[hider=Steel Crusader] Name: Stein Schuss Race Human Character Appearance : A sizeable burly man standing six foot seven and weighing almost three hundred pounds, and seems at the age of almost forty or fifty. He is often found in well-made working clothes or tailored clothes for those of a wealthy family or a lower noble family. His skin is pale, and often, most of his skin is not showing except for the skin around his eyes. Hats, and full cloth covers are common attire for him. He is highly scarred, most of his scarring is upon his arms, and legs, and there are many markings where chains, metal bindings, and brands were placed upon his body and torso. His face has many deep gouges, as well as places where he was tortured for several years are shown upon his face. There are indistinguishable brands upon both of his cheeks. He does have gray and dirty blond hair and often has a kept beard to hide much of his facial and neck scarring. Character Personality : A jolly man in all cases, he seems to be like a Santa figure to most in public, always enjoying those around him. Yet, often, they are somewhat afraid or remorseful towards the large man. He looks well and seems well, but he hides his trauma well. He has been trained to hide his trauma. Smiling is almost an automation for him, and his voice doesn't crack, but behind the door he seems to be an empty shell. He seems to be frightened and broken oftentimes. But if he is in the presence of someone, he seems to be the happiest man in the world to all who overlook the details. Legend: (in song form) "The Steel Crusader" A tall as a mountain stood a statue one day, No one would expect it come alive in the sun rays, For in times of need, the steel statue came, No one could tell, if it was a man or statue that stayed. *Chorus* The Steel Crusader as firm as a mountain, The Steel Crusader as strong as a bear, The Steel Crusader is here to decree. That all will be will, as long as you stand behind him. He will be back to defend you, you'll see. Death came upon many, Death came upon soon, Death swept up the valley, and over the dunes. *Chorus* The Steel Crusader as firm as a mountain, The Steel Crusader as strong as a bear, The Steel Crusader is here to decree. That all will be will, as long as you stand behind him. He will be back to defend you, you'll see. Crusading in just against Fowl, Breaking the cruel, In the night he was the mighty owl, And on a barstool. *Chorus* The Steel Crusader as firm as a mountain, The Steel Crusader as strong as a bear, The Steel Crusader seems more drunk as usual, He seems more delusional, His mind seems unusable, Let us hope and see. A noble at heart, a murder in sight, he slaughtered too many in part, Just to do right. *Chorus* The Steel Crusader was as firm as a mountain, The Steel Crusader was as confused as could be. The man couldn't fight, His head isn't a delight, Maybe he needs prayer, Or to get help as could we. But many watched, as the statue depart, Many saw him dart, and finally part. *more sorrowful chorus* The Steel Crusader is broken and in shambles, His mind has fled, His eyes are always blood red, Now he just rambles. The steel crusader, seems to be dead. [hr] There is a story of a young noble; in his youth, he was young, intelligent, and spirited to go out into the world and do anything he wished. His friend, who trained, soon became his companion on the road adventuring. They were successful and, in their heyday, were decently known through areas full of violence, banditry, and war. Being the youngest of his name, he worked harder than all of his siblings, for he would get nothing from inheritance if nothing happened to his brothers. After several groups of holy men entered the camp, his band eventually became known as the Steel Crusaders. While he and his friends did not convert, instead they converted the holy men into that of protectors for those they came across. Doing work for each place they lived, they were proactive in finding those who wished to despoil the lands, bringing themselves to those areas, and striking against those whom they saw as wrong. Eventually, there was the war that broke out, and while his men were better than the levies of Dara. They were one of the first to fall, and almost in it's entirety. Defeat after defeat saw them diminished and almost destroyed but for their commander. The man fell wounded, but was drug far away in his armor and hidden. He was hidden for so long, his family fled the city but for the heads of the family, and the second and third sons. But the armor, the armor of this warrior was seen many times as a sign of resistance. It was worn when the Guardians finally took back the city. But the young man was not the one wearing it, for he was broken and still healing. [hr] In the final moments, a man clad in chains burst through the walls of a prison. Like the sun, a son of the city had risen once again to break the binds of tyranny and he lead an assortment of warriors through the halls to kill the king. Stein the Brave, the steel crusader, had a steel resolve till the end. Or was Stein the one wearing the armor, regardless, there was a man of honor and glory finding his way to kill the king. Character description: Stein Schuss was born the eighth son and last of fourteen; being the youngest male, he was the one who would have to earn his keep. But, he did receive a good education, and an education by many. Five years before the war, he set off with a group of his friends and became an adventurer. For the most part, they took defensive jobs or restoring the land. Sometimes they would help brewers and taverns out on the road for income to their next location. They eventually found themselves with a group of warrior priests; they all converted, and many became priests. He did not want to give up his titles or name, but he continued to be the leader of the band of warriors. Eventually, they did become successful, and when raids before the war became more prevalent, they did well in numbers to just over a hundred. But when the war came, they were not ready for the army that befell them. Almost all of them were killed in the initial fight over a border village. Those who escaped barely did so. They fought town after town, trying to warn as many as possible, but each time, they died or fled. Those that remained tied put a counter-offensive in the backlines of their foes, and it was somewhat successful. He ran a rather genocidal rampage or crusade through the northern lands until they were cornered and almost killed by a man. He managed to escape this as well. Eventually, it was just him, and only because several people hid him underneath the rubble and when he was moved far away from the war, others donned his armor, many of which fell, but one did survive and would until he became a guardian. Meanwhile, Stein was broken, physically and mentally, from losing his friends. He was found by many in his family who were on the run, but they did not take him, for he would be a burden upon them. Then, he was captured, placed in prison, and forgotten about after being tortured for several years. When the king fell, he broke out and fought alongside other heroes, but by that time, only records could tell who the man was. His armor was in the hands of another man, but out of respect for his service, it was given to the city and memorialized. The guardians had reclaimed the city, and his armor was now a statue out in front of his family home. While his family did live within it, most of the wealth went with those who fled, and few came back after the death of the King. However, Stein was almost nothing. He was unrecognizable from his younger days in the war. He was overgrown with hair, his bones showed through his skin, and his mind was mostly broken. While this did improve over time, at least in his physical health, not much could assist his mental state. He had what most believed a final hurrah, and due to his mental instability, he did not become a guardian, instead the man who wore his armor did. However, He got to know some of the other heroes before they parted ways. He becomes homeless, a street rat, and a beggar. But, one day, he was brought back into his home once someone recognized him. His brothers, who stayed or came back, took care of him. They did their best to heal the man's body and mind, and he did become the mountain of a man he once was. Standing around six foot seven and weighing almost three hundred pounds, he was a beast at working manual labor. But his mind kept him to certain things; brewing was one of them, and his brothers bought him a brewery and fields for grapes and grain to make wines and beers. It was one of the few things he remembered from his time adventuring, his early adventuring when they were just starting out. It was a functional aid in his recovery, and he did it well. He could supply trade and much of the city with his drinks, and the rest traded throughout the lands. Another reason for this recovery was to find someone to marry him off to; originally, it was for money, but his brothers soon realized that he was too gone, so they had to find another way to make money out of him. They did, but now that he seems healed and that his name is back out there. They wish to push Stein further into the public light; as his armor stands proudly and newly shined, they push him to be a hero of the old city, and now it seems that the time may be here for them to push him to act. [/hider] [hider=A once pirate now Sherrif] Name: Elias Gothic Paul Race Human Character Appearance : A man somewhere in his mid-to-late thirties with tan skin, dark blonde/light brown curly hair, and a clean-shaven face. He is often seen in greens, yellows, and other natural colors, as well as those of the city he resides in. He is about five foot eight and weighs around a hundred and ninety pounds. Character Personality : A stoic man, often not showing emotion or any cause to those around him. He is almost cold and calculated but fair. Until you get to know him, then he is almost the entire thesaurus for the word silly and any word that could describe a dad joke. He is genuinely happy and seems fulfilled in all ways. While at work, he does keep himself faithful to his work, fulfilling justice honestly and honorably, but when he is not, he is often seen trying to make others smile. Until recently, that is, since his wife was torn apart mysteriously. He often jokes that he was once a famed pirate on the river. Legend: The River is the blood of the city, and many knew this, but few took to its shores like the huntsman Elias. Few knew who slew the king, but few believe Elias' arrow pierced his heart. He was known to be able to get any weapon on target from a range and pierce the hearts of any, even through the gaps of armor. That day, his aim was true, for if it was not for his bow, many would have likely died to the terrible king's hand. [hr] The sheriff, did you know that he was a pirate once sailing the river? [hr] One day, the mud of the river spawned a killer the day the old king captured the city. For the river protects, and sends its prized jewel heroes in time, there was one that cut down his foes like the river cuts down buildings in a flood. Character description: A young fisher son when the war broke out, he was maybe fifteen or sixteen, the young man decided to head north with a bow and his father's sword. Along the way, he found he was a natural with the bow, and agile. When he knew he couldn't brute force his way through an opponent, he used his whit and tact to whittle away until his opponents were dead and gone. Eventually, he found himself with a group of adventurers on the same path as him. They would eventually win; after that, the king died, and the guardians took over. He became the sheriff of the local area outside of town. His wit and knowledge made him a good peacekeeper when settling in the city. He became a good investigator and often helped the town guard with his investigative abilities and sense of honest justice. He is known as a fair man and one who volunteers for those in need. He is also often seen in the river in small skiffs and boats, primarily for leisure or for fishing. He eventually married a guardian, and they lived well for a decade before her death; due to his closeness with one of the victims, he was pulled away from the investigation. He has since been in a melancholy. [/hider]