decide they aren't going to let Raenef just die. Chris goes off to conjure an exorcism spell while Erutis keeps him busy. However, watching Raenef continually weaken begins to wear on Eclipse, his mind going back over the times they shared together. Raenef finally breaks free from IV's spells and casts his magic against his predecessor, but he bounces it back. At the last moment, Eclipse appears and protects him from it. He states that if time is like a river, it flows to the future. Therefore, his allegiance is to the future - to Raenef V.
...this doesn't bode well, especially since IV, insulted by Eclipse's decision, begins draining Raenef of his magical energy to wield as his own. And since Chris can't remember incantations for the life of him, it's down to the wire for Eclipse and Raenef. The decide to use Magical Manipulation, in which Raenef locates in his body exactly where IV is and destroys him. The risk is IV finding out and killing Eclipse through him, but it's a risk Eclipse is willing to take because he trusts Raenef. Eclipse battles against IV in order to buy Raenef time and Raenef proves successful, tracking IV in his magic and destroying him.
Raenef, as usual, passes out but at least this time it's truly warranted. After all, he did have a very long day. So when he wakes up, he should be nice and refreshed and ready for the day. :)
Except he forgets everything that happened within the past year. Every. Single. Thing.
Yet, it was all for a purpose. Raenef had a plan (a very smart plan). In order to properly absorb his personalities and IV, he had to put himself in a state of in which he could easily gather his strength. That way, he could take his time putting all the pieces of himself back together. This left him with amnesia though, which lead to a walk down memory lane:
Raenef somehow wanders out of Raenef Castle without anyone knowing and makes it back to Pulhel in one piece. He joins the thief guild again (who thought that "black-haired demon" was using him for his own um... "personal pleasures"). When Eclipse seeks him out again, Raenef warns him that the townsfolk aren't pleased with him and want to kill him for freeing his guild and causing a scene with their guards the last time he was here. He's too late and the townsfolk and guards surround them. Eclipse, naturally, isn't worried and begins to attack but Raenef calls out his name, effectively stopping him. And then, Raenef attacks on his own and renders himself unconscious. The different parts of his personality come together, including IV's magic and entity. Raenef realizes that IV could have taken over his corporeal body while he had amnesia but didn't, which means that he wasn't after having an existence, but instead wanted to keep the Raenef demon line safe. Raenef wakes and takes Eclipse's hand back to safety.
In the end, Raenef's friends pursue their own goals and Raenef is summoned to one last meeting. He keeps himself composed through the whole thing and is complimented by Eclipse, thereby proving that he is capable of being a Demon Lord after all. <3