Theron d'Metreon

[conspiracy]

[/b][/size]
Knight of the Wind
by Crush 40[/font][/center]

Name: "You shall know me as lord Theron Bradford d'Metreon, future heir of the d'Metreon Sovereign Barony."


Nicknames / Titles: "Official titles aside, I do permit a singular exception: those who refer to me as 'the Prince of Strategem' will find my grace and favor."


Age: "I am a full fifteen years of age -- more than sufficient for someone of my talents to prove himself in the worlds!"


Gender: "I am a young nobleman, make no mistake."


Species: "What kind of question is that? Anyone with eyes can see I'm human."


Position: Chaotic Neutral

Powers/Abilities/Techniques/Skills:

[/i] something works he will not relent until he has overcome it. It is the way of a d'Metreon to rise and conquer all, and Theron aims to be a paragon of this creed.
(This is in no way a "superpower" or magic, merely a skill of mental analysis. It does not grant Theron any innate defensive or offensive bonus, merely a keen eye for tactical and strategic detail and, thus, planning.)

[SKILL: Knight on Horseback]
"Riding into the sunset is overrated - for all the dramatic effect it ruins the eyes and dries out the skin. Now, riding out of the sunset at your opponent... that is another story!"

Theron has been riding horses since he was young, a longstanding tradition amongst d'Metreon heirs, and is by consequence a superb rider and quite talented in the art of fighting from horseback.

[INNATE TRAIT: Blood of d'Metreon]
The blood of a long line of mighty warriors and conquerors flows through young Theron's veins, a bloodline with many distinctions, secrets, and curiosities passed down to each new generation. The stronger aspects of Theron's "inheritance" very seldom actually emerge -- he himself is at times hardly even aware of the benefits his lineage bestows upon him. Details on each 'measure' of this latent ability are described below.

[/ul]

Weapon/Items:

[WEAPON: Sangfroid]

(image from DigitalEel.com)

"The blade Sangfroid is a rare example of hybrid design in swords, uniting in perfect symmetry and subtlety that which makes the curved blade of the Falchion so effective with the Ottoman's 'yelman' weighted heft -- in this case, distributed to the middle instead of the tip -- all without compromising the streamlined aesthetics that make a sword elegant, lightweight, and precise. Truly a remarkable piece of work, especially considering the age in which it was crafted some three-hundred years ago. The hand guard has two points which can be used as sword-catchers, a notch on the front and a literal catch on the back. What's more, a long L-shaped support piece backs the blade on one side; this gives the wielder a chance to leverage one hand against the blade itself if deadlocked in a struggle of strength. Swift, versatile, razor-sharp... a sword I am proud to call my own. I'm quite fortunate most my siblings foolishly opted for newer, more exotic weapons, leaving the nobler blades of the armory for me to cull through. How they shall regret it..."

Sangfroid is an ancestral weapon of the d'Metreon family, an heirloom which Theron took with him when he left on his jouerney. While a very well designed and durable sword, it is ultimately just a normal sword -- no special powers, abilities, or secrets.


[EQUIPMENT: Fencing Gear and Armor]
Beneath his finery and regalia Theron wears a protective suit of fencing apparel of extremely high quality and excellent make, such that it doubles as fully functional body armor. This suit of fencing gear is complete except for the helmet, which Theron left behind in the Sovereign Barony when he began his journey. The fencing apparel is sturdy and resilient while remaining lightweight and flexible, never inhibiting the young d'Metreon's movements while still possessing the stopping power to save his life from an enemy's blade or a low-caliber bullet. It grants comparatively little protection against magic and supernatural energies, as it was never meant to be proof against such things.
Additionally, Theron wears a pair of sturdy black hardened-leather boots of rather elegant design. As his agility is one of his key assets in a fight, giving added protection to his legs and feet is essential to maintaining the advantage.

Picture:

[Alternate full image]

Appearance:
"The foolish look at my outward appearance and see only a boy, all prim and proper, dressed in expensive silk clothes... they see a posh little prince, nothing more. Foolish; only the ignorant could see my family's crest and take ME for a helpless child! The absurdity of it... if one look into my emerald green eyes doesn't convince them of my intelligent and decisive nature, I assure you my sword will make the point quite convincingly. I keep my light brown hair short, but not too short to inhibit its natural tendency for curls -- it is as useless to fight one's own hair as to fight one's own nature, I say."

"My appearance may not be intimidating, but assuming anything about me is a mistake. Strength, both of mind and body, means EVERYTHING in my family; they're seldom seen, but I do have muscles, hard-earned from long hours of training, exercise, and fighting practice. Still, they're not the rippling marks of a brute but rather the slender strength of a dancer -- and I assure you, I certainly can dance... both on and off the battlefield."

"As I mentioned, my outerwear matches my station in life: nothing short of finery. White, silver, and purple are the colors of the d'Metreon family, sometimes trimmed with gold or scarlet. I always insist that my attire be regal, dashing, and rich without being snobbish or overly ostentatious... and I also insist that it never inhibit my movements. You can't imagine how hard it is to find a tailor that understands such basic requests! But this is only outerwear; beneath I always wear my fencing clothes, sans helmet, naturally. They are the BEST that money can buy -- light as a feather, yet strong enough to be considered functional armor for battle, able to turn a knife or stop a common bullet. A d'Metreon heir must have nothing less."

Personality:

Theron's personality is a curious mish-mash of various factors. He is outwardly the stoic, determined survivor and inwardly the terrified little boy cowering in the corner, still crying over his mother's death. In public he's self-assured, glib, knowledgeable, occasionally even to the point of being smug about; in private he anguishes over insecurities and a halfway justified paranoia of assassination attempts. Those who know him a little know a young man who's typically distant and reserved but can switch over at the drop of a hat when a situation suits his fancy; the few who know him better than most wonder about a mind that seems calculatedly disengaged at times and forcefully invested at others.

And behind all the social masks and calculated strategies, beyond the layers of fear, courage, and potential treachery... is a heart abjectly uncertain of its place in this turbulent cosmos of worlds. Theron is deeply lost at the most basic of levels, so preoccupied with doing whatever it takes to stay alive that he is only just now, after wandering for several months, beginning to question what life beyond the Reckoning might be like -- what it could be like to live without a continual fear of encroaching death -- what it means to live, really live.

Though he clings to the teachings of his family and d'Metreon traditions out of force of habit and inability to disassociate his own identity from that of his bloodline, Theron is prepared to do whatever it takes to win where the Reckoning is concerned...

In his own words:

"Ultimately, there are only two things that matter in the world: who rules it, and how they did it. It's just as my familial motto says: 'to live is to conquer'. Therefore, not only is my honor as a d'Metreon contingent upon defeating worthy foes and advancing my own personal accomplishments, but it's also an important family tradition."

"When not out fighting or seeking worthwhile advantages I like to take time and enjoy the finer things in life. Like any aspiring young aristocrat I enjoy both tea (Earl Gray, please) and exotic coffees, poetry (I write a bit sometimes, though I'm not quite as good with a pen as a sword), theater (my favorites are King Lear, Julius Caesar, and Macbeth), and viewing artworks of crystal. I have a fondness for crystals and gems, truth be told. A rare and remarkable prism, forged in the heat of intense flames and magnitudes of pressure to become harder, stronger, and brighter than all. You might say I feel a sort of... kinship with gems."

"Chess... one of the great passions of my life. My mother taught me to play -- she was a chessmaster without rival, even defeating my father in the game when first they met. It's no exaggeration to say that I've adopted chess as a kind of personal motif; the elegant simplicity and diversity of chess strategy is the ideal benchmark for a conquering mind and the perfect manifestation of a commander's mindset. Perhaps you'd like to play a game? Don't delude yourself into thinking you'll win, though..."

"And of course there's ladies... my mother has always insisted that I be courteous to ladies, even on the battlefield. I think it's a bit of needless fuss, personally, though I do occasionally enjoy the company of a well-bred well-minded girl my age. I still have yet to find one that really perks my interest, though."

"In short, I do as one would expect of a young son of the Baron of Blades: dance, play, entertain, court, and conquer. Even if I have to go outside the norms, however, I always assure that my days avoid boredom."

Original World: Interregnum (see below)

[/i]
The world known as Interregnum is considered by those who know of it to be a backwater world, far from the 'core' worlds of the Sea of Stars, distant and isolated, seldom touched by the champions of light or the agents of darkness. It's early history is relatively unknown, save for a single tale: how the world came to have its name.

The stories say that the world was once ruled by a single great kingdom, over which sat a king of great wisdom, compassion, strength, and power. This was an age of prosperity where the monsters and warfare which now plague the land hardly even existed, save in the most remote corners of the land. Peace was ensured and justice ruled the day... until the Great War touched the world.

Some speculate that the 'Great War' may have been a spill-over conflict from the Keyblade Wars of old, while other scholars contend that it was merely a struggle for supremacy within the world itself. Whatever happened shifted the balance of power beyond recovery; the noble kingdom fell and the world was warped into a distorted image of the noble land it had once been. It is assumed that the great king died during the fighting, though strangely there are no tales of his demise...

And thus the world, once ruled and guided, came to be fought over by dozens of tiny kingdoms that sprang up from the aftermath of the war. In this way it earned the name of Interregnum -- 'the time between rulers'. Everyone believes that someday the world will once more be united under a single guiding hand, be it king or queen... but for now war, endless and terrible, divides the land.[/ul]

Current World: Land of Dragons

History:

To understand Theron d'Metreon, it is first vital to know something about his family.

The legends of the d'Metreon royal family say that during the forgotten ages after the Great War a strong warlord and baron, Lucien Tenebrae d'Metreon, was exiled from his king's lands under false charges of treason. In response, lord Lucien turned to an old, undefeated, and formidable enemy who dwelled in a northern land for aid. Forming an alliance with the northern tribe, lord Lucien began a war of retribution that eventually overthrew the treacherous king. The legend states that as the conqueror stood before his cowering -- yet obstinate -- foe, the betrayer declared that a "mere baron" could never understand what it meant to be king.

As Lucien's blade clove the crown -- and the king's head -- in twain, the stories say he replied "I shall rule as a baron, then."

Thus the d'Metreon Sovereign Barony, and the rule of the Lord Baron, was established. This nascent kingdom rose swiftly to power under the cunning, will, and ambition of its baron-king. For a brief moment in history it seemed that lord Lucien stood poised to drive his war of conquest to the farthest corners of the land... but, as is the way of things, he grew old and died before his dream of unchallenged rule could come to pass. The subsequent generations, though ambitious and powerful, fell into infighting; what could have been a family that reshaped the world was consumed by its own ambition and reduced to a fraction of what it might have been. The d'Metreons, for their part, have never forgotten this "lost glory".

In the modern day the d'Metreon Sovereign Barony is just another kingdom of the eastern lands, neither the smallest nor greatest. Their neighbors know them as fiercely territorial and strangely militaristic -- the d'Metreons keep only a very small army of loyal retainers, preferring to fight their occasional battles in person and wage war from the front lines. The strength of the individual, both in mind, spirit, and body, is paramount to the d'Metreon philosophy; those who lack the will to fight, the strength to overcome, and the cunning to achieve mastery are unfit for greatness... and only the greatest of the heirs may ever become Lord Baron.

Theron's history, in his own words:

"I am the 13th child of his lordship, the Lord Baron Dorak Margrave d'Metreon. Those born of the d'Metreon line are not what most would consider 'normal' nobility. A child's standing within our family is largely dependent on how successful they in martial disciplines and other forms of conquest; whoever has felled the greatest foes, made the most lucrative connections, and achieved the greatest renown in war is traditionally chosen as the Lord Baron's successor and inheritor."

"And as the 13th child, the last born to my mother, the Baroness Sylvia Anastasia d'Metreon, I have a LOT of catching up to do..."

"Growing up a born-and-bred conqueror isn't easy. For one thing, bullying is a d'Metreon family value. Instead of getting scolded for sneaking into my room and breaking my things, my brothers were typically given a treat or gold coins for their 'accomplishment'. My sisters kept score of how many times they'd kicked me there when I wasn't expecting it. And I met the back of my father's hand for everything from not fighting aggressively enough to showing undue kindness to the servants. Needless to say, I don't much like my family... but that's not what it's about."

"Being a d'Metreon is about power and prestige and bringing order to those in chaos -- the unshakable order of my family's influence. As a d'Metreon you are schooled in swords and sciences, sociology and survival, math, magic, and military maneuvers, every possible subject that can grant a heightened advantage on the field of battle. We are not, as you might suspect, unfeeling monsters -- quite the contrary. The doctrine of the d'Metreon family is to pity those without the strength, insight, or distinction to rule the world... and graciously offer to rule it for them. It is only the reckless, the foolish, and the ignorant that we ultimately cast down when we meet in battle; those foes that are capable of providing a worthy challenge to we who would be the Lord Baron's heirs are allowed to live that we might not be without opportunities to test ourselves. Of course, some exceptions are made for those who don't appreciate our generosity... but you can't make an omelet breaking a few eggs, right? I think that was the saying..."

"Of course... it isn't only outsiders who get 'cast down'..."

"Those outside the d'Metreon family don't understand how a new Lord Baron is chosen, and it's better that way. If they knew, we'd be regarded as barbaric savages hiding under a guise of civilized living... and rightly so. Upon the death of both parents the surviving children hunt each other down relentlessly; those who are defeated either become mere servants or, most often, are killed outright. This is the Reckoning, the oldest tradition our family has."

"My mother died two years ago; my father, the Lord Baron, is approaching eighty-five. I'm the youngest, weakest, and most inexperienced... tell me, whom do you think my brothers and sisters will come after FIRST?"

"Is it any surprise, then, that once my mother's mourning had ended I fled? Left the Sovereign Barony in the dead of night for parts unknown, lands that had never known the touch of a d'Metreon sword. No, don't think me a coward -- I wasn't looking for a hole to bury my name and my pride in. Far from it. I knew I would never get the opportunity to advance beyond my rivals with mere tutors and training partners to help me; I needed more, far more. An equalizer... something to put me on even footing with my so-called 'betters'. A powerful magic, superior fighting style, and enchanted weapon... something, anything! And so I chased down rumors and legends, wandering from kingdom to kingdom for months on end, all fruitless efforts. There are more worthless relics and hogwash 'secrets' on my world than you can imagine."

"Finally, however, I caught wind of something real. An ancient legend of a magic sword said to have slain a terrible beast in an age before recorded history. The information seemed sketchy at first, but I was getting truly desperate... and the deeper I dug, the more I turned up. Over time I became convinced that this weapon, the 'Blade of the Inheritor' -- whose stories described not only the standard slayings of dragons and felling of evil kings nonsense that is typical of most legends, but also the power to bind the hearts of great warriors and give its bearer great supernatural strength, speed, and magical power -- was not only very real... but the only chance I had to survive. And so I scoured every source I could find on the subject, every rumor and tale, every possible reference in books of history and apocrypha . . . and ended up on a mountain bordering the sea, scaling its cliffs..."

"... and then descending into its depths."

"I found a network of caves and, deep within, a building that looked like a temple. To what I cannot fathom... but in the central chamber, hovering above an altar and glowing with a faint light... was the most incredible sword I had ever seen."

"Of course, I reached out to take it as my own -- after checking to make sure it wasn't in any obvious way booby-trapped. It could, of course, have been trapped with magic... but I was not born with that talent and, when one's life hangs in the balance, extreme risks are only natural. In hindsight I should perhaps have not been quite so eager; whether it was a trap or something else, there was an immediate reaction."

"I was instantly blinded by a light that came from the weapon... and then the strangest, most unsettling sensation of having my body pulled up off the ground and flung through the air in a direction... that was impossible to comprehend. It wasn't up or down, left or right... it was something else. Something I could feel but not understand. I think the terror of that moment will forever be seared into my memory."

"When I came to I was in a strange forest, laying face-down in the grass. The trees and plants were strange and unfamiliar, and as I wandered I came across villages that were equally exotic, populated by people who had never even heard of the lands I had traveled through, let alone the Sovereign Barony. The Blade of the Inheritor... its power had sent me somewhere, flung me to some distant corner. Was I judged unworthy to wield it? If so, by what standard? Or had another force blocked me from claiming the sword as my own?"

"With these mysteries in mind I continue my travels... not knowing the half of what lays in store for me."

Role Playing Sample:

It was the third time this week.

The locals had warned him that traveling through the mountain pass to the Imperial City. Treacherous seldom-used roads, wild beasts, landslides, and of course --

Steel rang against steel as the young prince parried aside a clumsy thrust from the lead bandit's spear, answering his weak attempt at a killing blow with a swift kick to the solar plexus that left the rough, ill-shaven brigand reeling and off balance. Seizing the opportunity, Theron spun his sword in a swift, narrow arc that severed the older man's weapon in two, cutting the bamboo shaft neatly and removing the bladed tip. Clattering noisily off the rocky landscape, the spearhead descended the mountain on its own, leaving its owner behind.

"Checkmate."

With the tip of a sword pointed at him and half his men badly beaten, the look in the would-be robber's eyes was what one would expect: shock, fear, and the very clear desire not to die. Theron couldn't help but smirk; so typical of those who preyed on the weak to, in fact, be weak themselves. The fight had been short but, after so many hours of dull hiking yesterday and the day before, it was still an enjoyable change of pace.

"Go on, now. Run along, you cads; you were entertaining for a bit but I'm quite bored now." He gestured down the path ahead, past the piles of rocks where the Chinese thugs had hidden, rather poorly, before jumping out to demand all his valuables. Seeing an opportunity to run they took it, fear written plainly on their faces. How amusing...

He was about to sheathe his sword, however, when something caught his ear. Something behind him... something close. The sword-wielding boy spun around, cape whipping behind him, just in time to see them coming down the side of the mountain above him -- strange ink-black creatures, eyes glowing a sickly yellow, bodies short and impish, bounding from rock to rock with short hops... or sliding down the rocky slope like a living disembodied shadow, pressed paper-flat to the rugged descent. He'd heard the locals talk about "demons in the mountains", but hadn't taken it seriously... were these the creatures they meant? Perhaps the cowards' hasty retreat had been as much from spotting these... things as fear of his blade.

In any case, there was no point wasting a perfectly good fight.

The first of the Shadows who came leaping down at him were fed a generous diet of steel, Sangfroid's keen edge flashing out to cleave two of them in half before they could even land. But there were at least a dozen, and the demise of their freakish kin didn't deter them from joining the fray. The Heartless eyed him hungrily; though their forms gave an impression of childish timidity they nonetheless came at Theron with swipes of their claws and sneaky slinking across the ground. The prince didn't falter, not when one got lucky and raked his arm, not when three leapt up behind him, not when the creatures' advance nearly sent him tumbling over the edge of the path and into the rocky death waiting below. He kept light on his feet, moving this way and that, sidestepping, backpedaling, or advancing as was necessary, as years of training had taught him to. They key to overcoming this many opponents was not brute force or raw power, but turning their numbers against them... and on the narrow path, forcing the small Heartless to jostle with one another for position gave him the momentary advantages he needed to even the odds. Opportunistically he struck down one and then another when they strayed from the pack, picking off stragglers or over-ambitious ones as any true predator would.

By the time it was over, the Shadows slain to the last, he was finally beginning to breathe heavily a bit. Looking around to make sure there were no more, he sheathed his blades and stretched his arms. "Demons indeed... well, at least the day's off to a good start."

Backtracking down the path a ways, he recovered his pack, pulled it up over one shoulder, and continued walking...

Questions/Comments/Suggestions?

NOTE: Although that Keyblade is part of Theron's history, he is not a Keyblade bearer... not yet, anyways. That was included as a plot device and foreshadowing. Eventually Theron and the Inheritor Keyblade will cross paths again, but not just yet.
[/ul]