Karchess Crim

"You must be strong to regain what you love."

- Karchess Crim

Karchess Crim, was a Count of the Kingdom of Marlon, and the lover of Queen Yufina. After his beloved had gone missing, Karchess was asked to help investigate the disappearance cases plaguing the Beelzenian Empire. Discovering that Duke Sateriasis Venomania had been the perpetrator, Karchess assassinated the Duke and eloped with Yufina whilst dodging both Beelzenia and Marlon.

Early Life
Born in EC 110, Karchess eventually became a count of the Kingdom of Marlon. At some point, he became friends with Baron Toy Conchita. After Prince Martius ascended the throne, Karchess became the favored retainer of his queen, Yufina Marlon; falling in love with the young royal, the two entered an affair, regularly meeting in secret to hug, kiss, and talk with one another in private. At some point, he told Toy about the affair.

Seaside Rendevouz
"If you'll be aboard the ship traveling to Beelzenia tomorrow, we won't see each other for some time."

- Karchess to Yufina

In March of EC 136, Karchess learned the royal couple was departing for the Beelzenian Empire. Traveling to the port town of Jamet the day before their departure, the Count secretly met with Yufina again and exchanged the usual intimacies. When she suggested they don't ever meet again, Karchess pried about why until the Queen said she hadn't returned already and began to leave. He immediately restrained her, insisting they hadn't finished talking.

After she explained her husband would get suspicious if she took any longer, Karchess noted they'd be unable to see each other for a while once she left, pleading for her to stay a little longer. The Queen chastised him for being selfish, reminding him both their lives would be ruined if their relationship was discovered. The Count admitted he was aware of that but still wanted to be with her. The Queen then gave him the golden key pendant she always wore, telling him of its importance and to keep it until she returned.

Interpreting this as payment for breaking off the relationship, Karchess expressed his anger with the gift. Yufina then questioned his issue with accepting it and insisted she wouldn't be gone too long, explaining it was for her husband's homecoming and not political matters. Once she promised to come see him as soon as she returned, he calmed down and clenched the pendant tightly. When the Queen told the "Count" she'd be leaving, he swiftly departed, waving her goodbye.

Venomania Event
"Depending on the situation, you may prove to be my savior, my good man."

- Karchess to Rajih

Later on, Karchess discovered the golden key's unique ability to shapeshift and assumed it was some form of advanced technology. Later on, he heard the Beelzenian Imperial Family claimed Yufina had fell ill and was unable to make the return trip to Marlon. Around the summer of EC 136, the count was asked by Princess Maylis of the Beelzenian Empire to investigate the disappearances of women across Asmodean, revealing that Yufina was among the victims.

The Count agreed to assist the Empire and spent nearly a month investigating the incident. While reading through the list of disappearance cases in a local pub, he noticed Lilien Turner's disappearance in April coincided with local Ferdinand Family's massacre. Traveling to Mystica, Karchess arrived at the Ferdinand Mansion and the guards stopped him at the front gates before the Marquis granted him permission to enter.

Once they were seated in the dining room, the marquis expressed his pleasure in meeting the Count and that he was already made aware of the situation by Princess Maylis. After apologizing for the cold welcome, Karchess confirmed the marquis' family and staff were slaughtered, forcing him to be transferred as his uncle's replacement. He then inquired about the culprit's objective and the marquis noted it was unclear. When he related the massacre coincided with a woman's disappearance, Karchess inferred he meant Lilien Turner. As the marquis began to qualify the information, the Count inferred there was no evidence of any connection and listened to Ferdinand confirm the noble and baker never interacted.

Karchess sat back in his seat and crossed his legs, asking about her whereabouts. Told no one even saw the woman leave town, he heard the marquis compare the disappearance to the others he was investigating and the intrigued noble leaned forward, clasping his hands. Ferdinand then related that one testimony from a peasant named Rajih acquainted with Lilien was said to have gone mad after losing his childhood friend. Asking for specifics, the Count listened to him elaborate that the farmer claimed Duke Sateriasis Venomania committed both crimes despite no one else seeing the Duke come to Mystica.

Interested, Karchess pursued the lead and found Rajih drunkenly ranting on the floor about the futility of trying to face his lord. Scoffing at his reason for giving up, the Count called his decision to drink when his lover was stolen away pathetic. When the drunk peasant insisted she was just a childhood friend, the noble brushed it off before confirming he was the Rajih he was looking for.

Ignoring the peasant's question about his identity, he related his desire to learn everything the man knew about Duke Venomania and Lilien and Rajih retorted that he should introduce himself first. After doing so, Karchess saw the young man get up and begin to leave; as the confused lord tried to pry for the information, the peasant insisted he had nothing to say. Annoyed, the aristocrat grabbed Rajih by the shoulder, holding him in place while politely revealing that the peasant could potentially be his savior.

When asked if he was a foreigner, Karchess replied he was from Marlon and politely questioned if that meant he could speak on equal terms with the peasant. Once Rajih agreed, the man released him and declared that the man lacked three things that he had. After stating the first two were status and the resolve to take back his beloved, Karchess pulled out the golden key before smiling, saying the third was a weapon capable of even expelling demons. After hearing Rajih's full testimony, Karchess sent a report to Maylis of his progress in the past month.

Slaying the Demon
"As I thought, you're the culprit, aren't you, Duke Venomania!" "... You're... a... man...!?" "It was the magnificent girls' clothes, wasn't it?"

- Karchess and Sateriasis

In EC 137, Karchess met the mage Elluka Clockworker at an inn in Lasaland, hearing her explain that the Golden Key he carried was a vessel of sin; making an agreement to hand it over after the duke was defeated, Karchess joined forces with the sorceress. Afterwards, he became infuriated by her insistence that they wait to approach the duke, fearing for Yufina's safety, and they entered a heated argument. Following the meeting, Karchess mentally apologized to Toy and deviated from their original plan.

Afterward, the noble forged a contract with the Demon of Wrath. With the Golden Key transforming into a knife, Crim disguised himself as Elluka and approached the alleged demon in his mansion. After allowing Venomania to believe he'd exerted his powers over him, Karchess followed the duke into his basement. Once Venomania embraced him and asked him to dance, Karchess stabbed him in the chest with the Golden Knife.

He then called the duke a fool and shed his disguise as Sateriasis collapsed to the ground, expressing his incredulity that the duke actually fell for his disguise. After triumphantly exclaiming that he had killed "Duke Venomania," Karchess left him to search for Yufina. Freeing the captured women, including his beloved, Karchess and Yufina fled Asmodean and eloped; due to their activities, the two became fugitives of both the Beelzenian Empire and Marlon.

Later Life
In EC 139, Karchess returned to his homeland and launched a coup to establish a legitimate Marlon country. With Yufina considered the one legitimate heir to the Marlon Royal Family, he received the backing of many Marlon nobles and was able to able successfully install the new government, overthrowing Martius. Karchess then ascended to the throne as its king and part of the royal family. At some point, Karchess sired children with his wife.

Legacy
Following his death, Karchess was succeeded by his grandchild and his lineage continued for over eight centuries, including Carlos and Kyle Marlon; the latter adopted "Karchess Crim" as a pen name for his paintings, later using it as his alias during the Lucifenian Revolution. The Golden Key wielded by Karchess was kept in the royal family's possession for several centuries, with tales of Karchess' triumph over Duke Venomania passed down to future generations since that time. Because of his marriage to Yufina, blue hair also became a trait for many of the male members of the Marlon royal family, in contrast with the common black or brown hair found among Marlons.

Personality and Traits
"You say your lover's gone and you turn to drinking? You're pathetic."

- Karchess to Rajih

Karchess was an emotional but loyal man. Strong-willed and proud, he valued strength and determination, believing them to be necessary to protect what one loved or regain what was lost; as a result, he could be slightly stubborn and childish. Because of this, he looked down on those with pessimistic or defeatist attitudes, considering such despair pathetic. Therefore, he was a bit arrogant and self-serving, openly deceptive and readily using his more effeminate features to his advantage.

Otherwise, Karchess acted relatively reserved with others, though quick to show how he really felt in his expression or speech. Because of his aristocrat upbringing, the man spoke with a formal and somewhat conceited tone and diction; he often spoke plainly and succinct and typically disregarded pleasantries. However, he could act polite when he desired, if sounding somewhat forced. The Count also wasn't concerned with the differences in social classes and freely associated with commoners when needed.

Having fallen in love with Yufina, Karchess gladly entered a secret romance with the Queen despite her marriage to Martius. Following her disappearance, he worked tirelessly to find his beloved and reclaim her from Duke Venomania, developing a deep hatred for the Duke abducting and brainwashing his beloved into becoming his perverted plaything. After being hunted as fugitives, he happily eloped with his lover and was quick to stage a coup against Martisu' regime to return his Queen to power.

Skills and Abilities
"Hear me. There are three things I possess that you don't. One, status. Two, the strong will to take back those you love. And three, a weapon capable of expelling even demons."

- Karchess

As a noble from Marlon, Karchess had many connections among the nobility and was treated with utmost respect while working under Princess Maylis. A skilled investigator, Karchess' capabilities as a detective earned him a recommendation from his friend, Toy, to assist in the disappearance cases; he was also perceptive, recognizing Rajih's unique testimony as a potential lead despite the apparent evidence against it. Coinciding with this, Karchess was an adept planner, constructing his own scheme on top of Elluka's to save Yufina and keep the key his lover gave him.

Physically, the Count was notably strong, being able to hold Rajih in place with just a single arm. While in possession of the Golden Key, he was able to transform the vessel into a knife and injure the demon-possessed Duke. He could also raise his voice to a high-pitched feminine tone, employed against Venomania in his impersonation of Elluka.

Character Connections
Sateriasis Venomania: Karchess's object of pursuit. During his investigation Karchess was suspicious of Duke Venomania, thus following the lead Rajih provided. When he discovered his role in the women's disappearances, particularly Yufina's, he became wrathful towards the duke, taking delight in his eventual death.

Yufina Marlon: Karchess' lover. Karchess loved Yufina deeply, tracking her to Venomania's mansion when she disappeared and eloping with her after the Venomania Event. Her disappearance was another motivation for Karchess' interest in the missing women, and she had provided him aid beforehand in giving him the Golden Key.

Rajih: Karchess' partner. Karchess saw Rajih as a useful lead in discovering and catching the culprit of all the abductions, although he believed the latter to be pathetic for drinking instead of saving Lilien and for emphasizing their difference in station.

Elluka Clockworker: A fellow investigator of Venomania. Karchess joined forces with Elluka for the sake of defeating Duke Venomania, although he did not take their partnership seriously, deviating from it when he thought necessary. Nonetheless, he was inspired by her appearance and name in creating his female disguise to fool the Duke.

Maylis Beelzenia: Karchess' employer. Karchess was a close enough acquaintance of Maylis that he accepted her request to investigate the women's disappearances, after Toy's recommendation.

Toy Conchita: A friend of Karchess. Karchess and Toy had a good relationship, the latter being one of the few privy to his affair with Yufina and recommending him to Maylis to help with the investigation.

Conceptualization and Origin

 * Karchess' surname, Crim, seems to be a reference to "ice cream" (アイスクリーム), the character item of his representative Vocaloid.
 * Karchess's name is partially based off his representative Vocaloid, KAITO, with both names sharing the first two letters.
 * His later surname, Marlon, is a reference to Mammon, the patron demon of Greed.

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