███████████████████████████████████████████████████████ Merdoc Slumberwood "Chaos is the law of nature, order is but a fever dream of the vain man." ███████████████████████████████████████████████████████ Basic Information Full Name: Merdoc Dorin Slumberwood Aliases:Valken, Vlad, Francois, Beacon of the Beast, Feneh Age: 93 (Visually: 27) Gender: Male (most of the time) Race: Anian Ailor Sexuality: Homosexual Title(s): Duke of Rumvalia Past Titles: Viscount of Târgu, Imperial Master of Celebrations, Representative of Ânian Culture Preferred Weapon: Disorder Skill Information Total Points: 50 points (+10 hobby points) +9 Metallurgy Packs +12 Schooling Statesman School- Regalian Statesman Academy Espionage School- Groupe d’Intervention Pratique Diplomacy School- Collegiate d’Évraux Performance School- Madame Bette’s Performing Arts Institute +6 Linguistics (Dvala Dialects and Byelle) +10 Bodycare Training +3 Arcanology (Artifactism) +6 Roguery (Sleight of Hand & Rogue Gift 5) +1 Mixology Arts +10 Theatre Arts (Crimson Power+5 hobby points) +15 Dancing Arts (Crimson Power+5 hobby points+5 Carnvaal) +3 unassigned Body Shape (9 Metallurgy+10 Bodycare Training+10 Theatre Arts+15 Dancing Arts=34/2 )= 17 Physical Stat Toned Body Shape Average Body Fat Languages Common Annore (Learned from Family ) D’Ithanie (Learned from Family) Byelle (Linguistic Sciences) Dvala Dialects (Linguistic Sciences) Special Traits/Spells/Mutations Finecraft Metallurgy, Rich Family Metallurgy, and Clockwork Metallurgy Alais Vampire Spoiler: Crimson Form Crimson Form: In Crimson Form Merdoc is unrecognizable his features shifting to appear much softer, younger even seeming more like one in their early twenties with a more svelte build though his height remains about the same. Two small (totally non-functional, non-combatant) pitch-black horns protrude from the backs of his ears in this form curling around to reach the fronts of the sides of his head touching with airy wisps of very well maintained ink-black hair which replaces his mundane hair. His face is pristine and unfailingly porcelain pale in this form with the sides of his neck having a coloration that appears like ornate vines of red had wrapped over his white skin converging by the base of his neck which has a completely ruby red coloration reaching down his chest with his lower stomach having the ornate vine-like pattern rather than complete red coloration. His arms are completely wine red save for patches along his mid forearms about the size of armbands which are completely porcelain and fade into crimson at his wrist reaching up to black-nailed red hands. His ankles down to his feet are wine red as well in this form with vine patterning up his legs. His eyes in this form are completely black with silver irises. Additionally, his legs turn to those that one would expect to see on a goat with hooves to match though they are usually hidden. Visual Information Eye Color: Hazel Hair Color: Brown Hair Style: Flipped to the side (see face ref) Skin Color: White Peach Clothing: A posh Ania fashion consisting of many (medieval) vests with baggy tunic shirts under them and (culturally unusual) darker pants favoring the finer things. Height: 6' 1'' Spoiler: Art by Crimslet Personality and Abilities Alignment Chaotic Evil Merdoc is an undoubtedly selfish man driven by a desire to be in his words: 'free'. The man's definition of this word is a radical thing that no rational or moral person would agree with, he sees any and all societal expectations and standards as being unjust limitations and is willing to do almost anything to liberate himself from the will of others, even and especially when that entails subjugating others. Personality Type ESTJ-A The Executive Religion Cult of Evolution (7/10) - Abbados, the Thriving Beast and Gaarl, the Cloud Chaser Merdoc delights in the bendable and only faintly present morality of his faith, easily used as a tool. He focuses on the enhancement of a lineage or form via arcane means, willing to use Arken, artifacts, and any myriad of things many would flinch at to grow his own power or bring another over to the same path as him. He views his own Alais vampirism as a superior form of the blood curse though sees the utility in the 'baser' combat-inclined sanguine and creatures of the Void, though with cultism is willing to also use the Exist if there is sufficient benefit to him in his eyes. He above all else despises the draconic seeing its followers as weak-willed people attempting to perpetuate the inferiority and subservience of Aloria to a race of arrogant beasts. Life Story Born in 214 A.C. to a businessman and his wife in Rumvalia under the name "Vlad Drahoslav Balerwyn" Merdoc was a boisterous child though this was quickly addressed by his family’s strict rules and discipline. He was raised in the quite luxurious family keep where Merdoc grew his appreciation for the finer things in life though his parents the Balerwyns were often distant and even neglectful. After the murder of his entire family at the hands of Marius and Alina, Merdoc was forced into compliance with coup out of fear for his life. Gradually Merdoc "learned" to appreciate his half-siblings as even they were much more "caring" than his late parents. The new Slumberwoods gradually began to blossom into a cohesive family unit. Merdoc was growing up in a culturally diverse household picking up both Annore and D’Ithanie (both languages commonly used within the family)and was pushed by his family into an apprenticeship under a local jeweler. While his apprenticeship did annoy him at first (due to his slightly spoiled nature at this point) he took to it quite well it eventually even enjoying it. Soon after this Merdoc was changed by Merdoc into a vampire. Merdoc quickly took to diplomatic studies after this point with Merdoc trusting Merdoc to handle many of the family's negotiations. Over the years Merdoc performed many tasks to the benefit of the family he arranged for the smuggling of those necessary goods and staff to the family’s estates, whether it be for the financial or political gain of the family or simply for their enjoyment. He was also responsible for putting the family’s members and allies in contact with those people who’s skill sets were either illegal or impractically secretive. In 243, after the affairs of the family had began to settle and they had all thrown off their Balerwyn name. Merdoc, under the name Velkan at this time, began to pursue an education in the school of Vilestate. He with the help of his brother, at the time falsely named Valentin, was able to find a Vilestate leader within the city of Dracali who Merdoc was able to convince to tutor him in the school's many criminal and political arts. Throughout his training, he would learn how to read the demeanor of and make himself appear more amicable and relatable to others. Able to go from appearing ditzy and eccentric to sharp and well-reasoned at the drop of a hat, he molded himself into an ideal socialite and spy. While not as quiet or careful in his movements as his brother he took advantage of his natural affinity for others and gregarious personality to make connections and learn through subtle conversation and prodding. He would also further his tutelage on other cultures during these years memorizing many of the practices and values of Ailor cultures so he could appeal to the unique backgrounds of the empire's influentials. Over 6 years Merdoc studied under the local Vilestate leader eventually going through a sort of test before his graduation in which he infiltrated the court of a local minor aristocratic family and produced several forged letters which he slipped into the study of the house's head before anonymously passing word to a rival house that the aristocratic house had been harboring jacobin writings opposing the rule of the local lord. This resulted in the house being dragged through a long string of local diets and court meetings which caused the house to lose significant political power and influence in the region. During these proceedings, Merdoc was able to quietly resign and watch the results of his work play out all while being seen as only a short-lived courtier. This completion of his task represented Merdoc's full initiation as a member of the School of Vilestate. In the 260's the Szabadok invasion of Baldmark began with all Anian lands feeling the hardships induced by the constant warfare and destruction. In spite of this, House Slumberwood took this opportunity to increase their standing by being among the most vicious in their attacks against the Szabadok and raiding of their camps. For Merdoc though, this was a rather bleak time. He was still seen by his siblings as too unpredictable to place in any real position of authority within the house instead being tasked with maintaining the standing of the family and its assets as much as possible during the gigantic conflict. Despite his best efforts still, many of the house's assets saw damage by the Szabadok and while his talents lay at working at court, this conflict had drained the coffers of the nobility and peasantry alike leaving them all to simply fight for their continued existence setting the luxuries of court life and socialization to the wayside. This would ultimately be the main factor in breeding Merdoc's resentment for the Szabadok, not his anger over the mass slaughter of Anians and kidnappings of their artists and scholars, but rather the feeling of uselessness their invasions inflicted upon him as he was left to struggle against an insurmountable tide of downturn and destruction as his siblings went off and acted as war heroes defending Baldmark under the Order of the Black Dragon. Finally though, the conflict would end as the Balaurs drove back the Szabadok and slowly they would all cycle into new lives and names. Merdoc being returned to the close watch of his brother and sister after about a decade of struggling to maintain a doomed local infrastructure. Perhaps one of the few times he could actual say it was a relief though he would never admit such a thing to any members of his family. He had maintained his false veneer of confidence and self-assuredness for a decade's time in spite of Pessimism, slaughter, and plague; he would not give it up then. And with the horrific chapter of his life concluded, Velkan died. Perhaps more than a little significant to Merdoc than he would care to admit as he aimed to separate the failures of his past life from the grand plans of his family under his new name of Merdoc Slumberwood. The family would largely keep to themselves during this time and little could be said of anything notable beyond the death of Marius's wife Severet at the hands of werebeasts which Merdoc found great difficulty in navigating. While he did in some sense wish to help the man he perceived as his guiding older brother through his grief this conflicted with his all-consuming jealousy towards what he saw as the constant success of Marius and Alina in almost all the things they had set themselves to and his ever-present feelings that they could never understand the true pain that was having his family, though it was cruel, ripped away from him and replaced with those he had thought to be only his friends or staff. Despite Merdoc’s old age at this point, Marius has continued to always keep a watchful eye over Merdoc’s affairs ensuring the house remains free of any of the results of Merdoc's more unpredictable and chaotic tendencies. Merdoc continued to keep an eye on world events during the family’s quieter years taking the time to indulge his more hedonistic tendencies. Though Merdoc enjoyed the family’s time in Rumvalia, Merdoc found their move to Regalia to be a relief from his growing boredom in Rumvalia quickly following Marius to the city after securing some of the family’s remaining affairs in Rumvalia. Merdoc now acts as a talented jeweler and diplomat in the holy city working for the gain of his family through means legal or otherwise. While in the city Merdoc acted as a quite successful socialite at court, advising his brother and ensuring the family remained in the good graces of other members of the nobility as much as possible. Merdoc was responsible for planning the invasion of the duchy of Kravalia which earned the family landed status over Silmark and would go on to greatly assist his brother in acquiring the duchy of Rumvalia. Merdoc would very successfully act as damage control during his brother's violent months of impalings and terror and for it would gain the title of Count of Targu from the emperor. Due to his brother's reign of terror and eventual withdrawal from the capital, Merdoc would be given the Duchy of Rumvalia and become the leader of House Slumberwood at the end of 308 following the crown's pressure for Marius to abdicate in favor of the more politically influential Merdoc.
Accounted for the discount on society knowledge and added 2 points to void ritualism to represent IC learning. Need a Reviewer!
@Anarchizm Alais Bloodline update and moving 5 points from conning to void ritualism. Requesting Re-Review!
@G0atfather 's life story was putting mine to shame and it was long overdue for an expansion so I added just some flavor content to the life story to beef it up, add in the thematically appropriate School of Vilestate, be more compliant with the family's history, and mention Merdoc's role and experiences during the Szabadok conflict in the South Dukelands. @Anarchizm
@Anarchizm Updated for prof changes with all changes in blue. Due to the size of the life story I have chosen not to add onto it but I believe many of these skills already make sense with the current one. Slumberwood has changed to Drahl lineage to maintain the tall pale aesthetic so Merdoc has changed from Woaden to Drahl.
Assigned 3 of my unassigned points to ritualism but not a major change or above 8 points so does not need a review.
@festiveCorvid 6 ritualism removed and points moved to 2 dexterous for some card tricks, 1 writing arts, and 3 arcanology
@festiveCorvid Updated to Alais update and did some necessary minor backstory revisions based on Damon and Selena becoming Marius and Alina which was really just name changes and adding a recent times section. Also, moved points to dexterous rogue which are all in red and removed stealth rogue skill since it's useless now, and bought an extra metallurgy pack.
