Damocles Creed

Damocles Creed is the arch-canon, his sect of the The Church of the Faceless, and the temporary Grand Mage of Ireland. His sect is based in the Dark Cathedral in Roarhaven. He is considered formidable, both by allies and enemies. He is attempting to create a Child of the Faceless by activating people with Faceless Ones DNA, but often ends up turning people in to Kith. Damocles is easily over 400 years old, his sister Serafina Dey was married to Mevolent. Mevolent proclaimed himself to be the Messiah of the Faceless Ones and ran his own sect. Mevolent lead an army and started the 300 year war. The 300 Year War, almost always referred to as simply the war, was a series of battles fought between different forces of sorcerers. These forces involved three, and eventually, two sides: the followers of the Faceless Ones and everyone else opposed their religion mainly due to the terrible nature of the Gods. The third was a side the dropped out of the war and became neutral; the Necromancer Order. The world's Sanctuaries were created during the War as a means to govern the magical community. Damocles and his followers were neutral but Damocles does have a deep hatred for his brother-in-law for personal and religious reasons.

He becomes the main antagonist of the book, using his newfound power as Supreme Mage to add laws to Roarhaven which gradually turn it into a police state. After an astral projection session ends with Valkyrie sent 72 years into the future, it's found out that Damocles Creed succeeded in finding the Child of the Faceless Ones and using them to bring the Faceless Ones back. Skulduggery and Valkyrie later decide to assassinate him, though Valkyrie manages to talk the former out of this; Creed ends up assassinated anyway and his body is later taken by Uriah Serrate.

When Valkyrie later travels to the future, nothing has changed though she meets Cadaver Cain who is one of the few people to fight against him. It's later revealed that Uriah had resurrected him, though Creed later notices that he's been more servile than normal (hence why he hasn't questioned why Serrate wants to build a new Necropolis in Roarhaven). It's later revealed that Serrate resurrected him and had been controlling him to advance his own plans, though his influence had worn off quite quickly due to how strong minded Creed was.

After his plan to find the Child of the Faceless succeeds (while averting mass death), he points out that even if Skulduggery arrests him for attempted genocide, he'll be bailed out of prison because everyone in Roarhaven with a position of power is there because of him and that the various Sanctuaries of the world do as he tells them. When Skulduggery tells him again that he's arrested, he retorts by telling him that he won't find a Sensitive strong enough to break into his mind and that he'll need to collect evidence and witnesses to build a case against him.

A Child of the Faceless (Ones) is a creation by Damocles Creed. A Child is created by using some of the Faceless Ones' DNA from a Cleaver Scythe retrieved from Skulduggery Pleasant: The Faceless Ones, marked with the blood of a god. Damocles Creed always tries to create a Child of the Faceless, but often ends up turning people into the Kith due to choosing people of the wrong bloodline. The Faceless Ones were evil gods, and the rivals of the Ancients and the Apocalypse Kings, another race of gods. The Faceless Ones are INSANELY powerful, laying waste to trillions in other realities. They were kicked out of their own reality by the Ancients, and started working their way back. There have been several times when the Faceless Ones have actually entered our universe. The Sceptre of the Ancients, the Obsidian Blade and the 4 other God-Killers (spear, bow, dagger and sword) were the only known weapons able to destroy them. However, it is said in the fifth book that one who knows their True Name has the power to take on a Faceless One without the weapon. In the sixth book it is also mentioned that the Death Bringer could fight a Faceless One without the Sceptre. It has been implied that the Faceless Ones are based on Howard Phillips Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos series, although it is said Lovecraft based his dark gods on the Faceless Ones (most likely a reverse of the actual truth, especially given the fact he passed away in 1937).[1] During the events of Kingdom of the Wicked when Valkyrie travelled to the alternate reality, the Sceptre of the Ancients, along with one of the God Killers (specifically the dagger) was present, implying that the Faceless Ones were either kicked there, or originated in that reality as well as our own. Of course, this that there are trillions more generations of the dark gods, banished to other realities, so it was either through extreme good fortune or insane power within one universe that the Faceless Ones have not invaded and consumed other dimensions in their journey "home". Their true appearances have never been shown in the books, as laying eyes upon them is enough to drive you insane.

Damocles belongs to a very honourably family, his siblings include his older sister Serafina Dey (Mevolent's wife), his younger sister Rune (Serafina's bodyguard), his younger brother Strosivadian (A deformed berserker) and his baby sister Kierre. Damocles does not talk to his family because of their loyalty to Mevolent and his sect, named the Legion of Darkness.

Damocles is muscled and his head was shaved bald. He walks with long strides. He has bright and glittering eyes. His voice is described as rough. Damocles is roughly 6'4, muscular and broad in the shoulders. Damocles has blue eyes. Damocles dresses in a mix of outfits, his outfit as Arch-cannon is tattered religious robes and work boots. But Damocles does dress more casually, more casually than most sorcerers of his creed. Damocles wears what is considered Mortal clothing/non-magic clothing. Damocles has hobbies such as weight lifting and he seems very enthusiastic about mechanics/cars but his faith is his most prominent interest. Like most Sorcerers Damocles looks down on mortals (people born without magic) because of their lack of magic, and their limited life span. To Damocles and his followers mortals are dumb, cow-like creatures and would be better off being put to labour and as servants to Sorcerers.

The Dark Cathedral is the main place of worship for disciples of The Church of the Faceless in Roarhaven City. It was constructed after The Church of the Faceless was granted legitimacy. Damocles Creed is the current leader of the Dark Cathedral. The Cathedral is located on the east side of the Circle Zone of Roarhaven City. It is described as being "Black and grey, it had wide shoulders and its towers were almost as high as the High Sanctuary's". The Dark Cathedral is one of the Seven Pillars needed to start the Activation Wave to find the Child of the Faceless Ones.

Kith are mortals/sorcerers who have failed to become a Child of the Faceless Ones during a process called activation. When a Faceless One takes a human as a faceless vessel, the human is usually burnt out before they can become of use. But, if a faceless one leaves the body before it can be disintegrated, a tiny bit of faceless ones DNA can fuse to the body's DNA. This mage or mortal‘s descendants will also have this DNA. It can be activated by a process known only by the worshipers of the faceless ones, but if the DNA in the subject is not strong enough, their mind will be wiped and their facial features will melt off. That is when they are a Kith. But, if the DNA is strong enough they will become a child of the faceless ones. This hybrid would be theoretically be capable of calling the faceless ones from their own dimension. When Temper Fray meets Creed the man behind the creation of the Kith, they begin talk of The Religious Freedoms Act. They speak of how the act enables all religions to worship how they please, Temper adding that the Church of the Faceless are the only religious order to advocate human sacrifice. Creed denies this but Temper claims that the Kith are "as good as dead," and also claims that he was "next on the list to be sacrificed." Creed speaks of how the Kith will be the first in line to meet the Faceless Ones upon their return.

In 2017 Temper Fray, an undercover agent in the Anti-Sanctuary, a group that believes mortals are inferior to sorcerers and wants to start a war that would end in sorceres ruling mortals, is discovered and chased by Lethe, the leader; Razzia, a psychopath with tendrils from her palms; Nero, a Teleporter; Memphis and Quibble, siblings; and Smoke, with mind control powers, who subdues Temper. Lethe kills Quibble for refusing to kill a child.

Valkyrie has been back in Ireland for 5 months after her 5 year stay in Colorado, but is struggling with guilt and trauma over Devastation Day and her temporary murder of Alice and avoiding her family, whilst being haunted by a splinter of Darquesse (later named Kes). Skulduggery requests her assistance to investigate Temper's disappearance - the pair form the Arbiter Corps, an independent investigative institution with absolute jurisdiction.

Sebastian Tao, dressed as a plague doctor, searches for Darquesse to save the world.

Omen, an average schoolkid at Corrival Academy and the younger brother of ‘Chosen One’ Auger, is asked by Skulduggery to infiltrate a group of students associated with the Anti-Sanctuary. His classmates include Never, his only friend and a Teleporter, Filament, an amiable older student, Axelia, who Omen has a crush on, and Jenan, who openly hates mortals, and his teachers include Fletcher, who teaches Teleportation, Militsa, a Necromancer who befriends Valkyrie, Peccant, who seems to hate Omen, Miss Wicked, who is beautiful and commanding, and Mr Lilt, who also doesnt like mortals and leads a study group including Jenan, Arcanum's Scholars. Omen spies on a meeting of theirs in which Lilt threatens to kill a member, Byron.

The Anti-Sanctuary, along with Cadaverous Gant, break into and overtake Coldheart Prison (weakened temporarily due to interference from Supreme Mage Sorrows) and find a heart in a box.

Valkyrie faces anger from members of the public wronged by Darquesse, befriends Militsa and meets Sebastian. She visit Cassandra's cottage with Skulduggery, empty since the Night of Knives, and discover Valkyrie has Sensitive abilities, having multiple chilling visions including one of the Princess of the Darklands, who can see her and threatens her, Never dying, and Omen in danger, prompting her to try and cut Omen loose.

The Arbiters visit an Anti-Sanctuary member studied in a report by Lilt on Neoterics, sorcerers with powerful and unstable magic, named Melior. The Anti-Sanctuary appear (with Destrier, who can slow time) and Lethe batters Skulduggery in single combat, demonstrating an ability to learn very quickly how to fight against him. Fletcher teleports them to Reverie’s clinic but is stabbed by Nero.

Skulduggery tells Omen that Lilt has been arrested and his work is done. Nevertheless, Omen spies on another Arcanums Scholars meeting in which Lethe appears, calling them the First Wave of the Anti-Sanctuary, but is caught and thrown off a balcony but saved by Peccant. Nero later meets Jenan and tells him to find and kill the spy, and Omen touches Nero as he teleports away, going with him to Coldheart. He finds Temper and frees him but they are confronted by Lethe, Nero and Razzia. Omen gets the drop on Nero and forces him to teleport them back to Roarhaven.

Melior meets with the Arbiters, asking for help. He tells them about the Anti-Sanctuary, who want to force a war between sorcerers and mortals that ends in sorcerers ruling mortals. that they kidnapped his husband, Savant, to force his cooperation, and that their leader, the Princess of the Darklands, is called Abyssinia, who Skulduggery reveals to be an ex who enhanced the worst parts of him after he returned during the war, and helped him become Lord Vile. She was a Neoteric with the power to absorb others life forces and wanted to murder Mevolent and take his place but Vile stabbed her before she could. Years after Lord Vile reverted to Skulduggery, but still during the war, Abyssinia returned even more powerful, prompting the Dead Men and Mevolent to strike a deal to assassinate her, cutting her heart from her body(and putting it in the box in Coldheart) when she surrendered to save her son, theorised to be the King of Darklands Auger is destined to face. The Anti-Sanctuary plan to resurrect her using Meliors healing powers and a machine designed by Destrier (who isn't really part of the Anti-Sanctuary) in a ritual for which he needs to take the life force of three Neoterics to transfer to her heart. The Arbiters are then ambushed by Smoke and Skulduggery is corrupted, shooting Valkyrie in the leg and promising to kill her and her family.

Militsa tells Valkyrie that Lethe's suit is a necronaut suit and gets Never (who hates Valkyrie as Darquesse killed their brother) to teleport Valkyrie, Temper and Omen(who was attacked by Jenan and saved by Miss Wicked) to Melior's house. They find a pic of Melior with Lilt, Tipstaff (the Sanctuary Administrator, a traitor who freed Lilt) and Tessa, an ex of Tempers from when they were in the Church of the Faceless, recently legitimised by China and led by Creed. They are attacked by a serial killer with invisibility powers, Mr Glee, but Never teleports them away. China imprisons Tipstaff and Temper meets Tessa, who tells him Smoke infused Lethe's necronaut suit with his magic.

Skulduggery and Cadaverous talk about his powers and Abyssinia talking to him and reigniting his magic during a heart attack. They capture the sacrifices for the ritual but Memphis accidentally kills one, and Melior informs them Valkyrie is the only potential suitable replacement.

Filament tells Omen the Arcanums Scholars have left but split with Byron. Valkyrie and Omen visit him but Skulduggery tracks Byron through a sigil and Smoke corrupts him to kill his neglectful mother, which Omen stops him doing. Valkyrie takes out Smoke and Nero but Skulduggery captures her and takes her to Coldheart, where they discuss Valkyries regret over avoiding her family and Skulduggery leaving the City Guard as they killed a prisoner in interrogation.

China asks Never to teleport a group of Cleavers to Valkyries side to help her when she activates a sigil but Omen tells Never to take Omen and Temper instead as Temper knows a better way.

The ritual begins, with Lilt threatening to kill the First Wave kids to force Melior’s cooperation. Melior transfers the first two life forces to the heart but it isn't enough to grow a full body. Skulduggery goes to kill Valkyrie but is able to free himself from Smokes influence during their conversation (perhaps due to his different aura and their strong bond) and kills Memphis, injures Nero and frees Valkyrie. The other convicts riot but are fought off by Valkyrie and Razzia, who then leaves under apparent truce. Lethe fights them and is winning but is stunned by Kes long enough to be cuffed. Smoke corrupts Skulduggery again but he fights it off again and kills him. Lethe tries to convince Melior to finish the ritual with his life force but Omen, Never and Temper teleport in after Valkyrie taps the sigil, revealing that Lethe is Savant, controlled by the suit. Valkyrie saves Never’s life based off her vision but is wounded and bleeding, allowing Abyssinia to steal enough of Valkyries life force to return. Never teleports them all to Corrival.

Mortal USA President Flanery, who has a Sensitive working for him against mortals, meets Lilt after his escape.

Sebastian meets Bennet, member of a Darquesse worshippers cult, who he helps catch his wife cheating on him with a Hollow Man, and convinces him to find a Shunter to track down Darquesse.

Omen expresses interest in being a Signum Linguist like China, and reveals he wasn't taught to fight, just used as a punching bag in Augers training. Skulduggery inspires Omen as part of the team, Valkyrie visits her family again and Melior and Savant recover together.

Seven months after the events of Resurrection, the Arbiters break into Dr Nye's lab, who was broken out of Ironpoint Gaol by Eliza Scorn. Abyssinia visited the lab two days ago, looking for her son Caisson, who was experimented on there for sixty years by Quidnunc, a scientist who evacuated with Caisson a week ago. Nye tells them Quidnunc suffers from liquefactive necrosis before being rescued by it’s Necromancer bodyguard, Whisper.

Thousands of mortal refugees arrive in Roarhaven from the Leibniz dimension, aided by Temper, now a City Guard.

Omen, who has since been consumed with looking for more adventure, asks out Axelia, who he has recently befriended, but is rejected. He is called to meet Jenan’s dad, the Bulgarian Grand Mage, who tries to have him expelled but his parents defend him while telling him to do more with his life, prompting him to volunteer to help the refugees with Axelia.

Abyssinia, using Coldheart Prison as a base and accompanied by Nero, Razzia, Destrier, Cadaverous and some convicts who chose to stay, tracks down Caisson as being held by Serafina. Discontent spreads amongst her followers over the focus on finding Caisson instead of the power and purpose she promised them. She executes one of First Wave for trying to leave.

Valkyrie begins to see Abyssinia in her head with her Sensitive powers. Skulduggery and Valkyrie have dinner with her family and track down the man who treats Quidnunc’s condition, Gravid. They find Quidnunc who tells them he's working for Serafina, Mevolent’s wife, who’s people have Caisson on the run, and that Vile is Caisson’s father. Abyssinia arrives with Nero, kills Quidnunc and reveals that she is descended from the Faceless Ones. Her father was the Unnamed, King of the Darklands and Mevolent’s mentor who was betrayed by him. After rejecting a truce, Valkyrie sees into Abyssinia’s head, finding that Abyssinia was pregnant and changed her mind about the mutiny when Vile killed her. Nero teleports Abyssinia away.

Valkyrie wakes up in Reverie’s clinic and meets and flirts with Militsa. She babysits Alice but leaves her with Omen to visit China, who passed the Religious Freedom Act for the Church in exchange for investment in her bank. She admits she raised Caisson secretly after making a deal with Abyssinia when they captured her during the war and that her affection for him was the reason she defected from the Diablerie. Caisson tried to kill Skulduggery but was injured and nursed back to health by Solace, one of Serafina’s handmaidens, and they fell in love. Caisson went to rescue Solace after Serafina recaptured her, and took the opportunity to kill Mevolent, after which China gave him up to Serafina.

Cadaverous finds and captures Caisson – he also kidnaps Alice, telling Valkyrie she has to find her before midnight or she dies. He sends her to have sigils carved in her eyes that allow him to see what she sees. He then tells her to kill Omen which she fakes with help from Kes. Finally she is sent to a pair of cannibals who give her a bracelet that binds her magic and unsuccessfully try to kill her, and takes part in a hunt where she learns Cadaverous has Alice in the Midnight Hotel.

Temper threatens Creed over the Church's practice of human sacrifice – he was to be sacrificed before he left the Church. He discusses reopening the portal with Skulduggery as it was closed with 10,000 refugees still on the other side. Abyssinia arrives with a truce to save Caisson and Valkyrie and they trace clues to the Hotel.

Inside the hotel, Cadaverous has created a replica of his childhood town. Valkyrie fights off many of Cadaverous’ obstacles and escapes his domain, returning with a seed to grow a new hotel which she stamps on, appearing much larger in the current hotel. Cadaverous still manages to overpower her but Skulduggery gets the bracelet off, allowing Valkyrie to overwhelm Cadaverous with her lightning and Sensitive powers. She then grows another hotel into which Alice reaches to kill Cadaverous. Abyssinia finds Caisson and is teleported to safety by Nero. Valkyrie realises Alice can’t feel sadness or fear as her soul was damaged from when she temporarily died.

Omen befriends and later successfully asks out a Leibniz refugee, Aurnia, though she later rejects him as she is dating another mortal. Axelia cheers him up that people like him more than he realises. The Sanctuary gives the Leibniz refugees housing in a part of Roarhaven called the Humdrums.

Sebastian and the Darquesse Society plan to track Darquesse through Faceless Ones blood which they steal from the Dark Cathedral, aided by Tanith who has returned to the Knives in the Darkness and is going to assassinate China. Sebastian stops her as it interferes with his plan and fights off an attack from Tantalus, who is then voted out by the rest of the society while Sebastian is made leader.

Flanery orders Wilkes to move forwards his and Abyssinia’s plan and threatens Magenta’s family to keep her in line. He later discovers Wilkes is a sorcerer spy for Abyssinia. Crepuscular arrives, killing Wilkes and vows to kill Skulduggery.

Valkyrie Cain and Skulduggery Pleasant following a lead regarding Dr Nye's location. They meet up and converse with Christopher Reign; owner of a local Roarhaven bar and distributor of a new magical item known as a Splash. Originally created by Nye, the Splash is a sigil carved onto a piece of paper that gives the user a jolt of magic, just enough to feel good. As the discussion begins to get heated Christopher calls on one of his door staff, Panthea, in an attempt to have them thrown out. Valkyrie initially tries to goad Panthea into a fight but ends up flirting with her instead. Skulduggery presses Christopher for an answer only for him to insist he really doesn't know the whereabouts of Dr Nye, but insinuates that Nye came to Christopher with the splash, received payment, and left. They decide to leave the bar but not before Valkyrie knocks out a patron she describes as getting too handsy with the staff.

They leave the bar and notice a City Guard car parked in the next street over in front of a small shop with its door kicked in. They investigate only to find three city guards, Sergeant Yonder, Officer Lush and Officer Rattan trashing the place. After a brief discussion, it's revealed that this shop belongs to mortals from the Leibniz Universe. It's implied that the owners had not paid the city guard protection money and as such were being targeted till they do so. The trio of guards tries to leave only for Skulduggery to stop them and declare that they are under arrest causing all three to turn hostile. After a brief scuffle Lush, Rattan and Yonder are defeated. Cuffed and helpless Yonder declares his animosity towards the duo before being presumably taken away.

Over at Corrival Academy, Omen Darkly is in a meeting with Ms Gnosis in her office, discussing his future choice of discipline. Omen appears to be indecisive and unsure of what future discipline he wants to specialise in. Miss Gnosis attempts to ease his anxiety. She states that he doesn't have to be to hard on himself as he still has a number of years before he experiences The Surge. Omen and Miss Gnosis briefly discuss Sensitives and how twins like Auger and Omen have a strong psychic connection before Miss Gnosis lets him off early. Omen, now free to leave, manages to get to his next class just before the bell rings. Class starts and Never comes in looking exhausted. The two discuss her recent adventures with Auger and his group. Never expresses how she struggles to balance her life of adventure with her school work. She compares her lazy work ethic to Auger who is seemingly always on top of his homework even after constant adventuring. She attempts to copy off Omen only for Omen to state that he doesn't complete his homework either. Never appears to be slightly annoyed and demands to know why, only for Omen to state "I was thinking about other things". Miss Chou walks in and begins class by asking Never a question regarding her homework.

Razzia is applying makeup in the ladies room of Coldheart Prison next to Abyssinia. Razzia appears to be lost in her thoughts as Abyssinia speaks to her, presumably unaware that Razzia is not listening. Razzia ruminates on her past back in Australia. She admits it gets quite hazy as she thinks back to her father who she seems to be unsure she even had. On one hand, she has vague memories of a "a nasty old man quick with his fists" but expresses her dislike at those memories instead substituting them for memories of a more lovable father. Razzia realises Abyssinia has still been talking this whole time, but is completely lost as to what they were just discussing. Razzia goes back to applying her makeup and thinking to herself. Knowing Abyssinia, she assumes that she has been talking about her son, Caisson, the entire time. Razzia inwardly expresses happiness at Abyssinia getting Caisson back but appears to be at odds with him now being viewed as the weirdest one in the group. She admits though that anyone having to endure what Caisson had just endured for a near century would come out at the very least, a little odd. It's for this reason that Razzia looks up to Caisson torturer Serafina admirably. She secretly wishes to meet the mysterious wife of Mevolent and perhaps learn a thing or two. Abyssinia interrupts Razzia thoughts asking for her opinion on something. Razzia defects the question by instead asking Abyssinia what she thinks. Abyssinia believes that they should move to the next stage of her plan but at the same is concerned and unsure of what to do about Auger Darkly. Razzia doesn't see what the problem is. The Darkly Prophecy is still more than 2 years away. Plenty of time in Razzias mind to find an opportunity to kill him. She explains her thoughts to Abyssinia in a paradoxical way ending with her expressing her views on the whole concept of prophecy as a complicated yet deceptively simple business. Abyssinia disagrees and Razzia concedes the argument, admitting that her opinion may be invalid due to her being crazy.

Valkyrie surprises her mother when entering the house, with her saying that Valkyrie has "secret ninja training." Melissa tells Valkyrie that her dad is grumpy. Valkyrie finds her father in the lounge room absentmindedly watching cricket. They talk about Valkyrie's great-grandfather and Gordon, speaking about the information contained in Gordon's diaries, and the life Valkyrie leads 'saving the world everyday.' This talk brings Desmond out of his slump, and the pair return to the kitchen. Valkyrie goes to Alice's room where Sparkles the hamster has died in his cage. Valkyrie asks Alice if she is sad, and they have a conversation about Alice's emotions and how she remains unaffected by the events of Midnight, despite the major trauma surrounding the event.

Omen and Axelia Lukt arrive at the Humdrums, where Omen admits to himself that, due to her upbringing, Axelia may be slightly racist regarding mortals, especially those that have arrived from the Leibniz Universe. Omen meets Buach, Aurnia's boyfriend. Aurnia reveals that Bauch is skeptical of all sorcerers, especially Omen seeing as he tried to kiss Aurnia. She threatens to break up with Bauch if he doesn't apologize to Omen, saying she would not date a rude person, and that Bauch is a good guy when there are no sorcerers around.

Valkyrie drives to the Sanctuary where she meets Skulduggery, saying he looks like a gangster in his current suit. On their way to the meeting with the Advisors board, and are greeted by the new Administrator, Cerise. Arriving at the meeting, Skulduggery and Valkyrie are greeted by the English Grand Mage Aloysius Vespers, American Grand Mage Gavin Praetor, and German Grand Mage Sturmun Drang. Supreme Mage China Sorrows disconnects from the Whispering to greet Skulduggery and Valkyrie. They discuss the disappearance of Wilkes, the American President Martin Flanery's knowledge of the magical community and his instability as