Anathema

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, sexual violence, child sexual abuse, child abuse, gender discrimination, antigay bias, animal death, addiction, and sexual content.

In Aethyria, a magical world, 211 years in the past, Lady Rydainn, a noblewoman with magical powers, reluctantly brings her infant son, Zevander Rydainn, to the dark mage Cadavros. Cadavros was the Nyxteros king’s Magelord but was dismissed for practicing demutomancy, an illegal type of magic that alters a person’s blood. Cadavros has already exposed Lady Rydainn’s older son, Branimir, to sablefyre, a powerful flame forged by gods, but now demands that Zevander submit to the ritual of sablefyre as well. In addition to warping their appearances, the ritual will eliminate any of their natural blood magic. Cadavros has antlers, cloven feet, and a dark and veiny appearance, resulting from his part in the sablefyre ritual. Because she is a Lunasier, Lady Rydainn is magically empowered by the moon, but she still cannot stand against Cadavros.

They stand by a vein of black flame of sablefyre, which only Cadavros can control. He marks Zevander’s face before snatching him from Lady Rydainn. When she lunges forward, Cadavros repels her. He mesmerizes Zevander with sablefyre, which infects and corrupts the infant.