Originally tasked by the President to seek out the Demon Lord Krechevskoy, the National Supernatural Investigations Unit expanded its operations while only in its sixth month. Ostensibly engaged in seeking out Krechevskoy, the NSIU has used this onus to seek out other demonic agents on Earth and combat them. As a result, agents of the NSIU are, for the most part, vehemently opposed to the use of magick except as directly required for the execution of their mission. Possessed of an almost religious conviction that any use of the "dark arts" can corrupt a soul.

There are exceptions to this rule. Most famously, the Sorcerer-Priest Gavin Norstrum has actively pursued magicks in both understanding and application. Viewed as a dangerous anomaly by most in the agency, he is nevertheless tolerated due to his unique position. Hand-picked by President Abelman (who still considers him to be his top agent), Norstrum enjoys a certain immunity from criticism. It is also undeniable that, in situations where other agents of considerable skill have failed, Norstrum has yet to face an enemy he couldn't defeat.

Once a high-ranking official in the Animist Church, the priest was ex-communicated in 1848 for his heretical theories and practices. Notably, unlike his fellow agents who accept the church's official position that magick is the direct result of demonic influence, Norstrum believes that magick is a force, as natural and ever-present as gravitation. Magick, therefore, is not inherently evil or good, according to the sorcerer-priest. It is simply a "tool that can be manipulated to lesser or greater degrees."

Since being removed from his position in the Church, Norstrum has developed these theories further to include postulations on Creation itself. He suggests that at some point in the past, magick was much more prevelant on the Earth, that the force of it was somehow more concentrated in certain areas and that, as a result, certain animals were saturated with the essence of it. This saturation altered these animals, giving them powers that other animals did not possess... speech, walking upright, the ability to reason, a knowledge of good and evil, and, Gavin would argue, a soul.

These ideas are in direct opposition to the position of the Animist Church which teaches that God blessed the "Anims" with powers over their fellow beings. The "ferals" (those animals who were simply... animals), being unworthy in God's eyes, were left to wander the Earth, forever subserviant to the Anims. It was a short step from this belief to the "divine right of subjugation" that is promoted by the Southern Animist Church to justify the enslavement of Prey Anims. It is interesting to note that the majority of NSIU agents, although their agency was formed by President Abelman, are pro-slavery. Norstrum is strongly opposed.

As a result of his special position and his viewpoints, the sorcerer-priest is not trusted by the vast majority of his fellow NSIU agents. His dealings with them are, therefore, necessarily political. Always on the lookout for allies in the agency, he has taken several others under his wing, teaching them the basics of manipulating magick energies. Several of his proteges have died in the field, but he still searches for someone to carry on after he is gone. The closest he has ever come to that heir is Serena Bodkins.

A young panther, Serena grew up in Florida as something of an outcast. Even as a cub, she was possessed of a powerful inner sight. Most of the time, this simply enables her to perceive the auras of others. Occasionally, she has been able to reach out with that sight and catch glimpses of the nether realms or even possible futures. Norstrum was on an assignment from the NSIU when he encountered the young girl by chance. Recognizing her potential, he immediately approached her with the possibility of joining the agency.

The experience of being useful (even wanted) was something completely new to Serena, and she threw herself into the experience with an obsessive zeal. Norstrum attempted to teach her the "art of manipulating magickal energies" along with the dangers inherent in doing so. For the most part, she was a willing and able student. Somewhat headstrong, however, she allowed the sorcerer-priest's compliments to go to her head more often than not.

As much as Norstrum believes that magick is simply a force of nature, it is undeniable that another world exists. Populated by creatures from the very pits of darkest nightmare, this "nether realm" is peopled by demons that relish in the sensation of burning, that enjoy causing pain and harm, that drink blood or eat the souls of the living...

In his fight against the demon Abaddon, Norstrum, although victorious, was critically wounded and it was feared he would die from his injuries. Fearing for the life of the only one to have ever seen Serena for anything but a freak, the young panther desperately attempted to contact the Nether Realm directly, peering into its depths to find a cure for her wounded teacher.

Overconfident, Serena made a fatal error in preforming the ceremony that would draw a "catalyst demon" to the edges of the mortal world. What was drawn in was something far worse, the Archdemon Berstuk, the undying enemy of Krechevskoy. Since his nemesis' departure from their realm, the Archdemon has searched endlessly for a means to reach his quarry. Sensing his opportunity, he has placed a part of his dark soul into the unwitting young Serena.

Unaware that she has been possessed, she has believed simply that her attempt was a failure. Yet, as her mentor began to recover from his injuries, Serena began experiencing night terrors and visions darker than she had ever witnessed before. Throwing herself into her work with the agency as an attempt to overcome these visions, Serena has begun to be noticed by higher-ups willing to overlook her connections to Norstrum and the occult.

Having been on assignment in Philadelphia, Norstrum missed his opportunity to seek council with and provide protection to the famed scientist Dr. Adam Scott before he was driven off by the overzealousness of his fellow NSIU agents. Believing that this is a task for which his pupil is ready, and sensing a need to act quickly before she could be assigned away from his influence, the ex-priest volunteered Serena for the task of tracking down the missing Dr. Scott.

Officially, she is simply to locate Dr. Scott and, if found, to report back on his whereabouts. Norstrum has, however, tasked her with a secret mission: make contact with the scientist in an effort to gain back his trust. With little to go on, Serena set off with a vague yet undeniable belief that she should head to the west.

Wandering in what sometimes felt like an aimless pursuit, she was somewhat shocked to at last find traces of a trail left by the doctor. Witnesses had seen him at a tavern outside Mandrake, Virginia. His path from there seemed to parallel the Syles & Candor Pacific Rail Line leading possibly to a small city called Redemption or possibly points beyond.

With this her only possibility, Serena began her journey, still plagued by nightmares. Although she has begun to be aware of blackouts or "missing time", she has thus far explained this away as a symptom of poor sleep. It is undeniable even to her, though, that she has begun to have strange hungers. And, growing ever larger within her, she feels an obsessive need to carry out the mission of the NSIU: Find Krechevskoy... and kill him.

Original character created as gift art and story for  serena-1992

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I was actually starting to run out of ideas for characters as I started on this one. I had put out a journal asking if anyone out there was interested in having their fursonas drawn. I only got 3 real requests to do so. Those would be this and the next 2.

To be honest, I was really starting to get tired after doing 8 panels in the series and it was starting to show in the quality of drawing (such as it was back then). It's so obvious in this and (I'm sad to say) the next panel after this.