A dark workshop exists within sight of a settlement but separate and shunned by ordinary people.
Strange clouds illuminated by unnatural colours swell out of clear sky above the workshop.
Condemned prisoners plead for mercy from the iron cages transporting them to a dark fate within the workshop.
Well-equipped, vigilant guards patrol the walls and barricades around the workshop. But maybe they are here as much to keep the occupants in as intruders out.
An elegant shop with couches of leather and velvet allows browsing of wares by appointment but despite the luxury the air is always chill and the malice of the stock can always be felt.
At the apex of the workshop is the binder themselves. Long ago they sold the soul of their loved one to Emaxus of the Golden Shackles so that they could acquire deeper knowledge of demon binding than any other mortal alive. They intended to do great good with the knowledge gained in this dark pact but the cost of the sacrifice made has weighed on them and they are now completely obsessed with binding Emaxus and forcing them to trade freedom for the lost soul of their true love.
Formal and eager to follow orders but an inner kindness causes them to doubt the morality of the bindery and wonder whether the tools created here do more harm than good. Looking for a way out but still loves researching magical knowledge and lore.
A demon who hates other demons and delights in imprisoning them within the items forged in the workshop. Their malice extends to creating flaws and curses within the structure of the items to torment the bound demons further during their imprisonment.
Has escaped the demon realms by possessing the body of a construct a wizard created as the perfect man, the body remains strikingly attractive.
Scarcely believing their luck that they are able to practice their dark pursuits openly so far the Demonlogist has been able to remain a helpful assistant to the binder and maintain a pleasant and agreeable demeanour with the other occupants of the bindery. However they are treading down dark paths with no higher purpose surrounded by the whispering voices of those they have helped trap. Damnation is the inevitable outcome.
A cheery but mercenary soul, the goods may be more disturbing than most but there's no lack of demand. The bindery has a lot of running costs and the sale of demon items makes the whole place tick. A burden that might worry someone with less of a gift for numbers and persuasion. Deep down though the merchant prefers to ensure that the more powerful items find they way into hands that might put them to more noble use, even if that means the occasional strategic discount or loan to be advanced.
The raw materials required to create the binding rituals are not commonplace to begin with but the demands of the binder is fuelling shortages not least in the soul energy required to enchant the demon recepticals. The Merchant desires overboard solutions, The Demonologist is more willing to strike less savoury deals to supply their own research.
As more and more demons are bound those remaining in the demonic realm begin to fear and plot seeking to exploit the weakness of the inhabitants of the bindery. No promise is too great to avoid being sealed away inside a piece of furniture.
Emaxus is ancient and wily, the binder's plan is transparent to them, obvious from the moment of the original pact. Each step of the binder's plan weakens Emaxus's opponents and brings the binder's soul closer to his