Hellwhip

Grace has an unnatural trust towards the demons she summons. She feels responsible for them, as a mother would a child. Whether or not her trust in them is misguided remains to be seen.

Often sarcastic, impulsive or flirty, her remarks rarely indicate her true nature. When approached individually, her true, calmer nature is more present. She has a fierce devotion to her obligations and is willing to sacrifice much to see things through.

Though she talks big, Grace appears to be in awe of her new surroundings. A strong mentor figure would be ideal for controlling her development.

Background

A Child of God

Grace Marie Harrison was not destined for a normal life. She was born on January 5th, 1992 into a family of paladins. Both her mother, Daphne Thatcher, and her father, Thomas Harrison, had devoted their lives to a never-ending holy war against the evils that continued to creep into the realm of the living. While her mother was considered a first generation holy knight, her father could trace his lineage back to great paladins of centuries past, wielding the same sword his ancestors had used throughout the ages.

Grace and her twin sister, were the middle children of a litter of six. All children were raised on the family farm in rural Ohio and from a young age were trained in the ways of the paladins. While all the children showed an aptitude for the work, it was Grace's twin sister, Bethany, who truly excelled above the rest.

Life on the farm was fairly normal for the most part. Occasionally, Grace's mother and father would be gone for a few days "for work", which usually meant there was some devil, demon or cult in need of smiting. On the whole, however, her parents did their best to keep their children's innocence intact and away from the terrors they faced.

All of that changed, however, the day their mother did not return home.

A Bargain Struck

Her mother had been taken, captured by the demon known as Arathemia and dragged back to hell. Grace was only eight at the time, but she could plainly see the toll her mothers loss was taking on her family. In spite of their loss, she and her family did not lose hope. Every day the family gathered in prayer in the hopes that the Almighty would guide them to their mother's rescue.

Weeks went by, and gradually the faithful, resilient determination began to edge towards despair. All of the family handled their grief differently, but their father took it worst of all. Feeling responsible for leaving his wife behind, he had stopped eating altogether and rarely left their house chapel. When Grace saw her father beginning to break she realized something must be done. As the others went back to the chapel to pray that evening, she retired to her room to pray to another...

She prayed to Arathemia, the demon that held her mother, begging for mercy. The demon appeared in her mind as a tall and powerful woman with raven hair and bright green eyes. She offered to release her mother, if another would offer to take her place.

As a child of eight, Grace could not know the significance of the bargain she struck that night. For her family, she agreed to be Arathemia's captive in her mother's place. The demon accepted the offering eagerly. After all, what greater pain is there to a mother and father than to lose their little girl?

When the family returned from prayer that night, they found their mother, curled in a ball weeping in the tattered rags of her former clothes. Searched as they would for Grace, she was nowhere to be found.

A Terrible Price

So began the darkest chapter in Grace's life to date: her servitude to Arathemia. The first few days of her captivity nearly broke her mind and will outright through torture, pain and trickery. The demon was kind, in comparison to what might have been, but to a child robbed of her family, the whips, isolation and hunger broke her will and spirit with ease. God hadn't answered her prayers, no Almighy was coming for her now. As soon as Grace promised to forsake him and worship her, the pain would stop. And so, she did.

Swearing fealty to the demon, the pain washed away. Arathemia, though still fearsome and powerful, properly clothed and fed Grace. She began teaching the girl in the ways of magic, allowing her to taste power which she had never thought possible. Unbeknownst to Grace at the time, Arathemia was forging Grace, preparing her body and soul to become a vessel through which the demon could operate.

After nearly two years of training had passed, Grace was finally ready. Surrounded by the lesser demons that also worshiped Arathemia, she was branded with a tattoo over her chest, permanently cursing her with a connection to the hellish plane. With Arathemia's blessing, she allowed Grace to return to the mortal realm, just outside her family farm.

No sooner had hope begun to well within Grace that the nightmare might possibly be over than it was cut short when Arathemia's voice whispered in her ear. A moment later, Grace felt her psyche pushed aside as the demon took over. Forced to watch from the recesses of her mind, she saw herself enter her former home.

Caught unaware, her family nearly fell when Arathemia attacked. Grace's magic had grown powerful under the demon's guidance and her family was unarmed. It was virtually a miracle that they all made it out unscathed. Grace, however, would not be so lucky. The memories of that night, and all nights to follow where Arathemia used her as a weapon, would forever stay burned into her mind.

A Way Out

So begun a cycle that would last for years. Grace would be locked away for days or weeks, only to be sent out one again as the demons ultimate weapon against her own family, one which they would never dare harm. Although Grace was not powerful enough to defeat her family alone, the demon knew that the everlasting reminder of the daughter they'd lost would be more torment than if they'd died outright. Each time, her family would rebuild and each time, Grace's heart would break a bit more.

Grace grew up hearing the the Lord works in mysterious ways. After countless times of being sent out and endless hours crying to herself, something strange happened. The lesser demons, those also enslaved by Arathemia, took pity on her. When it was safe to do so, they would crawl from the shadows, offering the young girl bits of food and scraps of cloth.

Each time Grace returned from an attack, the lesser demons grew a bit bolder in their efforts to give the child some measure of peace. Some even began to entertain her with antics, putting on shows for her while their master was away. It took months, but eventually Grace began to smile again.

Grace's spirit began to mend, and with it, her mind. She had the power, she realized. Arathemia needed her to easily access the mortal realm. That had been what the training had been for, and that was why she'd been kept alive. Armed with this knowledge, Grace hatched a risky plan.

The next time Grace was sent to attack her family, she waited, patiently, for Arathemia to enter her mind and take possession as she'd done so many times before. This time, however, she resisted. As she felt the demon enter, Grace drew in her power, pulling the demon fully into the mortal realm.

Arathemia manifested in plain sight in front of her paladin parents and siblings. The battle was not long, nor was it merciful. The warriors of God ended the demon swiftly. Grace sank to the floor, weary. It was over. She was finally free.

A Shattered Life

In all, Grace had lost more than four years of her life to the demon's enslavement. She was thirteen when she finally rejoined her family, who cared for her and nursed her back to sound mind as well as body. In time, she even returned to school.

Try as she might, however, Grace could not escape the memories of what had happened. For over two years, she had been the vessel used to hunt her own family. Kind thought they were, it was clear in their eyes the pain that she'd caused them. She was a stranger to them now, and the more she tried to be like them, the more her differences showed through.

A Different Path

No greater did these differences seem when one night Grace awoke from a nightmare to the sounds of loud snores from the foot of her bed. Sleepily, she looked down to find a pointy-horned demon curled up there. She recoiled with a yelp and tumbled out of bed!

From the floor, Grace looked up to find the blackened, soulless face of the smallest of Arathemia's formerly enslaved demons looking down at her curiously. She quickly realized that she could read the demon's thoughts. Since their master had been slain, it and the other lesser demons had been wandering aimlessly. During her nightmare, Grace had unintentionally opened the way for the little demon to come through.

Perhaps it was in repayment for the kindness they had offered her during her enslavement. Maybe she took pity on them the way they had for her not too long ago. Or it could be that she felt as lonely and lost as the creature before her. Whatever the reason, she offered to help the demon and his kin.

A Renewed Faith

Over the next few years, Grace cared for the lost lesser demons in secret, allowing them entry into the mortal realm for food and shelter whenever she could. There were six demons that would visit her regularly, all of whom she lovingly named and went on silly little adventures with.

Grace began to embrace her differences, honing her skills in the dark magics in secret and with the help of her new friends. Her appearance gradually grew and matured. She began to dress in darker shades, riddle her body with piercings and mask her naturally blonde hair with various vibrant shades of color. Though her family wasn't entirely pleased with her appearance, Grace's final acceptance of herself gave her an air of confidence and happiness caused them to have hope nonetheless.

On Her Own

Grace continued to hone her skills until the day of her eighteenth birthday, when she finally decided to announce to her family about the demons and her magic. She was surprised when her parents did not yell or even flinch at the news. They revealed that they had known for some time and had faith still in the Lord and their daughter that she was on a Chosen path (albeit a very obscure one).

Armed with their blessing, Grace left home that very night in search of a purpose. With time, she found herself in Paragon City and currently attends Paragon University. Unable to sit idly by while the city suffers around her, she took up the mantle Hellwhip and, with the help of her demons, fights the darkness wherever she finds it.

Friends and Family