Origin
Natas Gnivil Talbane was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, into a wealthy family. His father, Nathaniel Talbane, and his grandfather before him had amassed great fortunes, with a diverse portfolio that included luxury rental properties, a chain of hotels, a casino, and a production studio. Growing up with immense privilege, Natas was groomed for success from a young age. His father, a Harvard graduate, imparted lessons on money management and investment, preparing Natas for the challenges of high finance. His father also emphasized toughness and resilience, teaching him boxing and instilling in him the importance of making difficult decisions.
Natas’s early life was marked by stability until his father’s tragic death; Nathaniel fell from a beam on a skyscraper he was overseeing, under circumstances that led to an official ruling of suicide despite suspicions of foul play. The last person to see Nathaniel alive was his secretary, with whom he had an openly known affair. This event profoundly affected Natas and led him to be taken under the wing of his grandfather, Nick Talbane.
Nick, while less focused on conventional education, introduced Natas to what he called “The Old Ways.” These were mystical teachings and rituals aimed at creating wealth and manipulating hidden energies. It was through these teachings that Natas’s interest in magic, mysticism, and demonology was ignited. He began to explore these arcane disciplines, integrating them with his financial acumen.
During a networking event Natas Talbane met Alana Marcellus through mutual connections. Her intelligence and ambition stood out to him, and they had great conversations about business and a similar vision for the future. He noticed she wore Eye of Horus earrings. He asked about them, leading to a conversation that lead to a deep and enduring partnership.
Their relationship quickly deepened, but they themselves moved slowly as they both pursued their goals; Natas with his business ventures and Alana with her academic and professional ambitions. Alana’s keen understanding of business, love of the occult and her unwavering support played a crucial role in Natas’s rise. Their partnership became a powerful alliance, blending her organizational skills and strategic thinking with his burgeoning business acumen.
Upon graduating college, Natas took over his father’s business, from his uncle who stayed on as member of the board. Initially focusing on expanding the family’s real estate empire, Natas’s family fortune grew and he made significant strides in real estate and investments. Alana became his confidante and partner in every sense. Her role extended beyond personal support to being an integral part of his professional empire and eventually, his wife. Eventually they had family, consisting of a boy and two girls, Landon, Lana and the youngest Loren.
As he grew older, Natas, disillusioned by the constraints of conventional wealth and the superficiality of financial success, sought a means to transcend the limits of material gain and achieve a more profound and lasting influence. Talbane’s worldview was profoundly shaped by his belief in the necessity of centralized control and structured governance. He was convinced that humanity had become too fixated on individualism and personal freedoms, leading to a fractured and chaotic society. In his view, the world required the guidance of a select few; those who were wise and capable, to steer it towards a more ordered and harmonious existence.
Natas saw the current state of the world as plagued by excessive freedom and self-interest, which he believed undermined collective progress and stability. He argued that only through a carefully managed system, led by a trusted elite, could society achieve true balance and prosperity. His philosophy emphasized the need for a rational and deliberate approach to global issues, where decisions were made by those with the vision and authority to implement long-term solutions.
In this framework, individual desires and liberties were secondary to the greater good of the collective. Natas was committed to creating a world where control and guidance were exerted by a few enlightened leaders, who would use their knowledge and power to shape a more balanced and equitable society. This belief drove him back into the occult, seeking to harness these forces to enforce his vision of a well-ordered world. His foray into the world of arcane forces was driven by a desire to wield true power and control, far beyond the reach of mere money. This quest led him to seek out R’dan (see Serpina), a jinn known for her ability to grant wishes in exchange for souls.
Natas’s initial encounter with Serpina was marked by his ambitious hunger for greater influence. He approached her with a proposal, driven by his belief that mastery over arcane forces was the key to his ultimate vision of global control. Serpina, was intrigued by Natas’s determination and the potential for mutual benefit, but she could not give him the control he sought, but could give him the means and favor to accomplish it. He agreed to the deal. The arrangement was straightforward yet perilous: in exchange for granting Natas’s deepest desires, and command vast resources, his soul would be hers upon death. The deal would be put into affect once she bonded with him. This was strange, but he agreed. She came to him that night in a dream, seduced him and sealed the deal upon his nocturnal emission, which she accepted.
Natas’s subsequent rise to immense wealth was nothing short of meteoric. He moved to Chicago marking a significant shift, as the city offered a fertile ground for tech investments and expansion. He gained uncanny success in his business ventures. His investments in tech startups, his judicious picks in stocks, and his early bet on Bitcoin all yielded extraordinary returns, catapulting him to multi-billionaire status.
However, his ambitions were not confined to financial success. The establishment of “The Rise of Magic” reflected his belief in a more controlled and deterministic approach to leadership. He viewed money as a tool to consolidate power, but it was through magical and esoteric means that he sought to enact his vision of a world where a few enlightened individuals would guide humanity’s destiny, countering what he perceived as the dangers of unbridled freedom and chaos. The group consisted of Himself, Alana and an old friend Unis Finch who worked in business development but, unbeknownst to those who worked around him, was an avowed demonologist. Later he met Jessica Huxley who ran a business specializing in ritual magic and finally Jason Eric Acer (See Acer) a lawyer and occultist friend of Jessica. Acer, like Natas, is well versed in various forms of magic, probably more so than Natas as he has OCD and is obsessive with everything he enjoys and learns as much as he can about it.
However, the price of his newfound power was steep. The deal required him to uphold his end of the bargain. This dark pact, while enabling him to achieve his financial and influential goals, also bound him to a hidden and dangerous world of supernatural obligations.Natas’s growing mistrust of R’dan was fueled by the realization that she was a succubus masquerading as a Jinn, despite her aid in securing his wealth, he soon became wary of her manipulative nature and the potential for betrayal based on stories of others and the fact that if he dies or get killed before he accomplishes his goals, he would still owe her his soul as no previsions were made for that contingency.
Driven by his suspicions, Natas embarked on a covert investigation, seeking out others who had made deals with R’dan. His efforts led him to uncover a network of individuals who had similarly been ensnared by her promises of power and wealth. Through these revelations, he learned of the jinn’s treacherous ways and her tendency to twist agreements to her advantage. Natas, alongside his trusted ally Unis Finch, orchestrated a plan to neutralize the threat posed by R’dan. Utilizing a combination of arcane rituals and magical artifacts, they managed to summon her, then imprison the jinn in a specially crafted jar, designed to contain her immense power, then sealed it in wax. This containment not only curtailed her influence, but also served as a warning to others who might seek to make deals with such entities.
By capturing R’dan, Natas ensured that her manipulative schemes could no longer interfere with his plans or those of the Rise of Magic, reinforcing his commitment to maintaining control and order in his pursuit of a well-structured world.
Major Story Arcs
Natas is the leader of the Rise of Magic and is plagued by sins of his past.
Epitaph: Beginning of the End
Natas’ daughter Loren boarded a private jet to an unknown location and the jet exploded on take off. He’s currently trying to figure out what happened, although others don’t believe his daughter is dead.
Epitaph/Hexcraft Mechanics: Ultimate Control
It is revealed that Natas made a deal with a succubi jinn name Serpina and then trapped her in a jar to stop her from taking his soul when his time was up. There was no clear mention to how much time he was given.
Victor Locke Demon Hunter: Demon Noir
Natas has a plethora of old ancient tomes in his basement encased in glass. Someone stole some of them, pages from a grimoire called the Sefer Hhoshekh or “The Demon Noir”. The odd thing was there was no sign of forced entry and the glass seemed like it was blown open.
Powers and Abilities
Natas Talbane is proficient with many different forms of ritual and ceremonial magic, astral projection and has developed a decent cosmic awareness. He can manipulate certain dark energies if need be, but his preference is to not, considering the problems that come alone with doing so. His biggest thing is probability manipulation, which was instrumental in his choices when picking stocks, cryptocurrencies or guessing which start ups to invest in. This was enhanced when he made his deal with Serpina.