Origins of Greed… S’ilcrest

As a human, S’ilcrest was a shark—a predator—one who always raced to the finish at the expense of others. Growing up, he quickly realized he had no spark or light of his own. He was mediocre, lacking the passions or precision others were praised for. Like a mirror, he learned that the only way to shine was to reflect.

His first taste of this came during his school years. He latched onto a classmate’s interests and niche, mimicked them, and paired with his charm and wit, he excelled and was praised. His light shone brightly, fused from the star he reflected. However, that light soon dimmed, and he quickly sought another source.

This feeling became an ever-growing chase that followed him into adulthood—through scholarships, communities, relationships, and promotions. Lies became second nature: unnecessary but incessant. Success was always within his reach, yet it was never enough. He was always striving for the next conquest, the next source of light. He became a star, but a fraudulent one.

Eventually, his façade was challenged. His family, coworkers, and partner collectively confronted him when the victims of his deceit were finally heard. The pile of evidence and complaints was too large to ignore. Why had he lied about so much? Who was he trying to impress? Why were all of his achievements stolen from others?

As they cornered him, S’ilcrest felt his light quickly diminish. He was nothing. Who was he? He couldn’t answer. His identity, soul, personality, and light were all stolen from others, pieced together like a shattered mirror. It ended when S’ilcrest began lashing out in desperation. His emotions overwhelmed him, and his body transformed—clothes ripping as he grew, contorted, and morphed into a towering beast.

As a beast, his obsession with mirroring and reflecting never ceased. He began his hoard with reflective pieces of metal, glass, mirrors, and similar items. He remained in the dark for a long time. After his transformation, his charm diminished, shattered along with his ego. For a while, anger festered, but eventually, it faded into numbness. He relied on physical light to feel any semblance of a soul.

Then S’ilcrest met Solace, a fellow creature punished for uncontrollable greed and ambition. While Solace emitted light from the hoard of candles on their back, S’ilcrest reflected their light back onto them. Solace, able to see only light and shadow, quickly warmed to the stranger. S’ilcrest, though less outwardly eager, felt relief at finally being bathed in the luminance and warmth from another.

This time, however, he couldn’t steal for himself—his brightness was limited to the physical reflections of Solace’s light. He could only shine as long as he stayed by Solace’s side, so that is where he remains.