ashwynne
🌧 pluviophile 🌧 art: peritwinkle
[Basics]
name: Lorcan [lore-cAn]
aliases: Lord of Ashes, Cormac [when incognito]
age: 31
gender: male
rank: King of Krzshak [cur-shack]
[Appearance]
height: 6'0
weight: 180 lbs
eye colour: pale blue, sometimes silver depending on lighting
hair: dark brown, dark enough to seem black in certain lights. Kept short and neat (both beard and hair), but without overt fuss over style
face claim: Gonçalo Teixeira
further description:
Lorcan is built quite lean and wiry. No shred of fat on him to be found, purely muscle. He has an assortment of scars of varying lengths, depths, and placement. Notable ones include what appears to be a scar across his rib cage made by four claws, a long and jagged scar that goes from the top of his shoulder down to the small of his back, and a deep gash from navel to hip that seems freshly healed. Beyond those three are various other small and unremarkable signs of former injury, everything from what appear to be small burn marks to thin silvery lines indicative of smaller scars.
[Details]
likes: | swordplay | control | dragons | decisiveness | wine | verbal sparring | horseback riding |
dislikes: | conniving | inactivity | insecurity in others | cowardice | mead | pacifists | open areas/clearings | overt signs of affection |
quirks/habits: When on the verge of losing his temper he has a tendency to innocuously scratch his beard | when he is actively fighting he tends to sport a Cheshire cat-like grin regardless of the state of the fight | while pleasantly distracted he has been known to hum various little ditty's popular with the peasants of Krzshak--no one at court knows how he learned them | During times of stress or upheaval can often be found talking with the horses in the stable (will react violently if disturbed from his conversation) | Often disappears without a trace, sometimes for several days when things are quiet, with no one knowing where he goes (though the prevailing theory--that he neither denies or confirms--is that he goes to visit the dragons) |
trait summary: ruthless - pragmatic - decisive - straightforward - clever - stubborn - arrogant
further description:
Ruthless: Lorcan cares for one thing and one thing only: the state and prosperity of his country. Beyond this nothing else truly matters to him and he has no qualms about doing anything necessary to achieve stability and wealth for his nation. Whether he must slaughter countless innocents to achieve this means little to him, after all, either they do the quashing or they are the quashed there is no room for inactivity or pity. While many of the things Lorcan has done could (and likely should) be regarded as atrocities he is a firm believer in the end justifying the means regardless of what is required to achieve that end. He is not entirely heartless and does occasionally feel a twinge of pity for those he annihilates, but the feeling is short lived at best and ultimately swept away as being 'necessary for the sake of the many.'
Pragmatic: While he is ruthless in defending and securing his nation, Lorcan balances this somewhat with a pragmatic temperament. Butchering entire villages, armies and families is not always the most practical solution if another alternative can be reached (he is ever wary of attacks of retribution). Should an opportunity for a more peaceful solution that is still favourable to Krzshak be offered, he is apt to consider it at the very least. Preserving the lives of his own soldiers is ever at the forefront of his mind. In the same way his attacks on other nations or those deemed to be enemies is equally pragmatic. Lorcan endeavors to find the most efficient, methodical, practical and all-encompassing tactics he can to completely annihilate those who oppose him which lends to his terrifying air. Killing you and yours is not personal to him, merely an unchangeable necessity that should be undertaken with all practical considerations.
Decisive: Changing his mind or agonizing over choices is not a part of Lorcan's temperament. In nearly everything he does he is decisive and certain, rarely reexamining decisions he has made unless new information presents itself. This allows for his army to act with a high degree of efficiency and confidence as there is never any question about whether their orders are absolute or not.
Straightforward: Whether dealing with attendants, political rivals, or leaders of other nations Lorcan is always straightforward. He does not subscribe to the conniving ways of many aristocrats and higher court officials, finding them odious at best. One never need wonder what is on Lorcan's mind for if asked he will handily tell you without delay. It is arguably one of his better traits as it makes navigating conversation with him surprisingly easy.
Clever: Unsurprisingly Lorcan is decidedly clever, he has to be in order to keep Krzshak running strong and his own opponents at court in line. Perhaps due to his own straightforward nature he has a talent for reading people that allows him to react quickly and decisively to any trouble he senses coming at him. He is far from infallible, of course, but being clever with a good head for strategy is arguably the single largest driving factor that has enabled him to keep hold of his Kingship.
Stubborn: Lorcan possesses a stubborn streak. Whether seen in his refusal to succumb to injuries (which he tends to amass quite easily), his obstinate refusal to be cowed by his own court, his willingness to ignore all advice given to him and do what he thinks is best, or in merely sticking his heels into the mud and refusing to acknowledge he has made a mistake this is not an easy trait to miss.
Arrogant: It's arguable whether this is a trait in and of itself or merely presents itself as such through a combination of the others. Regardless, Lorcan at the very least possesses the appearance of great arrogance. He trusts himself above all others and being King will take his own advice over that given to him as though he is the ultimate authority on all things. Refusing to properly acknowledge his own mistakes also lends itself to the appearance of arrogance. One could philosophically argue that "if it looks like arrogance, acts like arrogance and feels like arrogance then it is," but to the careful observer who is aware of the scheming and dangers of his own court this could also be argued to be a necessary evil that may or may not be an integral part of who he is.
relationships:
Vlad - his akhal teke horse (or -insert made up breed here-). Probably the only living thing on earth he shows any affection towards.
other: tbd
[Biography]
The only child to survive to adulthood, Lorcan was born to the former King and Queen of Krzshak as the last hope for an heir to the throne. Calling his parents 'King and Queen' may have been a stretch however, as they were at best puppet rulers being fully controlled by the Council of Five (a governing body of aristocrats meant to advise the rulers). No one is particularly clear on where Lorcan inherited his strength of character or will, for a time there were even debates about whether the Queen had been unfaithful. These rumours were gradually quashed as Lorcan grew to be a near carbon copy of his father in physique save for his eyes which came from his mother. At any rate he displayed a proclivity for swordplay from a young age and was endlessly bold in his adventures as a child. His attendants were required to be full fledged knights as anything less was apt to end in their deaths at the hands of Lorcan's misadventures.
The boy was fascinated with dragons from the first moment he heard stories of them and made it his mission in life as a boy to 'tame a dragon.' Naturally this is what tended to land him in the most trouble as the dragons were a proud and short tempered race that had not brooked the intrusion of humans into their territory since Lorcan's great-great-great-great-great grandfather. Still, Lorcan was not dissuaded and eventually, when he was 14, managed to sneak away from his attendants with only his sword in tow and slip into the territory of Vlathcr the Dread.
No one is quite sure what exactly transpired during this expedition into the territory of the most prolific human killing dragon in Krzshak. All anyone knows is that two weeks after he disappeared, long after the court had agreed he had met his untimely demise, Lorcan returned limping to court with his body covered in ash, deep claw marks claiming the right side of his ribs, with eyes that glowed with a fierce and adult determination.
After his return Lorcan was notably changed. He dedicated a great deal more time to studies of politics, ruling, and warfare strategies while also routinely disappearing with no one knowing where he went or what he did. About this time was when those close to him (primarily attendants and servants) began to notice an odd habit of his to hum peasant ditty's when he was immersed in his studies. He also spent the bulk of his free time honing his swordplay further, enlisting more and more brutal fighters within Krzshak's army to fight against him and threatening them with treason if they refused. Regardless of how many times he was beaten down Lorcan would stubbornly rise again with renewed vigour and within a few years his fighting prowess was legendary.
Shortly after his eighteenth birthday the royal family was poisoned. Most likely this was prompted by Lorcan's increasing popularity with both the army and the people of Krzshak and the fear of the Council that they would lose control of the country. Unfortunately for the Council, Lorcan ate very little that night and managed to survive the poisoning under the ministration of several loyal army physicians who (in spite of the threat of death as threatened to them by the Council) refused to permit anyone else near him. The King and Queen were beyond their help and so when Lorcan woke he was bereft of his parents and now expected to take up the mantel of the crown.
His fury knew no bounds. In spite of having an outwardly cold and aloof personality he had deeply loved his parents and was griefstruck by their murder. In truth he had long been preparing to take down the Council, but with their actions his plan of attack changed. Surviving to his coronation was harrowing as the Council (perhaps sensing their imminent doom) tried everything imaginable to murder the Prince. Assassins, more poisonings, traps... nothing was beyond them and yet Lorcan managed to survive all these trials long enough to have the crown placed upon his brow. The moment the ceremony was over he disappeared again. The Council breathed a sigh of relief, believing after a few tense days that one of their compatriots had succeeded and was simply keeping quiet. This was not the case.
When Lorcan returned, and return he did, it was upon the back of Vlathcr the Dread.
The leaders of the Council of Five were dragged unceremoniously from their beds by Lorcan's personal royal guard. Screeching with fury they cursed and spat all the way until they found themselves in a public square just outside the palace, ringed by a mix of terrified aristocrats and peasants alike, with the monstrous dragon leering down at them from where it was perched along the top of the palaces' wall. Lorcan was leaning against the neck of the mighty beast, his face cold and composed. Seeing the Council gathered he stood up from where he was and looked down upon them.
"It is good of you to join us, esteemed members of the Council, for this: the final meeting of the Council of Five."
His meaning was clear and the wailing and pleading for mercy swiftly began, but to this Lorcan only curled his lip in disgust and stared pitilessly down at them. "I extend to you today the same mercy you showed my parents." And with that the dragon thundered to the ground, his descent shaking the earth, and methodically tore apart the council members one by one. "From this day forth," Lorcan boomed between screams, "I am King unchallenged. The Council may be reassembled to provide advice as it was intended, but this is the fate that waits for any who seek to control the throne again."
For the next five years as Lorcan firmly established his reign there was relative peace within the court, however with time the poisonous allure of power began to take root again in the hearts of those on the council. None dared to oppose Lorcan openly (for he had achieved a peace pact with the dragons that decreed they would leave each other be but act as allies in war should war ever threaten Krzshak), but the machinations of court ever plagued him and they would oft work to slow his policies taking effect through technicalities to try and impose their own authority where they could. Lorcan grew adept at navigating these political intrigues and overruling or fulfilling them to achieve his ultimate goals.
Seven years passed in relative quiet, but Krzshak is not a fertile nation and after several harsh winters the people were close to starving. Fearing for the stability of his country and knowing that any upheaval would provide an opportunity for the Council to oppose him, Lorcan turned his attention onto (CA's nation) for its lands and resources. The dragons were agreeable to the thought of better feeding grounds and territory and (honour bound anyway) were willing to join Lorcan in this war.
[Nation Information]
Krzshak is a large country but primarily mountainous, rocky, and barren. Scraggly trees dot much of the country but these are evergreen and considered somewhat sacred for their ability to provide shade. Summers are blisteringly hot and winters bone-chillingly cold. The upper reaches of the mountain ranges are considered dragon territory and strictly avoided (save by brave fools like Lorcan). Though there is a tentative peace with the dragons, intruding upon their territory unwelcomed is not tolerated and while they do not kill intruders any longer they are not gentle in removing them. Any humans who bear weapons towards the dragons, look to attempt stealing dragon eggs, or otherwise meddle with them are killed without pity.
Nearer to the border the lands are more pleasant (rolling hills rather than craggy mountains) and this is designated strictly as farmland. Competent farmers live quite well and most aristocratic families are descended from them (typically the powerful aristocrats now are land-holders that lease arable land to farmers and earn a share of the profits in turn). The capital city of Kark sits off of this land on the opposite end from the border, at the base of the first great dragon mountain (said to be the home of Vlathcr). The palace, Dratha, sits on a high hill backed into the mountain. Part of it's construction is burrowed into the mountain itself and it is renowned for its mineral baths and warmth in the winter as it is built above hot springs. Dratha is surprisingly lush with arguably the most plant growth anywhere in Krzshak. Foreign trees and multiple magnificent flowering gardens are peppered throughout. It is also quite large, nearly a city itself, with a bazaar that opens twice weekly near the gates, barracks large enough to host 5,000 troops (and indeed the training grounds and Knight Academy located within the palace are exceptional too), a stable with pasture for the royal horses (Lorcan dabbles with horse breeding and his stock fetches a high price in horse markets), on top of the palace itself which is far more opulent than one would expect from such a barren land.
Well maintained roadways connect Kark and Dratha to the farmlands and various other cities and villages throughout Krzshak. There is little development beyond the first mountain range save for some nomadic tribes that eke out a living however they can (and are not considered under the dominion of Lorcan). In spite of impressive infrastructure the country still suffers often from food shortages, particularly in winter as the amount of time the earth is frozen can be long and cut into the growing season, leading to a vicious cycle the following winter. Trade with other nations has always been vital to maintaining the survival of Krzshak's people but has subsequently cut greatly into the royal treasury making improvements sorely needed in other areas difficult (particularly Lorcan wishes to construct further places of healing and various academies to strengthen the people from the ground up).
While food and water are precious commodities, Krzshak makes up for it with a terrifyingly strong military. While this is largely to discourage enemy nations from foolishly invading, the military is also put to use protecting the cities, roadways and caravans from other creatures that call the land home. While dragons are by far the most devastating and frightening creatures of Krzshak, massive ornery bears, tusked giant boars, long-toothed crag cats* and siren eagles** are all threats to human life that require defense against. Since Lorcan has been in power the military has only grown in strength and efficiency while also being fiercely loyal to their king. Insults against Lorcan are not tolerated and while the soldiers are mostly seen as a benevolent force by the citizens of Krzshak, the aristocrats in particular do not look at them so kindly as they still remember the Royal Guard that pulled the previous Council members from their beds to their deaths at the claws of Vlathcr.
* Crag cats are similar to smilodons but bigger. About modern rhino-sized with pelts similar to that of cougars/mountain lions to allow them to blend into the mountains
** Siren eagles are like a mix between vultures and eagles (the bald neck of a vulture but feathered head of an eagle) only large enough to easily carry off a person or even a horse.
