Ostiarius

Ostiariuses, as emissaries of the velstracs, tend to the portals between the Netherworld and the Universe. They not only escort other velstracs into the world of mortals but also work to entice mortals into the realms of the velstracs—from which most mortals never leave. Among the most pleasant and persuasive of the velstracs, ostiariuses are prepared to converse for hours upon any topic, and they're skilled at returning, again and again, to the subject of the delights found in their perverse philosophies. Ostiariuses stand over 6 feet tall, and individuals range from skeletally thin to hugely bulky.

The shadow-dwelling fiends known as velstracs all share a horrifying preoccupation with the search for ultimate sensation through self-mutilation. Velstracs transcend their stoic detachment only when inflicting pain and terror upon their victims, practicing new forms of torture, or turning their agonizing practices back on themselves. They consider themselves enlightened beings, transcending such limitations as morality or mortal taboos, but their victims know them as emotionless tormentors who inflict sadistic suffering. These fiends claim to seek perfection in thought, form, and action, although they don't recognize any refinement that doesn't require the painful excision of the flesh or spirit. Velstracs manifest from the souls of the most extreme masochistic or sadistic mortals who are judged and sent on to the Netherworld. They take on forms that suit their vile predilections, ranging from the low-ranking augurs to the maestros of suffering and mutilation, the eremites. The process of transformation warps the soul step by step, with other velstracs conveying their new members through untold chambers of pain among the dark reaches of the Netherworld.