Baron Vengeous

Baron Vengeous was one of Mevolent's infamous Three Generals. Following the death of Nefarian Serpine, he attempted to bring back the Faceless Ones, whom he worshiped. During the War, Vengeous was one of Mevolent's Three Generals. He was the leader of the fanatical Diablerie, a cult dedicated to bringing the Faceless Ones back through any means necessary. It was mentioned that the Torment, despite harbouring a dislike for both sides of the War, decided that Vengeous was the worst of two evils. The Torment set out to kill Vengeous. However, sometime after 1861, Vengeous had a legendary battle with Skulduggery Pleasant, in which Vengeous was defeated. Skulduggery Pleasant threw a stick of dynamite at Vengeous, winning the battle. Vengeous was then taken to a prison facility in Russia. The Torment, with Vengeous safely locked away, saw no reason to continue hunting the man. Cu Gealach

Before being caught, Vengeous was tasked with resurrecting a Faceless Ones using remains found in a long-forgotten tomb. Vengeous combined the remains with the limbs and organs of other creatures to form a hybrid called the Grotesquery. He was caught before he could finish it, and was missing two crucial ingredients: a Necromancer’s power to revive it, and another ingredient to keep the Grotesquery alive. When Lord Vile disappeared, presumed dead, Vengeous tried to find his armour, but could not.

Earlier in the war, Vengeous encountered Saracen Rue in Leeds. He also fought at The Battle of Black Rock, and was driven into retreat by Ghastly Bespoke's mother.

The Diablerie is a group of the "sickest fanatics" on Mevolent's side of the 300 Year War, led variously by China Sorrows, Baron Vengeous, and Jaron Gallow. The Diablerie was founded by China Sorrows. At least two other member of the Diablerie, Baron Vengeous and Jaron Gallow, were China's students; it is unknown if this applies to the entire group. Other members of the Diablerie included Gruesome Krav and Murder Rose, as well as at least three others.

When Nefarian Serpine plotted to kill Skulduggery Pleasant in 1690, the Diablerie was responsible for capturing Skulduggery's family. Murder Rose went after the child and surprisingly brought it back unharmed, and China herself captured Skulduggery's wife. Different members of the Diablerie stopped in and watched Skulduggery's subsequent torture from time to time.

The Diablerie was also responsible for the fall of the French Sanctuary in Marseilles, opening the doors for the rest of Mevolent's forces.

At some point, China invited Abyssinia (Lord Vile's girlfriend) to join the Diablerie, and Abyssinia accepted. After Abyssinia betrayed Mevolent, the Diablerie was sent to eliminate her, temporarily allying with the Dead Men. Tensions escalated between the two groups and the alliance nearly broke down until Abyssinia's trail was discovered. The combined force fought Abyssinia for several days but failed to defeat her, until China threatened Abyssinia's son, Caisson, agreeing to take care of him if Abyssinia surrendered.

China grew to care for Caisson, and withdrew from the war to protect him. She was replaced as the Diablerie's leader by Vengeous, now one of Mevolent's Three Generals, who utilised the Diablerie for many of his projects. Gallow took operational command when Vengeous was not around.

By around 1890, the Diablerie was no longer considered a real threat, and the whereabouts of the surviving members were unknown after the war ended in 1929.

Baron is jailed around the year 1861, he was in solitary confinement for his entire prison sentence and doesn't know how the world has developed since he was imprisoned. He escapes in the year 2008. He is ignorant of the current world.

In 2008 Baron Vengous escapes his confinement facility in Russia. It is a violent escape, resulting in the deaths of nine Cleavers and approximately a third of the prisoners there. The only clue as to how he escaped is that one of the walls is cracked, as a result of Billy-Ray Sanguine’s tunnelling power.

After escaping jail, Vengeous returns to Ireland, strangling to death a Sanctuary agent who recognises him. He meets with the vampire Dusk, and tells him to wait outside the Sanctuary tonight, follow Skulduggery and Valkyrie Cain when they leave, and capture Valkyrie alive when he has the chance.

He joins together with Dusk, a vampire who owed Vengeous an undisclosed debt, and Billy-Ray Sanguine. Using the two men as his chief henchmen, Vengeous would begin to enact his plan to revive the Grotesquery.

Vengeous is revealed to be in search of Lord Vile's armour and Valkyrie Cain's blood. Using both, he could revive the Grotesquery. The Grotesquery is made with the body parts of many other beasts grafted onto the torso of a Faceless One. This connection to the Faceless Ones was purported to be able to herald the return of the remaining gods.

Using an army of Infected, Vengeous is able to find the fabled, powerful armour of Lord Vile, a fellow General. The immensely powerful Necromancer magic embedded in the armour falls under Vengeous' control. The magic is so powerful, he must wear a protective clothing underneath the armour. He also finds the body of the Grotesquery, a spectacle that is observed by Valkyrie Cain and Skulduggery Pleasant. They witness Vengeous' sadistic power first hand: he uses his magic to rupture the body of an Infected who had dropped Grotesquery's body.

Valkyrie is captured while Skulduggery attempts to contact the Sanctuary for reinforcements. After driving to a derelict church, Vengeous orders Billy-Ray Sanguine to cut Valkyrie's hand. Her blood falls upon the Grotesquery. Valkyrie's blood, which contains traces of the Faceless Ones' power, is able to revive the Grotesquery. However, Skulduggery returns, foiling the ritual before it can be completed. The Grotesquery appears to be unable to be resurrected. Skulduggery and Valkyrie escape with the carcas of the Grotesquery, infuriating Vengeous.

It later awakens in the laboratory of Kenspeckle Grouse, enough of the ritual having been completed. It kills two of Kenspeckle Grouse's assistants, Stentor and Civet, as well as three Cleavers who attempt to stop it. After severely wounding Tanith Low, the Grotesquery escapes, falling under Vengeous' command.

Vengeous, with the help of Sanguine, Dusk, and Springheeled Jack, orchestrates attacks on personnel from the International Sanctuaries. While the Sanctuaries are preoccupied dealing with attacks, Vengeous rightfully assumes that they will be too busy to answer Ireland's request for aid, ensuring that Vengeous is not overwhelmed by the international magic community

It is discovered that Vengeous harbours a grudge against China Sorrows, former leader of the Diablerie, because she defected from Vengeous' group. Sorrows realises this, and employs two elite bodyguards, Zephyr and Sev, to protect her from Vengeous' fury. Vengeous confronts China and her bodyguards in a car park, easily killing Sev and ripping apart Zephyr. He wonders how Lord Vile was ever defeated while wielding such power, and tells China that while Necromancy is a little crude, nothing Beats the sheer thrill of using it against one’s opponents. China mocks him, saying that he is farweaker than Lord Vile. She states “Lord Vile... was different... he could have changed the world... you merely wear his clothes”. Baron Vengeous captures China, intending for her to watch the return of the Faceless Ones.

Vengeous then moves to Clearwater Hospital, a clandestine, abandoned site where he intends to bring the Faceless Ones back. Much of Vengeous' support has withered away by this point; Valkyrie Cain leads his army of Infected into the sea, and Springheeled Jack defects, incapacitating Dusk. Vengeous has the sole support of Sanguine, and the Grotesquery. Sanguine is captured at Clearwater by a Sanctuary task force consisting of Skulduggery Pleasant, Valkyrie Cain, Mr. Bliss, Tanith Low, and a multitude of Cleavers. The group observes that Sanguine seemed to have ulterior motives in supporting Vengeous after over-hearing his phone call.

The Grotesquery is then found alone, Vengeous having seemingly vanished. Skulduggery, Valkyrie, Mr. Bliss, and Tanith begin the initial attack, managing to wound the Grotesquery before is it able to reach the peak of its power. It is then swarmed by the Cleavers, who severely wound the Grotesquery. Vengeous returns with the captured China, using Vile's armour to render Tanith and the remaining Cleavers unconscious. The Torment is called for reinforcement, but he too is defeated by the recovering Grotesquery. With the group seemingly defeated, it appears as though Vengeous would emerge victorious. However, China recovers, and fights Vengeous, allowing Skulduggery and Valkyrie to escape.

Valkyrie and Skulduggery flee to the Bentley, where they open the boot to reveal they’re secret weapon. Using Sanguine as a mode of transport, they rise from the ground right next to Baron Vengeous. Not needing to deal with all the shadows at such close range, they remove his armor, leaving Vengeous severely weakened. Skulduggery shoots Vengeous, to which Vengeous protests, saying that he can’t die to Skulduggery; Skulduggery is an abomination. Skulduggery responds that he’s a lot of things.

Vengeous, staring defeat in the face, crawls over to the Grotesquery to apologise for failing to protect it. The Grotesquery snaps his neck. The Grotesquery is then defeated by Valkyrie, but its death scream alerts the Faceless Ones to Earth's location.

Baron Vengeous (one Mevolent's original three generals) escapes his prison and begins searching for the armour of Lord Vile, with which he will be able to resurrect the Grotesquery, a hybrid monster made from a Faceless One's torso (and other creature's body parts) that holds the power to bring back the Faceless Ones. Arriving in Ireland, he meets an accomplice vampire named Dusk. He orders Dusk to kidnap Valkyrie Cain. Dusk bites and infects two humans to help him. Meanwhile, a skilled London woman named Tanith Low arrests Springheeled Jack after a fight.

After losing to Skulduggery Pleasant, Baron Vengeous goes after China Sorrows who was once part of a cult that worshipped the Faceless Ones and also included Serpine and Vengous himself. The Baron confronts China Sorrows in her apartment whilst Valkyrie is visiting. Valkyrie hides whilst China and Vengous talk. Vengeous reveals that he was released from prison by an assassin named Billy-Ray Sanguine who promptly arrives along with Dusk. A battle ensues during which Valkyrie reveals herself and defends China. Valkyrie Cain is soon chased by Billy-Ray Sanguine who can travel through earth and buildings. After a struggle, Valkyrie is saved by Tanith Low. In the process, Valkyrie steals Billy-Ray Sanguine's razor, his primary weapon, leaving the psychopathic assassin with a grudge against her.

Valkyrie and Skulduggery along with a convict called Vaurien Scapegrace went to the Magician's village of Roarhaven to find a mysterious man called the Torment who has information they need. After a battle in a seedy pub with some thugs, and an unpleasant incident with giant, unnatural spiders, they find the Torment and ask for his help. The Torment says he will only help them locate the Grotesquery if Skulduggery kills Valkyrie who is descended from the Ancients whom the Torment despises as he thinks any power will corrupt civilization. Skulduggery takes Valkyrie around a corner and they summon her Reflection, a living mirror image of Valkyrie who she uses as a decoy, enabling her to live a double life. Skulduggery takes Valkyrie's reflection before the Torment and shoots it. The Torment is satisfied and tells Skulduggery the whereabouts of the Grotesquery. He and Valkyrie return Scapegrace to prison and go to Bancrook Castle to find the Grotesquery, unfortunately Vengeous's minions have already obtained it. Soon after, Skulduggery and Valkyrie take the reflection back to Valkyrie's house. Valkyrie touches the mirror to absorb its memories and remembers what it is like to be shot. Valkyrie then notices that whenever she tries to look back in her memories one part always remains blank and she cannot pin it down. She realizes that her reflection hid something from her, and finds it disconcerting. However, she dismisses it for now and goes on with Skulduggery without mentioning it to him.

Skulduggery and Valkyrie find Vengeous, Dusk, his Infected and Sanguine with the Grotesquery. To approach Vengeous, Skulduggery kidnaps Dusk. Soon after Vengeous sees him, Skulduggery shoots the Infected and has a fight with Vengeous, in which Vengeous wins, forcing Valkyrie to reveal she was with Skulduggery. On a chase to try to escape, Valkyrie is instead kidnapped by Sanguine who takes her to an old abandoned church to the Faceless Ones, where she is taken before the altar. Vengeous awaits her there. The evil sorcerer cuts the palm of Valkyrie's hand and spills some of her blood onto the Grotesquery's body before using the Armour's shadow powers which mingle with the blood. Skulduggery subsequently arrives and rescues Valkyrie. After stealing the Grotesquery, Valkyrie is incapacitated and wakes up in hospital. Whilst wearing a 'respectable' blue hospital gown, Skulduggery wears a pink one decorated with bunnies and elephants for the doctor's amusement. Skulduggery turns the lifeless Grotesquery over to the Sanctuary's top scientist, Kenspeckle Grouse, to take apart the hybrid. However the Grotesquery has already absorbed a lot of power from Vile's armour and Valkyrie's blood and wakes up in the middle of the night whilst being operated on. He kills the scientist's assistants and three Cleavers, then goes after Valkyrie. Skulduggery and Tanith arrive and the three of them attack the Grotesquery before escaping. Meanwhile members of Sanctuary's all across the world are being murdered by assassins to distract people from Vengeous's plan. Billy-Ray Sanguine has also released Springheeled Jack from prison and sends him after a Sanctuary official in London. Discovering that he is being manipulated by Vengous in a plan to bring back the Faceless Ones, Jack kills his victim anyway.

Skulduggery works out that Vengeous is actually a pawn in someone else's plan and accuses Thurid Guild of being in league with this mystery benefactor. In a rage, Guild fires Skulduggery who decides to go after Vengeous anyway. Valkyrie begrudgingly goes to her family reunion as a distraction to Dusk. The Torment meanwhile has discovered that Valkyrie is alive and goes after her only to be confronted by Skulduggery and Tanith Low. The Torment transforms into a giant spider but Skulduggery and Tanith defeat him nevertheless. Valkyrie is subsequently attacked by vampires and forced to flee. Dusk corners her and vows that when he has transformed her into a vampire he's going to set her loose on her parents while in her bloodlust. Valkyrie stabs Dusk in the leg with the syringe he uses to curb his inner vampire whilst he is transforming and as a result he is caught between vampire and human and suffers intense pain. Springheeled Jack comes and rescues her and defeats Dusk so as to frustrate Vengeous's plans because he doesn't want the Faceless Ones to return and because Sanguine, who works with Vengeous, has betrayed him.

Meanwhile China is attacked by Vengeous in an underground car park. The dark sorcerer, with Lord Vile's Armour, brutally murders China's bodyguards Sev and Zephyr, then viciously beats her unconscious before taking her to Clearwater Hospital which is serving as his headquarters. Accompanied by Tanith Low, Mr. Bliss and some Cleavers, Skulduggery and Valkyrie go to Clearwater Hospital and battle with the Grotesquery which due to being part Faceless One is nearly invincible. Mr Bliss is incapacitated but the Cleavers mercilessly attack the Grotesquery and almost overpower it when Vengous arrives along with China whom he has taken captive and together with the Grotesquery he kills the Cleavers and puts some other Cleavers and Tanith Low into unconsciousness using a Necromancy wave. He then beats Skulduggery and Valkyrie into submission. Valkyrie tricks Vengous into releasing her, saying that she will join him but she releases China who attacks Vengous and the Grotesquery, giving Valkyrie time to free Skulduggery who joins in the assault against Vengous, tearing off his helmet and his breastplate before shooting him in the stomach. In a swoon, Vengous crawls toward the Grotesquery but his god callously breaks the Baron's neck. The Torment subsequently arrives as a reinforcement and tries to kill the Grotesquery but he is defeated and scalped. In the ensuing battle Valkyrie uses Tanith's sword to stab the Grotesquery through the heart, killing it. But before it dies it utters a terrible scream, signaling to the Faceless Ones where Earth is before it dies.

Sanguine is then seen meeting his mysterious master who reveals that he had never expected the Grotesquery to succeed but he knew that when it was vanquished, the beast's dying scream would alert the Faceless Ones spirits as to the whereabouts of the Earth meaning that all he has to do now is open the door. The mysterious man then pays Sanguine and takes his leave.

Valkyrie is later seen talking to Skulduggery on a pier. They reason that they must find out who Vengeous and Sanguine were really working for and if Thurid Guild is in league with him. Skulduggery ominously tells Valkyrie "Bad things are coming." They are subsequently attacked by a vampire and the book ends with them going into battle once again.

Baron is tall and muscular with gun-metal grey toned hair and a tightly cropped beard. He was also described as militaristic. Vengeous subscribes to an adept discipline that allows him to make objects rupture and break at a glance. His eyes turn yellow when he uses his ability. If the person is a victim, it is like their body forgot how to stay together and splits apart. If it is an object they simply explode.

People Baron know:

Jaron Gallow: Jaron Gallow was a member of the Diablerie and student of China Sorrows, Baron was also a student of her. During the war he went on missions with the Diablerie. He once allied with the Dead Men to hunt Abyssinia. At some point, he attempted to kill China Sorrows while she was staying in Naples.

Gruesome Krav: Gruesome Krav was a large member of the Diablerie. He is tall, broad shoulder and has sleek silver hair. Gruesome Krav was a member of the Diablerie when China Sorrows lead the group.

Murder Rose: A small amount is known about most of Murder Rose's history except that she was a member of the Diablerie when China Sorrows lead the group. She was present during the capture of Skulduggery and his family. Rose went after Skulduggery's child.

China Sorrows: A former Faceless Ones fanatic, leader of the Diablerie and Baron and Jaron's mentor. China is proficient in sigils and was once a very respected advisor to Mevolent but defected and became a heretic. China Sorrows is now a information dealer, neutral but leaning towards the Sanctuary. China has a secondary magical ability, anyone who lays eyes on her for the first times falls deeply in love with her, which has ruined many relationships and sways business deals to China's side. China has silky black hair and crystal blue eyes.

Abyssinia: Abyssinia is a white haired woman who appeared with Lord Vile slaughtering mortal villages. Abyssinia is magically flexible but can fly and heal herself. She is out for herself and has a superiority complex.

Mevolent: Mevolent is an 8 foot tall man, a powerful elemental and the leader and Messiah of the Church of the Faceless Ones. He is cold, quiet and violent despite being quite composed. He wishes to slaughter all heretics and enslave mortal (non-magical humans) kind. Mevolent is deeply and stupidly in love with his wife, Serafina Dey

Nefarian Serpine: Nefarian Serpine is Mevolent's right hand man and the head tactician and head torturer. He has unnaturally green eyes and obsidian black hair. Serpine learned a form of necromancy that took the flesh from his right hand and lets him emit a controlled mist that will cause the most painful death imaginable. Serpine is out for himself.

Eliza Scorn: Eliza Scorn is a collector of magical books and objects, and a devout follower of the Faceless Ones. She was also a member of the diablerie. She is a copy of China in every way but worse, she has the same ability to make people fall in love but it doesn't work as well. She has ginger hair. She also has a crush on Baron and tries to flirt with him.

Lord Vile: Lord Vile is another general of Mevolent. He is a Necromancer and wears armour, Lord Vile rarely talks and never emotes. He is a literal killing machine. No one knows what he looks like underneath. He is Abyssinia's fiance but he never shows affection to her.

Dusk: Dusk is a vampire who Baron commands. Vampire's in this universe are more like werewolves, they tear off their skins at night and become uncontrollable beasts unless they inject themself with a special serum made of hemlock and wolfsbane. Dusk has a debt to Baron since Baron more or less rescued Dusk who became a vampire when attacked and abandoned by his sire. Dusk has black eyes and brown hair, he is very well spoken.

Billy-Ray Sanguine: Billy-Ray is the son of Dreylan Scarab, Mevolent's most trusted assassin. Dreylan was not that present in Billy's life and Baron took that place as a paternal role. Billy-Ray is a sterotypical cowboy, a Texan Gentlemen. He is also an assassin. He scooped out his eyes but can still see, his magic makes him able to see in the dark which he uses for his drilling magic. Billy-Ray is blonde and has empty eye cavities.

Skulduggery Pleasant is an Elemental and a "living" skeleton. He fought in the War against Mevolent as part of a group called the Dead Men. However, the death of his family at the hands of Nefarian Serpine caused him to go mad and in a fit of rage, he picked up a poisoned dagger which trapped him, and Serpine tortured and killed him. He was resurrected, but he soon was overcome by his fury and desire for destruction and joined Mevolent's Forces, becoming Lord Vile, the most powerful of the Three Generals. Five years later, he regained his senses and became Skulduggery Pleasant again. From 2007 onward, he took on Valkyrie Cain as an apprentice Detective and together they have saved the world many times. Skulduggery, despite his bizarre appearance which he hides while in public with a disguise, is something of a dapper gentleman. He has a polite, old-fashioned way of speech and a velvety-smooth voice which enraptures Valkyrie when they first meet. As well as a powerful sorcerer, more specifically an Elemental, he is particularly enthusiastic about detecting, always searching for clues, much to Valkyrie's and Tanith's chagrin. He is also a flamboyant egotist, vocally exalting his own plans, complimenting himself, and showing off his magical abilities to Valkyrie, at one point walking on the ocean's surface after falling from a cliff. Skulduggery is a clever strategist, usually forming the plan the team uses, when they actually have a plan, and sharpening his wit on Valkyrie's, taking pleasure in his own wisecracks. The two partners develop a relationship throughout the books. He also reveals that he used to be great at motivational speeches, although he has obviously lost this talent.