- Joined
- Jun 5, 2014
- Messages
- 245
- Reaction score
- 2,587
- Points
- 633
- Age
- 24
- Location
- An egg sack
- Faction
- Wayfarers (formerly)
- Roleplay Guilds
- La Ganga (Formerly?)
Basic Information "Why're y'asking, anywhosies?"
Name: Cecil Empolan
Age: 49
Gender: Male
Race: Shendar Nelfin
Main Ambition: To slay Estel and Behaesel (I'm fully aware of the impossibility. But Cecil sure isn't!)
Visual Information "Sometimes I get a scare, lookin' at a mirror..."
Eye color: Forest green
Hair color: Bleach white.
Hair style: Double-braid with a handful of colored beads.
Skin color: Sickly grey
Clothing: A heavy wool motley-style tunic featuring the colors red, green and yellow in stripes and checker patterns. He wears soft leather boots and a simple, white cotton shirt with sleeves extending beyond those of the tunic. He additionally wears fingerless soft leather gloves that cover the white hairs growing on his hands. Cecil also wears an Azure Order issued Mage collar, marked with a decent number of scratches and dents, but very real. Under the collar are the enigmatic tattoos denoting his magical skill and practices.
More recently, with his deteriorating self-image, Cecil has begun to wear dresses as well in order to feel less like himself.
Mutations: As a result of repeated and various exposures to Void energy caused by Touch of the Void magic, Cecil has developed several 'bonus' body parts that further show the influence that the Void has had on his life. These mutations include:
- A single black horn on the right side of his head, which despite constant filing protrudes past his hair triumphantly.
- A row of teeth protruding from the back of his left forearm, beginning just below the elbow and ending at his wrist.
-Part of a hand growing from the back of his right leg, which makes it difficult and at times painful to sit comfortably.
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 133lbs
Body Build: Androgynous
Weapon of choice: Mage Deafening Lyre and Mage Dream Lyre magic
Other carried weapons: Ferr-iron dagger.
Behavior Information "Yeah, I'm a bloody fool, but Spirit knows I'm a good'n."
Personality Traits:
•GUARDED: "Y'don't need'a know'at!" Cecil, despite outward appearances, is extremely careful about opening up to people, and raises many facades to hide his intentions. He has gone so far as to come up with the false name, 'Cecil Empolan', and will often hesitate to place trust in people whose intentions are unclear. This is further exasperated by numerous situations of betrayal from people he thought he could trust, making trust something that he is very careful to hand out. Cecil often takes new people with a grain of salt.
•SADISTIC: "C'mon, let's go't'gain! I want'a make y'bleed f'real!" This trait is the most obvious tell of Cecil's Wrath infestation. While he did have a natural predisposition to violence, Wrath has fully reversed Cecil from taking great care to to enjoying the pain of others-- and himself. Cecil takes great joy in inflicting pain upon others, especially that caused by his Deafening Lyre magic, and double especially if he thinks those in pain deserve it. While he is dimly aware of this new sadistic nature and sometimes shows inklings of his old self in half-hearted attempts to avoid triggering situations, he cannot resist his inner call for the pain of others. His compassion has been erased by Wrath.
•PROTECTIVE: "Y'touch'em, I'll see't y'ne'er walk again." Because of his difficulties with trusting people, Cecil becomes fiercely loyal and protective to those he does trust. When he feels that their safety is threatened, he quickly becomes aggressive and places himself in a defensive position, ignoring any protests. If he feels pressured enough, he will engage in combat to end what he believes to be a dangerous encounter. In extreme cases, Cecil will do just about anything to ensure his loved ones' safety, risking life and limb in the process. More recently, this has lent to his somewhat questionable mental state and objective of killing Estel and Behaesel, as he believes these two figures to be threats to his loved ones.
•IMPULSIVE: "C'mon, then! That's th'way!" Cecil often will act on instinct before considering all circumstances, relying solely on past experiences. While this is good in making split-second decisions, it makes him a poor strategist, leaping at opportunities without considering repercussions. This comes to haunt him particularly when he becomes enraged and when he is faced with important decisions. He is particularly careless with spending money, making it harder for him to climb out of his unemployed, penniless state. His impulsive nature can combine with his explosive rage to create an uncharacteristically violent outlook, made ever the more violent by his possession with a Voidling of Wrath, leading to hot-blooded and almost joyful combat and rage.
•UNFORGIVING: "Y'lied once. Why won'cha do't'gain?" Through repeated instances of betrayal and misplaced trust, Cecil has come to give few second chances to those who betray his family and friends. Upon first arriving in Regalia, he attempted to be trusting and open as he had idealized, but soon came to the conclusion that he could not do so. Through interactions with the hard-hearted residents of the sewers, he came to hold those who betray their word in the lowest regard and with a burning hatred. This is further exacerbated by his Voidling infestation and recently disrupted sleep patterns. Together, these cloud Cecil's judgement and can lead him to seek vengeance against those he views as traitors.
•SHORT-FUSED: "Spill't now, or it's y'blood that'll b'spilling." While Cecil could, once upon a time, stretch his patience a great deal, it has since worn thin. A combination of stress, fed-upness with people, and his possession by Wrath has caused Cecil to lose all semblance of patience. Instead, even something he perceives as a minor problem can send him careening towards the edge, teetering towards his blood boiling rage. If this problem is a person, then he is all the more likely to try and make their ears bleed or bludgeon them.
•MOTIVATED: "Heh, goin'a have t'do more'n'at t'stop me!" When set on an idea or course of action which he believes correct, Cecil will pursue it as far as he is able. Particularly when fueled by his protective nature or an intense rage, he will refuse to give up with a burning passion. While he will alter plans or ideas as he deems necessary, Cecil will still attempt to reach his end goal by almost any means necessary, and he has in fact hurt his friends or those he has wanted to protect as a direct result of his attempts to reach his goals. While this has stymied him somewhat, his ability to become single-mindedly motivated remains, often hand-in-hand with his anger and Wrath possession.
•STOUT-HEARTED: "Is'at'opposed'a scare me? Pfft, you'dn't scare a kitten!" Cecil can take most situations in stride and maintain a relative level of sense. While his startle response is usually a surprised yelp and flinch, and he is prone to frustration, he can push past most fears, excluding eldritch situations(such as shadow magic) and threats to his loved ones. Cecil tends to regard things of fear with respect, recognizing that they are fearful but not giving evidence of fear. He will often act more confident than he is to intimidate what he may be facing, and is able to keep himself from panicking. This also extends to maintaining a certain level of focus through pain, although he cannot do much more in this focus than concentrate on keeping his wits.
Abilities and Disabilities:
Strengths:
•Foolery: Cecil has acquired talents as an acrobat, a Lyre Mage, and musician. He can do flips, tumbles, cartwheels and handstands, which he taught himself to do over several years of experimentation and practice. While certain moves have been rendered impossible due to his damaged hand, Cecil is still able to take advantage of rolls and flips, and is able to cheat a cartwheel with one hand, though it looks awful. As a Lyre Mage, he is at Mage level in Deafening Lyre and Mage level in Dream Lyre, which is part of his frequent practice in singing and the playing of his lyre. Cecil's abilities in Lyre Magic, as well as musicianship, have taken a hit from his damaged hand. While he is still able to cast, he must balance his Lyre in the crook of his arm as he plays it, making evasion largely impractical. Furthermore, Cecil is drastically paranoid of using his Lyre Magic post-conditioning in the Azure Spire. He fears the consequences that may come from casting, though less for himself than for his wife and son. Unfortunately, his understanding his become more of 'don't get caught' than 'don't cast', as his paranoia and possession have together on occasion led him to casting despite the law, only leading to more toxic and paranoid thoughts after the fact.
•Disguising: Through a combination of necessity and desire for escapism, Cecil has on multiple occasions experimented with attempting to make himself look different than he naturally appears. While he is unable to change his grey skin or he very easily noticeable scar on his right cheek, Cecil has found that many of his features are suited to disguises. His hair is white, making dyes especially easy to apply, and further, his figure and mannerisms are notably effeminate by even Shendar standards. These traits combined with his experience in performing make Cecil able to put together a convincing disguise, provided individuals do not already know his features well.
•Fast thinker: Cecil can quickly think about and react to a situation with a(usually) sensible decision, as well as understanding and responding to information. This lends to his working well under pressure, as well as being able to quickly analyze an opponent's fighting and read them for telegraphing.
•Indeterable(or nearly so): Cecil is motivated to no end, and once he commits himself to a course of action, he will rarely change his mind back from it. He tends to become quite stubborn about these things and works at them until they are completed.
Weaknesses:
•Cumulative Injuries: As a result of his amateur acrobatics and tendency towards violent acts, Cecil often has injuries in varying degrees of severity. He will almost always have bruises on his shins and forearms from rolling and tumbling, and will often have worse. Further, his clothes will often telegraph where these injuries lie, as they will be dirtied or damaged in these locations on his body. He tends to accidentally strike his bruises in day-to-day life, trying to act like they don't exist but worsening his mood in the process. Additionally, his constant state of injury makes him more sensitive to perceived attacks and all the more willing to retaliate.
•Paranoid Insomniac (term used loosely for snappy name): Cecil picked up more than just a literal demon during the time he spent in the wilderness of Daendroc. As a result of his frequently interrupted sleep and consequent need to sleep lightly and wake quickly, Cecil has become paranoid of his surroundings and struggles to sleep consistently. He almost always wakes up reaching for a weapon, and is often plagued by nightmares when he does manage to sleep. This contributes to his tired appearance and self-diagnosed madness; he is often 'loopy' due to lack of sleep and not functioning at his highest capacity.
•Impulsiveness: Cecil often makes leaps of logic and understanding that are not correct, and may as a result make poor decisions based off them. As a result, he is a poor strategist and bad at planning ahead, even when he comes up with a detailed plan, as he will sometimes forget to factor in certain details. Furthermore, Wrath has increasingly made every one of his strategies 'make it suffer', causing him to be at risk of randomly attacking a problem or person.
•Wrath Possession and Void Mutations: During his time spent in the wilderness during the Bone Horror incident, Cecil became over-reliant on his Lyre magic, and become infested with a Wrath Voidling as a result. He has been possessed for 2 months now, and is suffering both mental and physical deterioration: He shows extreme tendencies to violence in the former, and sunken, tired eyes and hair on the palms of his hands in the latter. Additionally, Cecil believes himself to truly be going mad, as he is unwilling to even consider that he may be possessed, and simply thinks that the hair is not really there.
Following run-ins with several zealous Void worshippers, Cecil has found himself marred with several mutated body parts (described above). While most are not overtly a physical disadvantage beyond being a nuisance to move around with, they further damage the Shendar's mental state. Due to his rejection of the Void, Cecil feels ashamed of and embarrassed by the physical oddities. He tries to hide them any way he can, and accusations about them from others make him defensive and extremely self-conscious.
•Vengeful: Cecil, for all of his attempts to let go of them, holds grudges for an extremely long time. Once someone loses his trust, it is nigh on impossible to regain it, and he will frequently try to get even with those who betray him or those close to him, taking justice into his own hands. This can mean anything from shutting them out to beating them within an inch of their life, but since his possession his acts have increasingly tended towards violence.
•Damaged Left Hand: Following an encounter with an axe-wielding Undead, Cecil's left hand was critically damaged. His middle, ring, and pinky fingers were severed, as well as part of his hand. Pursuant of this injury, his hand has become largely useless; while he retains motion in the remaining index finger and thumb, the hand is not able to properly support weight, impairing his ability to lifer objects, perform certain acrobatic maneuvers, or even hold objects heavier or more cumbersome than a teacup.
Life Story (abridged):
Before roleplay: Born in the Shadow Isles as Dulindir, Cecil Empolan spent his early life growing up in the Void Worshipping tribe of Nithil. The son of Nithil's shaman, Cecil had always played an important role to the tribe's proceedings; during his growth, he was taught in Deafening and Dream Lyre Magic, beginning at the age of 18. However, music was not limited to magic in Cecil's life; music took a large part of it, alongside curiosity about the outside world. He aspired to be one of the infiltrators so that he could discover the world beyond what he knew. By the age of 46, in the year 302 AC, Cecil departed from the tribe of Nithil and the Shadow Isles after a final conflict with his mother. Journeying alongside him was his brother, and they scrounged together funds to travel to New Caerdia, where they believed they would be far enough away from the Shadow Isles to be safe. It was at this time that Cecil assumed his name and left behind the name 'Dulindir'. He and his brother spent a year traveling the continent of New Caerdia before beginning to run low on funds and resolving to travel to the Holy City of Regalia, where they believed they would be able to prosper. However, during the passage, they became separated, and have been unable to find each other since.
Regalia: While prior to his journey to Regalia, Cecil had more or less cast off Void Worship, it was during his first months in the city that he came to truly despise it and its teachings of imminent destruction. The friends he came to make-- most of whom were not Shendar-- would be doomed by such a fate, and as such Cecil deemed it an altogether terrible faith. Over time, he came to become a streetperformer, as almost every actual place of employment turned him away. However, this was not enough to live by, so he turned to a life of crime within the sewers. He became embroiled in gang warfare and nearly died numerous times It was during this period of darkness in his life that Cecil met Teroa Denoti (@ShipIt), a fiery Qadir woman who quickly captured his heart. After a few months they were married, and a few months later (through the power of time-skips) they had a child-- a beautiful son, Gwenion. It was thanks to Gwenion that Cecil resolved to clean up his act and find a noble job. The first step in this resolution was submission to the Azure Order, and that is precisely what Cecil did. He suffered a grueling experience in the Spire, caused by both his poorly-regarded magical skills and his colorless complexion. However, Cecil was able to pass through after some struggle thanks to his willingness to follow the law and initiative in turning himself in. The torture of the Azures left a mark on him, however, that persists to this day. Following his release, and after a prolonged search for honest work, Cecil came across El Beneficio-- a front for the smuggling gang La Ganga, run by Lorenzo Martinez (@Silent_Ruler). While far from honest, it was a higher cut than the Sewers, and the best Cecil could do. So, he became a gangster to provide for his family, and for a time, all was happy.
The End of Peace: While Cecil enjoyed a time of peace with his family and friends, it was drawn to an abrupt end by a series of bitter, world-shaking conflicts. First, Andrieu Anahera seized control of Regalia, placing the citizenry in a state of frenzy. Cecil took part in the ensuing conflict, but then another, greater threat appeared: Es'thel herself. She led to the Elven Resurgance, and soon there would be no recovery from the tailspin of conflicts. Friends began dying around Cecil-- loved ones, family, brothers and sisters. When Es'thel brought the Bone Horrors into reality, Cecil drew the line-- he would not have another loved one be lost, and immediately took action. He smuggled himself out of Regalia, headed for Daendroc. He believed that if anyone had a counter to Es'thel's creations, it would be the denizens of the Shadow Isles. He hated going back-- it had plagued his dreams for a long time. But he had to do it, and so in August of 304 AC, Cecil found himself in the continent once again. Along his trek through Daendroc, Cecil found exactly what he'd been searching for: a scout. Capturing the poor Shendar with Dream Lyre, Cecil held her captive in an abandoned shack and tortured information out of her. During the process, Cecil become infested with Wrath while casting Deafening Lyre magic, leading to problems down the line. However, more problematic was the revelation that the Void Worshippers had no tricks up their sleeves. It was at this point that Cecil began his return to Regalia, and arrived in the first days of November.
Present Day: Now, Cecil has returned to a city in turmoil. During his absence, he missed the rise of Freya Lo, and much of his family and friends fled to the countryside, unbeknownst to Cecil. Now, he seeks to slay Estel and Behaesel, the two of whom his tired mind has deemed as responsible for the suffering in his life and danger to his family.
Name: Cecil Empolan
Age: 49
Gender: Male
Race: Shendar Nelfin
Main Ambition: To slay Estel and Behaesel (I'm fully aware of the impossibility. But Cecil sure isn't!)
Currently, Cecil resides on the streets of Regalia. He owns no home, and as such makes whatever home he can for himself-- a gutter, a doorstep, a home with an unlocked door...Void, if he can find an unoccupied booth in the Golden Willow, he's taking it to crash! Due to his sporadic sleeping pattern, he'll find whatever spot he deems comfortable when he needs a power nap. While he has lived in Regalia for over a year now, he has recently returned from a panic-induced flight from the city, and as such is in a bit of a disconnect from all the possessions and people he left behind. He will often street perform, and while he has no certain occupation, is a member of La Ganga and its cover El Beneficio, both of which are led by the questionable Martinez brothers.
•Cecil was born on the 13th day of December, year 256 AC. His parents are Maltor and Empola of the Nithil tribe in the Shadow Isles. He previously resided with his wife, Teroa DeEmpolan, as well as his friends Sitrius Ravenburg and Lillian Suilae in a spacious house on Vigil Square road, though this house has gone empty since the return of Freya Lo. He is the older brother of Nevil Empolan, aged 35.
Cecil has developed severe sentiments of mistrust against nearly everyone he meets. However, he still holds fierce loyalty to those closest to him. His goal of the demise of a couple heavenly beings is derived from this loyalty, as he views them to be threats to his family. While the safety of his family is currently overridden with Estel and Behaesel, Cecil fiercely desires for his family to live healthily and happily.
•Cecil was born on the 13th day of December, year 256 AC. His parents are Maltor and Empola of the Nithil tribe in the Shadow Isles. He previously resided with his wife, Teroa DeEmpolan, as well as his friends Sitrius Ravenburg and Lillian Suilae in a spacious house on Vigil Square road, though this house has gone empty since the return of Freya Lo. He is the older brother of Nevil Empolan, aged 35.
Cecil has developed severe sentiments of mistrust against nearly everyone he meets. However, he still holds fierce loyalty to those closest to him. His goal of the demise of a couple heavenly beings is derived from this loyalty, as he views them to be threats to his family. While the safety of his family is currently overridden with Estel and Behaesel, Cecil fiercely desires for his family to live healthily and happily.
Visual Information "Sometimes I get a scare, lookin' at a mirror..."
Eye color: Forest green
Hair color: Bleach white.
Hair style: Double-braid with a handful of colored beads.
Skin color: Sickly grey
Clothing: A heavy wool motley-style tunic featuring the colors red, green and yellow in stripes and checker patterns. He wears soft leather boots and a simple, white cotton shirt with sleeves extending beyond those of the tunic. He additionally wears fingerless soft leather gloves that cover the white hairs growing on his hands. Cecil also wears an Azure Order issued Mage collar, marked with a decent number of scratches and dents, but very real. Under the collar are the enigmatic tattoos denoting his magical skill and practices.
More recently, with his deteriorating self-image, Cecil has begun to wear dresses as well in order to feel less like himself.
Mutations: As a result of repeated and various exposures to Void energy caused by Touch of the Void magic, Cecil has developed several 'bonus' body parts that further show the influence that the Void has had on his life. These mutations include:
- A single black horn on the right side of his head, which despite constant filing protrudes past his hair triumphantly.
- A row of teeth protruding from the back of his left forearm, beginning just below the elbow and ending at his wrist.
-Part of a hand growing from the back of his right leg, which makes it difficult and at times painful to sit comfortably.
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 133lbs
Body Build: Androgynous
Weapon of choice: Mage Deafening Lyre and Mage Dream Lyre magic
Other carried weapons: Ferr-iron dagger.
Head Description:
Cecil has a thin, long face which ends with a pointed chin, almost always shaved smooth or sporting no more than one or two short hairs. Cecil constantly has bags under his eyes and dark circles around them, a result of both his possession with a Voidling and his difficulty with sleeping consistently. His eyes are a deep green, and his nose extends in a downwards curve until it ends in a flat point. Cecil's lips have a natural upward curve at their corners which makes him look merry at most times unless he is actively frowning, further contributing to his self-proclaimed foolish appearance.
Cecil's eyes are the deep green of the jungles of Daendroc. While they are constantly lit with energy and alert, he is often left appearing tired due to the slightly swollen bags under them, and they are also often bloodshot. He has two shoulder-length braids of hair that are decorated with several beads, and Cecil keeps his hair carefully tended and washed.
Cecil's face is almost entirely void of facial hair, a result of his near-daily shaving, but which may deteriorate depending on his levels of stress. Similarly to the circles which appear under his eyes, small hairs and nicks may be found on his face, evidence of his preoccupied mind.
Body Description:
Cecil stands at 5'8" and weighs 168 pounds, on the shorter end of the spectrum for a Shendar but average to most people. After a period of time of being afflicted with vampirism, his bones have become denser as a result of the transformation despite his having been cured. As is common among Nelfin, his body holds little fat. His upper body is thin and lean, while his legs are well-muscled from years of dancing, walking and running. His frame is feminine, even more than most Shendar, and he has actually been mistaken for a woman on many occasions.
His skin is the same sickly shade of grey characteristic to all Shendar. Often marked by small cuts, bruises and scrapes, it is rarely unblemished in some way or another, evidence of his frequent acrobatic escapades and practices which he rarely performs on soft ground. Cecil's skin is marked in any places by healed scars which coincide suspiciously closely with the technicolored patches on his coat, evidence of the many ill-fated fights he has been involved with in the sewers. Additionally, he has the enigmatic tattoos of the Azure Order encircling his neck, often completely or partially obscured by both his clothing and collar. His feet have calluses, mainly on the balls of his feet and heels, also from his acrobatics. His hands have calluses as well, on the fingertips from plucking his lyre(yes he does not use a pick for it), and on the palms from gripping objects.
Clothing and Accessories:
Cecil's clothing is something of an improvised motley comprised of traveling wear. He wears a leather vest under a light wool coat. His trousers are part of an old performing costume; they are a faded blue and are tucked into his boots to better keep out the chill of winter months. Cecil has a makeshift cloak consisting of three different-color capes that together allow for more movement than a cloak but provide a similar amount of warmth. Altogether, his clothes produce something of a dull rainbow effect.
Cecil wears few accessories, all either concealed or very small and hard to notice. He wears two pieces of jewelry, his wedding ring on a simple chain around his neck, and an earring on his right ear. The wedding ring is unmarked and made from the gold of an old earring which Cecil owned(that is, he had the earring melted down for its gold to make the ring). The earring he presently wears is a simple copper bulb, unremarkable in every way beyond a dull shine. He additionally wears several beads in his braided hair, either blue or purple, and fingerless leather gloves on his hands to cover the hair growing on his palms.
NOTE: CECIL CURRENTLY DOES NOT OWN THE JEWELRY DESCRIBED. IT HAS BEEN STOLEN FROM HIM.
Cecil has a thin, long face which ends with a pointed chin, almost always shaved smooth or sporting no more than one or two short hairs. Cecil constantly has bags under his eyes and dark circles around them, a result of both his possession with a Voidling and his difficulty with sleeping consistently. His eyes are a deep green, and his nose extends in a downwards curve until it ends in a flat point. Cecil's lips have a natural upward curve at their corners which makes him look merry at most times unless he is actively frowning, further contributing to his self-proclaimed foolish appearance.
Cecil's eyes are the deep green of the jungles of Daendroc. While they are constantly lit with energy and alert, he is often left appearing tired due to the slightly swollen bags under them, and they are also often bloodshot. He has two shoulder-length braids of hair that are decorated with several beads, and Cecil keeps his hair carefully tended and washed.
Cecil's face is almost entirely void of facial hair, a result of his near-daily shaving, but which may deteriorate depending on his levels of stress. Similarly to the circles which appear under his eyes, small hairs and nicks may be found on his face, evidence of his preoccupied mind.
Body Description:
Cecil stands at 5'8" and weighs 168 pounds, on the shorter end of the spectrum for a Shendar but average to most people. After a period of time of being afflicted with vampirism, his bones have become denser as a result of the transformation despite his having been cured. As is common among Nelfin, his body holds little fat. His upper body is thin and lean, while his legs are well-muscled from years of dancing, walking and running. His frame is feminine, even more than most Shendar, and he has actually been mistaken for a woman on many occasions.
His skin is the same sickly shade of grey characteristic to all Shendar. Often marked by small cuts, bruises and scrapes, it is rarely unblemished in some way or another, evidence of his frequent acrobatic escapades and practices which he rarely performs on soft ground. Cecil's skin is marked in any places by healed scars which coincide suspiciously closely with the technicolored patches on his coat, evidence of the many ill-fated fights he has been involved with in the sewers. Additionally, he has the enigmatic tattoos of the Azure Order encircling his neck, often completely or partially obscured by both his clothing and collar. His feet have calluses, mainly on the balls of his feet and heels, also from his acrobatics. His hands have calluses as well, on the fingertips from plucking his lyre(yes he does not use a pick for it), and on the palms from gripping objects.
Clothing and Accessories:
Cecil's clothing is something of an improvised motley comprised of traveling wear. He wears a leather vest under a light wool coat. His trousers are part of an old performing costume; they are a faded blue and are tucked into his boots to better keep out the chill of winter months. Cecil has a makeshift cloak consisting of three different-color capes that together allow for more movement than a cloak but provide a similar amount of warmth. Altogether, his clothes produce something of a dull rainbow effect.
Cecil wears few accessories, all either concealed or very small and hard to notice. He wears two pieces of jewelry, his wedding ring on a simple chain around his neck, and an earring on his right ear. The wedding ring is unmarked and made from the gold of an old earring which Cecil owned(that is, he had the earring melted down for its gold to make the ring). The earring he presently wears is a simple copper bulb, unremarkable in every way beyond a dull shine. He additionally wears several beads in his braided hair, either blue or purple, and fingerless leather gloves on his hands to cover the hair growing on his palms.
NOTE: CECIL CURRENTLY DOES NOT OWN THE JEWELRY DESCRIBED. IT HAS BEEN STOLEN FROM HIM.
Behavior Information "Yeah, I'm a bloody fool, but Spirit knows I'm a good'n."
Personality Traits:
•GUARDED: "Y'don't need'a know'at!" Cecil, despite outward appearances, is extremely careful about opening up to people, and raises many facades to hide his intentions. He has gone so far as to come up with the false name, 'Cecil Empolan', and will often hesitate to place trust in people whose intentions are unclear. This is further exasperated by numerous situations of betrayal from people he thought he could trust, making trust something that he is very careful to hand out. Cecil often takes new people with a grain of salt.
•SADISTIC: "C'mon, let's go't'gain! I want'a make y'bleed f'real!" This trait is the most obvious tell of Cecil's Wrath infestation. While he did have a natural predisposition to violence, Wrath has fully reversed Cecil from taking great care to to enjoying the pain of others-- and himself. Cecil takes great joy in inflicting pain upon others, especially that caused by his Deafening Lyre magic, and double especially if he thinks those in pain deserve it. While he is dimly aware of this new sadistic nature and sometimes shows inklings of his old self in half-hearted attempts to avoid triggering situations, he cannot resist his inner call for the pain of others. His compassion has been erased by Wrath.
•PROTECTIVE: "Y'touch'em, I'll see't y'ne'er walk again." Because of his difficulties with trusting people, Cecil becomes fiercely loyal and protective to those he does trust. When he feels that their safety is threatened, he quickly becomes aggressive and places himself in a defensive position, ignoring any protests. If he feels pressured enough, he will engage in combat to end what he believes to be a dangerous encounter. In extreme cases, Cecil will do just about anything to ensure his loved ones' safety, risking life and limb in the process. More recently, this has lent to his somewhat questionable mental state and objective of killing Estel and Behaesel, as he believes these two figures to be threats to his loved ones.
•IMPULSIVE: "C'mon, then! That's th'way!" Cecil often will act on instinct before considering all circumstances, relying solely on past experiences. While this is good in making split-second decisions, it makes him a poor strategist, leaping at opportunities without considering repercussions. This comes to haunt him particularly when he becomes enraged and when he is faced with important decisions. He is particularly careless with spending money, making it harder for him to climb out of his unemployed, penniless state. His impulsive nature can combine with his explosive rage to create an uncharacteristically violent outlook, made ever the more violent by his possession with a Voidling of Wrath, leading to hot-blooded and almost joyful combat and rage.
•UNFORGIVING: "Y'lied once. Why won'cha do't'gain?" Through repeated instances of betrayal and misplaced trust, Cecil has come to give few second chances to those who betray his family and friends. Upon first arriving in Regalia, he attempted to be trusting and open as he had idealized, but soon came to the conclusion that he could not do so. Through interactions with the hard-hearted residents of the sewers, he came to hold those who betray their word in the lowest regard and with a burning hatred. This is further exacerbated by his Voidling infestation and recently disrupted sleep patterns. Together, these cloud Cecil's judgement and can lead him to seek vengeance against those he views as traitors.
•SHORT-FUSED: "Spill't now, or it's y'blood that'll b'spilling." While Cecil could, once upon a time, stretch his patience a great deal, it has since worn thin. A combination of stress, fed-upness with people, and his possession by Wrath has caused Cecil to lose all semblance of patience. Instead, even something he perceives as a minor problem can send him careening towards the edge, teetering towards his blood boiling rage. If this problem is a person, then he is all the more likely to try and make their ears bleed or bludgeon them.
•MOTIVATED: "Heh, goin'a have t'do more'n'at t'stop me!" When set on an idea or course of action which he believes correct, Cecil will pursue it as far as he is able. Particularly when fueled by his protective nature or an intense rage, he will refuse to give up with a burning passion. While he will alter plans or ideas as he deems necessary, Cecil will still attempt to reach his end goal by almost any means necessary, and he has in fact hurt his friends or those he has wanted to protect as a direct result of his attempts to reach his goals. While this has stymied him somewhat, his ability to become single-mindedly motivated remains, often hand-in-hand with his anger and Wrath possession.
•STOUT-HEARTED: "Is'at'opposed'a scare me? Pfft, you'dn't scare a kitten!" Cecil can take most situations in stride and maintain a relative level of sense. While his startle response is usually a surprised yelp and flinch, and he is prone to frustration, he can push past most fears, excluding eldritch situations(such as shadow magic) and threats to his loved ones. Cecil tends to regard things of fear with respect, recognizing that they are fearful but not giving evidence of fear. He will often act more confident than he is to intimidate what he may be facing, and is able to keep himself from panicking. This also extends to maintaining a certain level of focus through pain, although he cannot do much more in this focus than concentrate on keeping his wits.
Abilities and Disabilities:
Strengths:
•Foolery: Cecil has acquired talents as an acrobat, a Lyre Mage, and musician. He can do flips, tumbles, cartwheels and handstands, which he taught himself to do over several years of experimentation and practice. While certain moves have been rendered impossible due to his damaged hand, Cecil is still able to take advantage of rolls and flips, and is able to cheat a cartwheel with one hand, though it looks awful. As a Lyre Mage, he is at Mage level in Deafening Lyre and Mage level in Dream Lyre, which is part of his frequent practice in singing and the playing of his lyre. Cecil's abilities in Lyre Magic, as well as musicianship, have taken a hit from his damaged hand. While he is still able to cast, he must balance his Lyre in the crook of his arm as he plays it, making evasion largely impractical. Furthermore, Cecil is drastically paranoid of using his Lyre Magic post-conditioning in the Azure Spire. He fears the consequences that may come from casting, though less for himself than for his wife and son. Unfortunately, his understanding his become more of 'don't get caught' than 'don't cast', as his paranoia and possession have together on occasion led him to casting despite the law, only leading to more toxic and paranoid thoughts after the fact.
•Disguising: Through a combination of necessity and desire for escapism, Cecil has on multiple occasions experimented with attempting to make himself look different than he naturally appears. While he is unable to change his grey skin or he very easily noticeable scar on his right cheek, Cecil has found that many of his features are suited to disguises. His hair is white, making dyes especially easy to apply, and further, his figure and mannerisms are notably effeminate by even Shendar standards. These traits combined with his experience in performing make Cecil able to put together a convincing disguise, provided individuals do not already know his features well.
•Fast thinker: Cecil can quickly think about and react to a situation with a(usually) sensible decision, as well as understanding and responding to information. This lends to his working well under pressure, as well as being able to quickly analyze an opponent's fighting and read them for telegraphing.
•Indeterable(or nearly so): Cecil is motivated to no end, and once he commits himself to a course of action, he will rarely change his mind back from it. He tends to become quite stubborn about these things and works at them until they are completed.
Weaknesses:
•Cumulative Injuries: As a result of his amateur acrobatics and tendency towards violent acts, Cecil often has injuries in varying degrees of severity. He will almost always have bruises on his shins and forearms from rolling and tumbling, and will often have worse. Further, his clothes will often telegraph where these injuries lie, as they will be dirtied or damaged in these locations on his body. He tends to accidentally strike his bruises in day-to-day life, trying to act like they don't exist but worsening his mood in the process. Additionally, his constant state of injury makes him more sensitive to perceived attacks and all the more willing to retaliate.
•Paranoid Insomniac (term used loosely for snappy name): Cecil picked up more than just a literal demon during the time he spent in the wilderness of Daendroc. As a result of his frequently interrupted sleep and consequent need to sleep lightly and wake quickly, Cecil has become paranoid of his surroundings and struggles to sleep consistently. He almost always wakes up reaching for a weapon, and is often plagued by nightmares when he does manage to sleep. This contributes to his tired appearance and self-diagnosed madness; he is often 'loopy' due to lack of sleep and not functioning at his highest capacity.
•Impulsiveness: Cecil often makes leaps of logic and understanding that are not correct, and may as a result make poor decisions based off them. As a result, he is a poor strategist and bad at planning ahead, even when he comes up with a detailed plan, as he will sometimes forget to factor in certain details. Furthermore, Wrath has increasingly made every one of his strategies 'make it suffer', causing him to be at risk of randomly attacking a problem or person.
•Wrath Possession and Void Mutations: During his time spent in the wilderness during the Bone Horror incident, Cecil became over-reliant on his Lyre magic, and become infested with a Wrath Voidling as a result. He has been possessed for 2 months now, and is suffering both mental and physical deterioration: He shows extreme tendencies to violence in the former, and sunken, tired eyes and hair on the palms of his hands in the latter. Additionally, Cecil believes himself to truly be going mad, as he is unwilling to even consider that he may be possessed, and simply thinks that the hair is not really there.
Following run-ins with several zealous Void worshippers, Cecil has found himself marred with several mutated body parts (described above). While most are not overtly a physical disadvantage beyond being a nuisance to move around with, they further damage the Shendar's mental state. Due to his rejection of the Void, Cecil feels ashamed of and embarrassed by the physical oddities. He tries to hide them any way he can, and accusations about them from others make him defensive and extremely self-conscious.
•Vengeful: Cecil, for all of his attempts to let go of them, holds grudges for an extremely long time. Once someone loses his trust, it is nigh on impossible to regain it, and he will frequently try to get even with those who betray him or those close to him, taking justice into his own hands. This can mean anything from shutting them out to beating them within an inch of their life, but since his possession his acts have increasingly tended towards violence.
•Damaged Left Hand: Following an encounter with an axe-wielding Undead, Cecil's left hand was critically damaged. His middle, ring, and pinky fingers were severed, as well as part of his hand. Pursuant of this injury, his hand has become largely useless; while he retains motion in the remaining index finger and thumb, the hand is not able to properly support weight, impairing his ability to lifer objects, perform certain acrobatic maneuvers, or even hold objects heavier or more cumbersome than a teacup.
Quirks:
•Seasickness-- For some reason, Cecil cannot stand being on a ship. From within a few hours of boarding one, he will become plagued with horrible seasickness and vomiting.
•Bitter Tea-- Cecil loves making tea, and even more, he loves sharing it with others. However, much to their detriment, he's not very good at it. He uses no honey, sugar, or molasses, and the herbs he uses are basically whatever he can get his hands on. He once threw literal mold into brewing tea...That said, he still LOVES his own tea, if only to prove that someone out there does.
Skills:
•Survivalism: While he does not appear as such, Cecil is a capable survivalist, trained to prevail against environments as harsh as the Shadow Isles and the Void corrupted beings within. Further, he can tend simple wounds, with some training in bandaging and suturing. This is more akin to first aid than real medicine, however.
Likes:
•Music: Cecil's favorite pastime in the world is music, whether it is singing or playing an instrument. Preferably both, combined with dancing very quickly and perhaps a large group of merry individuals. However, music extends beyond just being entertainment for Cecil, and he has come to view it as a form of truth through which people may speak.
•Puzzles: Whether it is a riddle, a visual puzzle, or a good mystery, Cecil loves puzzles. He believes that it is important to maintain a sharp wit, and that challenging oneself with problems is a good way to do so. He especially loves riddles and battles of wits with others, viewing them as useful to his livelihood as well as an entertaining means of passing time.
•Adrenaline Rushes: Cecil very much enjoys action, although he is not partial to combat. A good game of chase, however, is very enjoyable to him, and Cecil has agreed to friendly spars on occasion, so long as hostility is absent from any combat he engages in.
•Children: Since the birth of his own son, Cecil has fostered a deep love and care for children of any race and creed. He has concluded that children, as innocent and curious individuals, are a source of pure joy and light in the world. He values children above all else in Aloria, and will immediately turn hostile to anyone who hurts or threatens a child in his presence. His view of who is a child is somewhat skewed, and also includes innocents and sometimes particular young adults.
•Performance: Cecil loves to perform and watch other people perform, as it gives him a chance to pick up new tricks or to work on old ones. This is how he learned about juggling, as well as new songs, and he believes performance to be a medium of meeting different peoples.
Dislikes:
•Hypocrites: Cecil finds hypocrites absolutely repulsive. He feels that contradicting oneself makes a person untrustworthy and unpredictable, and hypocrites are one of his greatest causes of anger. His initial hatred of hypocrisy has further grown after numerous betrayals of trust, extending his hatred to include turncoats and traitors.
•Undead: He feels that once a person is dead, their chance at life is gone, and they should remain dead. If he encounters an undead somewhere that he will not get in trouble for fighting, he will engage it with little hesitation. Cecil's dislike of the Undead is in some ways a result of his dislike of hypocrites, as he views their return to life to be a broken vow and an unnecessary torture on those who once knew those who turn.
•Void Worship: After long rumination and countless nightmares flashing back to the disturbing rituals and practices of Void worship, Cecil has cast off any connection with the faith, as well as the Shadow Isles. He heartily denounces Behaesal, daemons, and often the heritage of Shendar and the sickly grey of his skin, and often is untrusting of other Shendar; he sometimes is afflicted with feelings of jealousy of those who have 'color' to their skin(color referring to not being grey, as grey is a shade).
•Bitter Tea-- Cecil loves making tea, and even more, he loves sharing it with others. However, much to their detriment, he's not very good at it. He uses no honey, sugar, or molasses, and the herbs he uses are basically whatever he can get his hands on. He once threw literal mold into brewing tea...That said, he still LOVES his own tea, if only to prove that someone out there does.
Skills:
•Survivalism: While he does not appear as such, Cecil is a capable survivalist, trained to prevail against environments as harsh as the Shadow Isles and the Void corrupted beings within. Further, he can tend simple wounds, with some training in bandaging and suturing. This is more akin to first aid than real medicine, however.
Likes:
•Music: Cecil's favorite pastime in the world is music, whether it is singing or playing an instrument. Preferably both, combined with dancing very quickly and perhaps a large group of merry individuals. However, music extends beyond just being entertainment for Cecil, and he has come to view it as a form of truth through which people may speak.
•Puzzles: Whether it is a riddle, a visual puzzle, or a good mystery, Cecil loves puzzles. He believes that it is important to maintain a sharp wit, and that challenging oneself with problems is a good way to do so. He especially loves riddles and battles of wits with others, viewing them as useful to his livelihood as well as an entertaining means of passing time.
•Adrenaline Rushes: Cecil very much enjoys action, although he is not partial to combat. A good game of chase, however, is very enjoyable to him, and Cecil has agreed to friendly spars on occasion, so long as hostility is absent from any combat he engages in.
•Children: Since the birth of his own son, Cecil has fostered a deep love and care for children of any race and creed. He has concluded that children, as innocent and curious individuals, are a source of pure joy and light in the world. He values children above all else in Aloria, and will immediately turn hostile to anyone who hurts or threatens a child in his presence. His view of who is a child is somewhat skewed, and also includes innocents and sometimes particular young adults.
•Performance: Cecil loves to perform and watch other people perform, as it gives him a chance to pick up new tricks or to work on old ones. This is how he learned about juggling, as well as new songs, and he believes performance to be a medium of meeting different peoples.
Dislikes:
•Hypocrites: Cecil finds hypocrites absolutely repulsive. He feels that contradicting oneself makes a person untrustworthy and unpredictable, and hypocrites are one of his greatest causes of anger. His initial hatred of hypocrisy has further grown after numerous betrayals of trust, extending his hatred to include turncoats and traitors.
•Undead: He feels that once a person is dead, their chance at life is gone, and they should remain dead. If he encounters an undead somewhere that he will not get in trouble for fighting, he will engage it with little hesitation. Cecil's dislike of the Undead is in some ways a result of his dislike of hypocrites, as he views their return to life to be a broken vow and an unnecessary torture on those who once knew those who turn.
•Void Worship: After long rumination and countless nightmares flashing back to the disturbing rituals and practices of Void worship, Cecil has cast off any connection with the faith, as well as the Shadow Isles. He heartily denounces Behaesal, daemons, and often the heritage of Shendar and the sickly grey of his skin, and often is untrusting of other Shendar; he sometimes is afflicted with feelings of jealousy of those who have 'color' to their skin(color referring to not being grey, as grey is a shade).
NPC:
Nevil Empolan; Lost Brother- Cecil and Nevil once held an inseparable bond which brought them closer together than with anyone else they knew. They often acted as one unit and team, knowing each other and trusting each other deeply. They currently have fallen out of contact, though both are in Regalia.
Gwenion Empolan; Infant Son- Cecil's son, Gwenion, is one of the most precious parts of Cecil's life. He loves his son with all of his being, and is partially fueled in his desire to gain rights for Shendar by his son, who is mixed-race.
Empola Nithil; Mother- Cecil's relationship with his mother has been complicated for most of his life. While early on, they merely quarreled, Cecil came to fear her after leaving Nithil. He believes that she tried to murder him in his sleep, and she has often since acted as the face of his nightmares.
Maltor Nithil; Father- Maltor and Cecil had a close bond to one another, as Maltor was one of Cecil's mentors in lyre magic. While as he aged they grew apart, Cecil viewed Maltor as a role model up until he left the Shadow Isles, never forsaking him. Even today, Maltor is one of the few members of Nithil who has not antagonized him in his dreams.
Player Characters:
Nevil Empolan; Lost Brother- Cecil and Nevil once held an inseparable bond which brought them closer together than with anyone else they knew. They often acted as one unit and team, knowing each other and trusting each other deeply. They currently have fallen out of contact, though both are in Regalia.
Gwenion Empolan; Infant Son- Cecil's son, Gwenion, is one of the most precious parts of Cecil's life. He loves his son with all of his being, and is partially fueled in his desire to gain rights for Shendar by his son, who is mixed-race.
Empola Nithil; Mother- Cecil's relationship with his mother has been complicated for most of his life. While early on, they merely quarreled, Cecil came to fear her after leaving Nithil. He believes that she tried to murder him in his sleep, and she has often since acted as the face of his nightmares.
Maltor Nithil; Father- Maltor and Cecil had a close bond to one another, as Maltor was one of Cecil's mentors in lyre magic. While as he aged they grew apart, Cecil viewed Maltor as a role model up until he left the Shadow Isles, never forsaking him. Even today, Maltor is one of the few members of Nithil who has not antagonized him in his dreams.
Player Characters:
Teroa Empolan(@ShipIt); Wife- Teroa is the love of Cecil's life, and similarly to Gwenion, is one of the people for whom Cecil lives to see happy. They love each other deeply and leap to each others' sides without hesitation. Often under times of distress, they find comfort in each others' company. More recently, Teroa's religious fervor has come to contrast Cecil's moral quandaries and shortcomings. He has come to view himself as a sinner, and Teroa as a pure light in his life; she constantly pulls him towards the right path, and he struggles between his impulses and his trust in his wife.
Duron Resclan(@SilverMercury); Brothers of Covenant- While Cecil and Duron's relationship was initially 'Duron keeps saving me from falissma', the two have since fostered a close brotherhood. While their relationship suffered when Duron took a leave to the Rim Isles, their friendship has long since mended. In the wake of his separation from Nevil, Duron has come to fill the void as a brother figure, and each has come to rely upon and defend the other. In the wake of Duron's murder, Cecil has become distraught, feeling a bevy of emotions and fear for those he cares about. If Duron, the most skilled warrior he knows, could be killed, couldn't anyone? Duron has become the symbol of Cecil's fears, as the people he cares about in Regalia continually shrink away.
Lillian Suillae(@victorian398); Close friend- Cecil first met Lillian in the sewers, and has been a witness to the ordeals which she faces. He believes that, although she is not a child, she is an innocent who has been done a great injustice through the suffering she has faced.
Sitrius Ravenburg(@ContestedSnow); Close Friend- Sitrius is one of the people who Cecil met in the sewers, during his time working at the clinic. While they initially had a disliking for one another, they came to be friends thanks to Teroa's trust for Sitrius. They currently hold each other in a close friendship and trust.
Anii'Ma Venditt(@Earth_Abaddon); Begrudging Friends- Cecil and Anii'Ma have always had a shaky relationship. If it is not because of the fact that Anii is a self-proclaimed witch hunter and Cecil is a Mage, then it is because of their numerous conflicts. Anii'Ma has attacked and hurt Teroa multiple times, leading Cecil to hold no trust for Anii'Ma whatsoever. However, because of Anii'Ma's skills, he is hesitant to make the Antimage an enemy.
Ishryniel Nhaddarin/Llewelyn Yraudhen; Ally turned Enemy- While Ish and Cecil could never have been said to be friends, they were at one time allies and trusted each other on some level. However, since Ishryniel became Llewelyn, any trust the two felt has been lost. Caught on opposite sides of gang wars, and after Llewelyn's side kidnapped and tortured Lillian Suillae, any chance of trust was lost. Cecil now bears a deep mistrust and hatred for Llewelyn and searches for a chance to show her the pain she caused.
Lorenzo Martinez (@Silent_Ruler), Disillusioned Acquaintances: Cecil first met Lorenzo when desperately seeking aid for his friends and family; he could not find a job, and times were getting harder on his family. Lorenzo offered him employment as a member of La Ganga, a most certainly steady and well-paying job. In the months since then, Cecil came to trust Lorenzo and hold him in high regard; the Droque was obviously one smart man, and his general tendency to avoid direct conflict was incredibly noble to the Shendar. However, recent events like the Great Castle Crash have led Cecil to reach a new conclusion about Lorenzo: That he is a coward only concerned with preserving himself, regardless of what it takes. Cecil has since left employment with La Ganga to pursue his own devices, though Lorenzo is trying to get him back.
Vincenzo Gasparian (@TutiDias); Feared Tormentor: Afted a fateful meeting in the sewers, Vincenzo abducted Cecil, taking advantage of the Shendar's inferior strength. After multiple instances of torment, Cecil came to loath every moment in the presence of Vincenzo, a mix of fear and hate bubbling to the surface. Vincenzo represents to Cecil much of the fear that he has felt in life, and Cecil struggles to remain rational in any capacity when in Vincenzo's presence. The Droque often visits the Shendar's dreams, however, torturing him and plaguing his tired mind.
Duron Resclan(@SilverMercury); Brothers of Covenant- While Cecil and Duron's relationship was initially 'Duron keeps saving me from falissma', the two have since fostered a close brotherhood. While their relationship suffered when Duron took a leave to the Rim Isles, their friendship has long since mended. In the wake of his separation from Nevil, Duron has come to fill the void as a brother figure, and each has come to rely upon and defend the other. In the wake of Duron's murder, Cecil has become distraught, feeling a bevy of emotions and fear for those he cares about. If Duron, the most skilled warrior he knows, could be killed, couldn't anyone? Duron has become the symbol of Cecil's fears, as the people he cares about in Regalia continually shrink away.
Lillian Suillae(@victorian398); Close friend- Cecil first met Lillian in the sewers, and has been a witness to the ordeals which she faces. He believes that, although she is not a child, she is an innocent who has been done a great injustice through the suffering she has faced.
Sitrius Ravenburg(@ContestedSnow); Close Friend- Sitrius is one of the people who Cecil met in the sewers, during his time working at the clinic. While they initially had a disliking for one another, they came to be friends thanks to Teroa's trust for Sitrius. They currently hold each other in a close friendship and trust.
Anii'Ma Venditt(@Earth_Abaddon); Begrudging Friends- Cecil and Anii'Ma have always had a shaky relationship. If it is not because of the fact that Anii is a self-proclaimed witch hunter and Cecil is a Mage, then it is because of their numerous conflicts. Anii'Ma has attacked and hurt Teroa multiple times, leading Cecil to hold no trust for Anii'Ma whatsoever. However, because of Anii'Ma's skills, he is hesitant to make the Antimage an enemy.
Ishryniel Nhaddarin/Llewelyn Yraudhen; Ally turned Enemy- While Ish and Cecil could never have been said to be friends, they were at one time allies and trusted each other on some level. However, since Ishryniel became Llewelyn, any trust the two felt has been lost. Caught on opposite sides of gang wars, and after Llewelyn's side kidnapped and tortured Lillian Suillae, any chance of trust was lost. Cecil now bears a deep mistrust and hatred for Llewelyn and searches for a chance to show her the pain she caused.
Lorenzo Martinez (@Silent_Ruler), Disillusioned Acquaintances: Cecil first met Lorenzo when desperately seeking aid for his friends and family; he could not find a job, and times were getting harder on his family. Lorenzo offered him employment as a member of La Ganga, a most certainly steady and well-paying job. In the months since then, Cecil came to trust Lorenzo and hold him in high regard; the Droque was obviously one smart man, and his general tendency to avoid direct conflict was incredibly noble to the Shendar. However, recent events like the Great Castle Crash have led Cecil to reach a new conclusion about Lorenzo: That he is a coward only concerned with preserving himself, regardless of what it takes. Cecil has since left employment with La Ganga to pursue his own devices, though Lorenzo is trying to get him back.
Vincenzo Gasparian (@TutiDias); Feared Tormentor: Afted a fateful meeting in the sewers, Vincenzo abducted Cecil, taking advantage of the Shendar's inferior strength. After multiple instances of torment, Cecil came to loath every moment in the presence of Vincenzo, a mix of fear and hate bubbling to the surface. Vincenzo represents to Cecil much of the fear that he has felt in life, and Cecil struggles to remain rational in any capacity when in Vincenzo's presence. The Droque often visits the Shendar's dreams, however, torturing him and plaguing his tired mind.
Life Story (abridged):
Before roleplay: Born in the Shadow Isles as Dulindir, Cecil Empolan spent his early life growing up in the Void Worshipping tribe of Nithil. The son of Nithil's shaman, Cecil had always played an important role to the tribe's proceedings; during his growth, he was taught in Deafening and Dream Lyre Magic, beginning at the age of 18. However, music was not limited to magic in Cecil's life; music took a large part of it, alongside curiosity about the outside world. He aspired to be one of the infiltrators so that he could discover the world beyond what he knew. By the age of 46, in the year 302 AC, Cecil departed from the tribe of Nithil and the Shadow Isles after a final conflict with his mother. Journeying alongside him was his brother, and they scrounged together funds to travel to New Caerdia, where they believed they would be far enough away from the Shadow Isles to be safe. It was at this time that Cecil assumed his name and left behind the name 'Dulindir'. He and his brother spent a year traveling the continent of New Caerdia before beginning to run low on funds and resolving to travel to the Holy City of Regalia, where they believed they would be able to prosper. However, during the passage, they became separated, and have been unable to find each other since.
Regalia: While prior to his journey to Regalia, Cecil had more or less cast off Void Worship, it was during his first months in the city that he came to truly despise it and its teachings of imminent destruction. The friends he came to make-- most of whom were not Shendar-- would be doomed by such a fate, and as such Cecil deemed it an altogether terrible faith. Over time, he came to become a streetperformer, as almost every actual place of employment turned him away. However, this was not enough to live by, so he turned to a life of crime within the sewers. He became embroiled in gang warfare and nearly died numerous times It was during this period of darkness in his life that Cecil met Teroa Denoti (@ShipIt), a fiery Qadir woman who quickly captured his heart. After a few months they were married, and a few months later (through the power of time-skips) they had a child-- a beautiful son, Gwenion. It was thanks to Gwenion that Cecil resolved to clean up his act and find a noble job. The first step in this resolution was submission to the Azure Order, and that is precisely what Cecil did. He suffered a grueling experience in the Spire, caused by both his poorly-regarded magical skills and his colorless complexion. However, Cecil was able to pass through after some struggle thanks to his willingness to follow the law and initiative in turning himself in. The torture of the Azures left a mark on him, however, that persists to this day. Following his release, and after a prolonged search for honest work, Cecil came across El Beneficio-- a front for the smuggling gang La Ganga, run by Lorenzo Martinez (@Silent_Ruler). While far from honest, it was a higher cut than the Sewers, and the best Cecil could do. So, he became a gangster to provide for his family, and for a time, all was happy.
The End of Peace: While Cecil enjoyed a time of peace with his family and friends, it was drawn to an abrupt end by a series of bitter, world-shaking conflicts. First, Andrieu Anahera seized control of Regalia, placing the citizenry in a state of frenzy. Cecil took part in the ensuing conflict, but then another, greater threat appeared: Es'thel herself. She led to the Elven Resurgance, and soon there would be no recovery from the tailspin of conflicts. Friends began dying around Cecil-- loved ones, family, brothers and sisters. When Es'thel brought the Bone Horrors into reality, Cecil drew the line-- he would not have another loved one be lost, and immediately took action. He smuggled himself out of Regalia, headed for Daendroc. He believed that if anyone had a counter to Es'thel's creations, it would be the denizens of the Shadow Isles. He hated going back-- it had plagued his dreams for a long time. But he had to do it, and so in August of 304 AC, Cecil found himself in the continent once again. Along his trek through Daendroc, Cecil found exactly what he'd been searching for: a scout. Capturing the poor Shendar with Dream Lyre, Cecil held her captive in an abandoned shack and tortured information out of her. During the process, Cecil become infested with Wrath while casting Deafening Lyre magic, leading to problems down the line. However, more problematic was the revelation that the Void Worshippers had no tricks up their sleeves. It was at this point that Cecil began his return to Regalia, and arrived in the first days of November.
Present Day: Now, Cecil has returned to a city in turmoil. During his absence, he missed the rise of Freya Lo, and much of his family and friends fled to the countryside, unbeknownst to Cecil. Now, he seeks to slay Estel and Behaesel, the two of whom his tired mind has deemed as responsible for the suffering in his life and danger to his family.
Life Story:
He grinned impishly at his brother's cleverness, testing out the language which he had learned but never needed to use. "Maltor, you never cease to amaze! How did you come up with a name so fun to say?! Feh, who cares? Though I suppose I should call you 'Neville' instead of 'Maltor'... Neville Empolan!" He grinned all the wider at the name's mockery of their mother, stumbling over a root before his brother could reply, tumbling and landing in a crouch. "Heh...perhaps I ought to look ahead, rather than back. Dulindir is behind me, and Cecil is ahead!"
Childhood:
Cecil Empolan was born in the Shadow Isles in Daendroc, in the Shendar tribe Nithil. While being a tribe devoted to Void worship, this particular tribe does not practice possession, believing that mortal vessels need to be chosen by demons by force, rather than left available to be possessed by any demon. He originally was named Dulindir, but later changed his name to Cecil after leaving. Dulindir spent the early years of his life like most of the Shendar, playing music and participating in the tribe as a whole, dutifully following Void worship, and he often was even more devoted to the faith than most, showing a certain level of enthusiasm for it. At the age of 20, Dulindir began to study Dream Lyre magic, mentored by several members of the tribe, including his father. Spurred by the magical proficiency found in many Shendar, he quickly learned, and by the age of 24, Dulindir had begun to cast his first spells, having attained the level of Novice. However, as he came to the age of 25, he became interested in the outside world after a report from a scout travelled around the tribe. His interest was quickly noticed by the other tribe members, and many disapproved of this interest, although none could discourage his enthusiasm. Pressured by the tribe's disapproval and fearful of what might come of it, Dulindir faked obeying their wishes, though he retained his great interest and only was able to maintain a convincing facade for a few years before slipping up and bringing himself back into scrutiny. At the time, his brother, Maltor, was 13, and Dulindir accidentally got his brother sucked into his wondering as well. On his own, Dulindir would sneak off to wander the jungles surrounding his tribe, although Maltor began to accompany him(against Dulindir's will). One of these wanderings would be the cause of Dulindir's fears of spider-like arthropods(no longer in dislikes to make space for more relevant dislikes), after he was bitten by a small spider. The venom, while not a lethal dose, would be enough to cause him serious swelling around the bite, and he kept away from the jungle for a long time after it, much to the relief of the tribe. By the age of 27, Dulindir had grown to the level of Student in Dream Lyre, strengthening in the discipline and beginning to come into his own. However, his interest in the outside world would not be put to rest, and the tribe would remain wary of it, as well as his brother's growing interest.
Adolescence(I have made this split at the age of 30 to maintain an even level of text between sections.):
Dulindir reached the Caster level in Dream Lyre by the age of 34, able to put several people to sleep for a sturdy half-hour. It was at this time that Dulindir began to learn Deafening Lyre magic, and by the age of 38 he advanced from Trainee to Novice. Up to this point, Dulindir had been planning to become a scout so he could travel Aloria, but he had not planned on his brother wanting to come with him. He was not sure if they could both leave, especially with much of the tribe's disagreement with his interests, but he formed a plan so that his brother would be allowed to leave with him. He purposefully neglected even the most basic level of training in physical combat, hoping to use it as a gambit to get his brother out with him. He still trained in Lyre Magic, with greater focus than ever to show his dedication during this time, and he rose from Novice to Student in Dream Lyre when he turned 42, and then reached the level of Caster by 46. Prior to the springing of his plan, both brothers followed the worship with great devotion, hoping to get better on the tribe's good side before attempting anything. Though he met heavy resistance, Dulindir managed to convince any who would disagree that he and his brother should both be allowed to go, on the condition that they would send regular word on what they learned and continue to practice Void worship. However, his mother held a silent disagreement with the decision. For years, she had seen her sons turning more and more away from the Void and towards the outside world. She had heard stories of traitors, and feared that this was the path that Dulindir and Maltor walked. As a final tribulation, the night before their departure, their mother tried to stop them from going. In the middle of the night, she attempted to break Dulindir's leg in his sleep to make an excuse for him to stay, being determined at this point to stop what she believed to be nonsense. He had, fortunately, had a bout of nightmares throughout the night which had caused him to sleep lightly and hear Empola's approach. Believing her to be another nightmare, he fought her, struggling until Maltor joined and quickly provided the support needed to knock her out. Once they realized what had happened, they packed all they could and fled, convinced that their own mother had tried to kill them, and that the tribe would side against them in the matter.
Adulthood:
Dulinder and Maltor left the Nithil tribe in the year 302 AC, under the false names Cecil and Nevil Empolan, as a precaution in case others from Nithil followed them. The two joined a traveling group of performers with whom they traveled to New Caerdia, staying with the party for approximately six months before branching off and surviving in the wilderness on their own. They did nothing notable aside from surviving in the wilds during this time. However, they had a notable run-in with a trading caravan, where Cecil found his purple scarf, and learned how to juggle. His brother was unhappy with his spending much of their money on the scarf and secret of juggling, but Cecil had already paid. They had almost no money left, and thus set out to find a place to earn more. Having heard about Regalia, the brothers used the last of their regals to get there, casting aside most of their traditions of Void worship which they had upheld while in the wilderness, realizing they would be extremely unwelcome if they did not. All they decided to keep in Regalia would be their reverence of demons, and if asked, they agreed to claim to worship Estel.
Regalia: Cecil and Nevil arrived in Regalia in the year 303 AC, just after the uprising against the Qadir and reopening of the ports. By now, Cecil had achieved Caster level in Deafening Lyre Magic and Caster level in Dream Lyre, with approximately 27 total years of experience. As soon as they entered the city, however, the brothers were detained for being Shendar, the guard ensuring that neither was possessed. After this, they were separated, and have not reunited to this day. Cecil became a bard and nonsensical performer, going back to something he was familiar with in order to earn the money he spent. However, recognizing the significantly freer environment of Regalia compared to Nithil, he would begin to expand on what he knew, finding new ways to perform and entertain.
303 AC: Cecil gazed down at the gurgling infant cradled in his arms, reflecting on all that had happened in the past year since his arrival in Regalia. After first being released by the guard, Cecil sought work anywhere he could find, disappointed time and again as he was turned away at nearly every opportunity. He resorted to street performing and sleeping in a gutter, barely scraping by each day. He would often be plagued by nightmares of Nithil hunting him down, and while by day he acted merry, his nights were times of terror. It was during this period that he began to spend more and more time in the sewers, occasionally taking less-than-legal odd-jobs to earn more money. He floated from one organization to another until he eventually met Teroa Denoti, a Qadir woman whom he initially had recruited to a group of thugs by the name of the Order(the one that wasn't Voided). While at first simply allies, the two began to foster feelings for one another which would blossom into love. Eventually, though, the Order dispersed, and he, alongside Teroa and several others, put together the funds to buy a home on the surface. It was at this point which Cecil proposed to Teroa, and while they never officially held a ceremony in a Unionist church, they lived as though they did.
Several months passed, and after having established a home on the surface, Cecil turned himself in to the Azure Order, fearing the trouble that might come if he was found out. During this period(and by the power of time-skipping), Teroa gave birth to their child, named Gwenion, which Cecil missed because of his reeducation in the Spire. Upon his return, the group from the Order began to deteriorate, and unable to sustain the cost of their home, Cecil and Teroa were forced to return to the sewers, where they opened a clinic. As they became more and more intwined in the shaky politics that take place in the sewers, more and more of their friends became hurt or left, and they began to plan their departure of the clinic and sewers. This was when Aindreu Anahera usurped control, and, fearful of the danger that the Anahera posed to his family, Cecil participated in the battle that eventually resulted in Aindreu's fall into flames, acting as a battle musician. Today, he lives once again on the surface with his wife, Teroa Empolan, as well as their close friends Sitrius Ravenburg and Lillian Suillae, his desire to become a peaceful musician complicated by the Voidling infesting his lyre, unknowingly subverting his wishes.
He grinned impishly at his brother's cleverness, testing out the language which he had learned but never needed to use. "Maltor, you never cease to amaze! How did you come up with a name so fun to say?! Feh, who cares? Though I suppose I should call you 'Neville' instead of 'Maltor'... Neville Empolan!" He grinned all the wider at the name's mockery of their mother, stumbling over a root before his brother could reply, tumbling and landing in a crouch. "Heh...perhaps I ought to look ahead, rather than back. Dulindir is behind me, and Cecil is ahead!"
Childhood:
Cecil Empolan was born in the Shadow Isles in Daendroc, in the Shendar tribe Nithil. While being a tribe devoted to Void worship, this particular tribe does not practice possession, believing that mortal vessels need to be chosen by demons by force, rather than left available to be possessed by any demon. He originally was named Dulindir, but later changed his name to Cecil after leaving. Dulindir spent the early years of his life like most of the Shendar, playing music and participating in the tribe as a whole, dutifully following Void worship, and he often was even more devoted to the faith than most, showing a certain level of enthusiasm for it. At the age of 20, Dulindir began to study Dream Lyre magic, mentored by several members of the tribe, including his father. Spurred by the magical proficiency found in many Shendar, he quickly learned, and by the age of 24, Dulindir had begun to cast his first spells, having attained the level of Novice. However, as he came to the age of 25, he became interested in the outside world after a report from a scout travelled around the tribe. His interest was quickly noticed by the other tribe members, and many disapproved of this interest, although none could discourage his enthusiasm. Pressured by the tribe's disapproval and fearful of what might come of it, Dulindir faked obeying their wishes, though he retained his great interest and only was able to maintain a convincing facade for a few years before slipping up and bringing himself back into scrutiny. At the time, his brother, Maltor, was 13, and Dulindir accidentally got his brother sucked into his wondering as well. On his own, Dulindir would sneak off to wander the jungles surrounding his tribe, although Maltor began to accompany him(against Dulindir's will). One of these wanderings would be the cause of Dulindir's fears of spider-like arthropods(no longer in dislikes to make space for more relevant dislikes), after he was bitten by a small spider. The venom, while not a lethal dose, would be enough to cause him serious swelling around the bite, and he kept away from the jungle for a long time after it, much to the relief of the tribe. By the age of 27, Dulindir had grown to the level of Student in Dream Lyre, strengthening in the discipline and beginning to come into his own. However, his interest in the outside world would not be put to rest, and the tribe would remain wary of it, as well as his brother's growing interest.
Adolescence(I have made this split at the age of 30 to maintain an even level of text between sections.):
Dulindir reached the Caster level in Dream Lyre by the age of 34, able to put several people to sleep for a sturdy half-hour. It was at this time that Dulindir began to learn Deafening Lyre magic, and by the age of 38 he advanced from Trainee to Novice. Up to this point, Dulindir had been planning to become a scout so he could travel Aloria, but he had not planned on his brother wanting to come with him. He was not sure if they could both leave, especially with much of the tribe's disagreement with his interests, but he formed a plan so that his brother would be allowed to leave with him. He purposefully neglected even the most basic level of training in physical combat, hoping to use it as a gambit to get his brother out with him. He still trained in Lyre Magic, with greater focus than ever to show his dedication during this time, and he rose from Novice to Student in Dream Lyre when he turned 42, and then reached the level of Caster by 46. Prior to the springing of his plan, both brothers followed the worship with great devotion, hoping to get better on the tribe's good side before attempting anything. Though he met heavy resistance, Dulindir managed to convince any who would disagree that he and his brother should both be allowed to go, on the condition that they would send regular word on what they learned and continue to practice Void worship. However, his mother held a silent disagreement with the decision. For years, she had seen her sons turning more and more away from the Void and towards the outside world. She had heard stories of traitors, and feared that this was the path that Dulindir and Maltor walked. As a final tribulation, the night before their departure, their mother tried to stop them from going. In the middle of the night, she attempted to break Dulindir's leg in his sleep to make an excuse for him to stay, being determined at this point to stop what she believed to be nonsense. He had, fortunately, had a bout of nightmares throughout the night which had caused him to sleep lightly and hear Empola's approach. Believing her to be another nightmare, he fought her, struggling until Maltor joined and quickly provided the support needed to knock her out. Once they realized what had happened, they packed all they could and fled, convinced that their own mother had tried to kill them, and that the tribe would side against them in the matter.
Adulthood:
Dulinder and Maltor left the Nithil tribe in the year 302 AC, under the false names Cecil and Nevil Empolan, as a precaution in case others from Nithil followed them. The two joined a traveling group of performers with whom they traveled to New Caerdia, staying with the party for approximately six months before branching off and surviving in the wilderness on their own. They did nothing notable aside from surviving in the wilds during this time. However, they had a notable run-in with a trading caravan, where Cecil found his purple scarf, and learned how to juggle. His brother was unhappy with his spending much of their money on the scarf and secret of juggling, but Cecil had already paid. They had almost no money left, and thus set out to find a place to earn more. Having heard about Regalia, the brothers used the last of their regals to get there, casting aside most of their traditions of Void worship which they had upheld while in the wilderness, realizing they would be extremely unwelcome if they did not. All they decided to keep in Regalia would be their reverence of demons, and if asked, they agreed to claim to worship Estel.
Regalia: Cecil and Nevil arrived in Regalia in the year 303 AC, just after the uprising against the Qadir and reopening of the ports. By now, Cecil had achieved Caster level in Deafening Lyre Magic and Caster level in Dream Lyre, with approximately 27 total years of experience. As soon as they entered the city, however, the brothers were detained for being Shendar, the guard ensuring that neither was possessed. After this, they were separated, and have not reunited to this day. Cecil became a bard and nonsensical performer, going back to something he was familiar with in order to earn the money he spent. However, recognizing the significantly freer environment of Regalia compared to Nithil, he would begin to expand on what he knew, finding new ways to perform and entertain.
303 AC: Cecil gazed down at the gurgling infant cradled in his arms, reflecting on all that had happened in the past year since his arrival in Regalia. After first being released by the guard, Cecil sought work anywhere he could find, disappointed time and again as he was turned away at nearly every opportunity. He resorted to street performing and sleeping in a gutter, barely scraping by each day. He would often be plagued by nightmares of Nithil hunting him down, and while by day he acted merry, his nights were times of terror. It was during this period that he began to spend more and more time in the sewers, occasionally taking less-than-legal odd-jobs to earn more money. He floated from one organization to another until he eventually met Teroa Denoti, a Qadir woman whom he initially had recruited to a group of thugs by the name of the Order(the one that wasn't Voided). While at first simply allies, the two began to foster feelings for one another which would blossom into love. Eventually, though, the Order dispersed, and he, alongside Teroa and several others, put together the funds to buy a home on the surface. It was at this point which Cecil proposed to Teroa, and while they never officially held a ceremony in a Unionist church, they lived as though they did.
Several months passed, and after having established a home on the surface, Cecil turned himself in to the Azure Order, fearing the trouble that might come if he was found out. During this period(and by the power of time-skipping), Teroa gave birth to their child, named Gwenion, which Cecil missed because of his reeducation in the Spire. Upon his return, the group from the Order began to deteriorate, and unable to sustain the cost of their home, Cecil and Teroa were forced to return to the sewers, where they opened a clinic. As they became more and more intwined in the shaky politics that take place in the sewers, more and more of their friends became hurt or left, and they began to plan their departure of the clinic and sewers. This was when Aindreu Anahera usurped control, and, fearful of the danger that the Anahera posed to his family, Cecil participated in the battle that eventually resulted in Aindreu's fall into flames, acting as a battle musician. Today, he lives once again on the surface with his wife, Teroa Empolan, as well as their close friends Sitrius Ravenburg and Lillian Suillae, his desire to become a peaceful musician complicated by the Voidling infesting his lyre, unknowingly subverting his wishes.
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