@AmrielArt
Hello! I'm looking for some advice or suggestions on my character's background. I've got some general ideas, but looking to get more specific and make it coherent Lol.
My character is named Lysander Roth, and I'm going to be playing him in an upcoming homebrew DnD campaign sometime next year. The general plot is that our party are all members of a coven of hunters– we track and eradicate Night Creatures, Ghouls, and the Undead to protect the general population. Our coven is the Roth coven, led by a Vampire named Thala Roth, hence the shared last name.
Lysander is a demon who recently ascended from Hell, and joined the Roth family. He was born in Hell, surrounded by a society that valued strength, dominance, and manipulation over the weak. Because of this, he has learned to be cold, arrogant, and emotionally detached. However, his twin sister Ursula, has always been a good-natured individual, a stark contrast to him. Because of this, Lysander often had to protect them both from individuals who would seek to take advantage of her, what would be considered "unusual," kindness. A part of him resented her for it– it felt to him as though he was always forced to protect her, to make up for her lack of ruthlessness that was necessary to survive. But another part of him envied her– deep down he longed for a kind touch, the ability to be vulnerable and safe.
Lysander himself wanted to make it out of Hell and to the surface, believing simply that he deserved a better life than he had in his current situation. Ursula read or heard about the surface, and how it differed from the environment they were born into so drastically, and sought a place to finally be free– both her and Lysander.
After speaking with my DM of the campaign, he said that it's very common for a powerful Archdevil to be the only means a standard demon has for a way out of any circle of Hell. For this reason, I could see Lysander and Ursula having to approach one, and that Archdevil ends up asking for something in return for their freedom. The Archdevil views them simply as a form of entertainment and demands that only one of them be able to leave, and insists that they fight for it. Maybe the Archdevil can perceive that while Lysander is hesitant, he seems to, albeit very briefly, consider the thought. Perhaps the spell used simply coerces him to act, and the influence of the spell wears off in the middle of him attacking Ursula. But, by that time, he's fully blinded by his own desire to win, believing that he deserves to make it out, and his resentment for her being yet another roadblock in his way again. In her last breaths, Ursula, still believing Lysander could be redeemed, or simply submitting to the fact that she knew she had been a thorn in his side since they were young and coming to terms with this outcome, forgives him. Lysander kills her, though the guilt of doing so even after recognizing her submission begins to consume him.
At the start of the campaign, Lysander will be driven by an inner conflict: his instincts push him toward selfishness, power and violence, while Ursula strives to pull him toward morality and discipline. He desires to change, but doubts his ability to truly become better.
I'm hoping that as the campaign progresses, his motivations will shift. He will begin to trust his party more, slowly breaking down his defenses and being able to be vulnerable with those he trusts. His values change from strictly personal gain and interest to protecting the defenseless and fighting for what he considers to be the "right" thing.
Lysander's character arc will involve Ursula's spirit being separated from him finally, leaving him to pursue his redemption without her guidance. It's now up to him entirely to resist falling back into his old ways, but with his fellow companions at his side, he will keep his resolve; he knows that he has a family that will accept him and fight for him, just as he fights for them. He will never be entirely "good" but more of what I would consider an antihero by the end of the campaign I'm hoping!