[hider=Exarch Errocas]
[center][img]http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f50/Aristo88/RPGuild/YoungBlackwall_GerryArthur_zps4cmc09t8.png[/img][/center]
[center][h1][color=CornflowerBlue][b]Errocas[/b][/color][/h1][/center]
[center][sub]Exarch Nobilissimus Errocas, Pride of Severen, Scourge of Atar, Errocas ‘The Black’[/sub][/center]

[center][h3][color=CornflowerBlue][b]Appearance[/b][/color][/h3][/center]
	Errocas’s flesh has a deathly pallor, inlaid with branches of grey-blue veins. His skin clings taught to his bones, giving him a strong jaw and set of cheekbones. The hairs on his head are black, marred by streaks of grey at his temples. Pale blue eyes peer beneath a sturdy brow. Errocas’s build is that of a soldier – solid and well-defined, with rough, calloused hands. His height is not altogether impressive. When clad from head to toe in his plate armor, Aeron is an awesome, and dreadful sight. His armor is lacquered black, and on it cascades thorny roses, the insignia of Mother Night. 

[center][h3][color=CornflowerBlue][b]Friendships & Rivalries[/b][/color][/h3][/center]
Allies:[list]
[*]Iao, Archon of War
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Rivals:[list]
[*]
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[center][h3][color=CornflowerBlue][b]Loyalty[/b][/color][/h3][/center]
	COUNT OF CADAVERS, ORCHESTRATOR OF ORPHANS, MARQUIS DE MURDER, IAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOO!!!

[center][h3][color=CornflowerBlue][b]Personality & Drive[/b][/color][/h3][/center]
	[b]Openness to experience[/b] - Mild. Errocas will entertain a wide range of methods at his disposal to achieve results, even if they would be controversial or otherwise nefarious. He has an intense appreciation for art, emotional experiences and romanticism. On the other hand, total euphoria is kept in check by the rigors of a Stromist lifestyle and training.

	[b]Conscientiousness[/b] - High. Errocas tends to be efficient and organized in his duties as Exarch. He is steady and unrelenting in his pursuit of personal goals. He is particular about the way his possessions are organized, how he writes his letters, how he commands men, and countless minor trivialities. His study of Stromism has instilled him with self-discipline over his body and mind, though this sometimes gives way to stronger bouts of emotion. 

	[b]Extraversion[/b] - High. Errocas is assertive in his interactions with others, seeking dominance above his peers. This desire likely stems from a sense of contention with Iao’s other children; in which Errocas feels he competes for the appreciation of his father and the Empire. His position within Severen’s hierarchy, as well as his reputation nourishes his need for approval. 

	[b]Agreeableness[/b] - Low. Few would use “compassionate” to describe the Scourge of Atar. Errocas does not seek friendship, nor require cooperation. He has earned the ire of many an Imperial officer: “usurping” command of soldiers on unofficial business, disregarding protocol, “blatant disregard” for the well-being of personnel, etc. At the same time, he is feared for his Stromist aptitude and ruthlessness. Errocas makes no attempt to reconcile past grievances. He is, however, popular among the regular soldiery, often fighting among them on the front lines rather than commanding from a post. He embodies the saying, "If you want a thing done well, do it yourself." 

	[b]Neuroticism[/b] - High. Errocas is emotionally impulsive; easily agitated and excited. He responds poorly to criticism and negative stimuli, and will try to challenge, or match perceived slights instead of ignoring them. On the other hand, his accomplishments are a source of pride, and he is easily moved by things of great beauty. 

[center][h3][color=CornflowerBlue][b]History[/b][/color][/h3][/center]
	Errocas is among the many sons Archon Iao sired prior to falling into his slumber. He is the only son Iao had with the Graeling princess, Dagnija. He was conceived very early in the Empire’s Northern Conquest. Dagnija’s tribe was among those that chose to submit willingly, and its warriors were some of the first Nordheimer auxiliaries to be fielded by the Empire. 
	Errocas’s tutelage as a youth was left to numerous instructors, generals and scholars close to Iao, a roster without regularity on a constant campaign trail. As such, his cycle of teachers gave him advice both redundant and conflicting, much to his irritation. Errocas’s older brothers Ai and Jericho became something of mentors to him outside the lectures, providing him with an opportunity to shed his frustration in sparring. They taught him the nuances of swordplay, how to fight and when to run. And when he lost, they didn’t let him forget it. 
	Between the two, Errocas favored Jericho’s brash, to-the-point attitude. In him, Errocas learned about the world the way things [i]were[/i], not an idealized vision of how they [i]should be[/i]. Jericho confided to him what it meant to “be a man.” His disappearance during the climax of the Northern Campaign’s last siege hurt Errocas deeply.
	Ai, on the other hand was seen as the ‘model child’ of the Northern Campaign. He was everything Errocas felt he could not be, and he envied him for it. Whereas Jericho laid bare the core truth, no matter how ugly, Ai found a way to romanticize his perspective, a “positive spin.” Ai was the untouchable standard, and Errocas developed an emotional distance from his brother.
	Iao fell into his slumber when Errocas was twelve years of age, one year after Jericho’s disappearance. At twenty years of age, Ai took on his father’s former responsibilities, administrating Severen and keeping the Nordheimer under control. For the next several years, Errocas stayed with his mother and continued his tutelage. This, he thought, was a waste of his potential. Without the routine presence of Iao to guide him, Errocas needed to find his own direction in the web of Imperial hierarchy. As soon as he learned all his mentors could teach, he left for the frontlines in the North.
	Errocas’s first taste of combat came at age fifteen, under Ai’s Stromist Vanguard. Errocas’s unit was stationed at the fringes of Aesling territory, tasked with putting down separatist revolts and stamping out the Aeslings’ bloody religious practices. On the campaign trail, Errocas befriended Stolas, a soldier not terribly older than himself. Stolas’s brash, to-the-point mannerisms reminded him of Jericho, and they became fast friends in short time. 
	The sights the Vanguard came across during its foray in the North were harrowing. Many ruined settlements bore signs of looting and slaughter; worse still, evidence of blood magic. They found mass graves of whole communities bled dry, idols to the dark gods draped with entrails and painted in gore. The closer to Aesling lands they ventured, the worse it got. 
	The Stromists finally met them in battle in a night raid, orchestrated to disrupt one of their despicable rituals and eliminate a local sect of Bloodfathers. Errocas killed his first man that night, buried his sword hilt-deep in the chest of a howling Nordheimer. The raid was by-and-large a success. Two Bloodfathers had been slain and a sizeable entourage of Aesling warriors went with them. However, Stolas and a few others were lost in the fighting, presumed dead or captured for a profane purpose. 
	Errocas lamented the loss of his friend after the battle, and many of the men were frustrated with Ai’s order not to pursue. He deemed it too dangerous to march into the heart of Aesling lands with so small a contingent. The unit had accomplished what it set out to do. This did not sit well with Errocas, and when a handful of men rumored they’d act on their own to free their comrades, he joined them willingly.
	The band of rogues snuck out from camp the night after the raid, determined to avenge or save whoever they’d left behind. When they’d reached the Aesling campground, they were mortified by what they saw. The mutilated remains of their companions, including Stolas, were cast up on pikes, hanging from banners, burning on pyres and thrown onto altars. With hatred in their hearts, they descended upon the Aeslings, still asleep and drunk on mead and blood-stupor. The Stromists turned the place into a charnel house, sparing neither the young nor the fairer sex. Errocas’s bodycount nearly matched his age that night. Beyond the experience of campaigning, drills, fighting and killing, the expedition taught him how to hate.
	As years passed, Errocas rose to prominence as a Vanguard commander. Each year, he grew more and more distant from his brother, Ai. His orders were to be followed, certainly. But he never gave his sibling the pleasure of reading them to the letter. It would be at his discretion how he got things done. As Errocas’s position of command rose to prominence, so did his penchant for brutality. He gave independent Nordheimer a simple offer: Join the Empire or die. He made examples of tribes that refused and avenged insults tenfold. His actions would earn him the moniker, “Scourge of Atar.”
     
[center][h3][color=CornflowerBlue][b]Armaments[/b][/color][/h3][/center]
	[b]The Dustblade[/b] - A longsword of black steel enchanted with the power to turn its victims to dust. When the blade cleaves flesh, it spreads a magical infection, causing the body to crumble. The infection is proportional to the bodily damage done (a small nick will only shed the flesh on the surrounding area, while driving the sword through an abdomen will cause a rapid deterioration of the body). When enough damage is sustained, the body crumbles, leaving only a pile of clothing, armor or whatever else was on their person. What becomes of their soul, or essence, is unknown. Only beings of exceptional power, such as Archons or Exarches, have the chance to resist this fate.  

[center][h3][color=CornflowerBlue][b]Abilities[/b][/color][/h3][/center]
	[b]Stromism[/b] - See Goldeagle’s description:
[hider=Stromism]Stromism is a unique discipline that is difficult to acquire without proper training by experienced Stromists, and even then to master it is a rarity, as it does not have a completion bracket and is always improving.

Stromism in simple terms is the creation of a perfect body, perfect mind, and a perfect unity between the two to create the means to perform feats otherwise deemed supernatural or magical. A true Stromist can not only pull from his own source of body, mind, and spirit but also from his ancestors and relatives, calling forth their passed strength to increase their own, or speed, mental capacity, and so on. Some extreme Stromists, such as in the case of Iao, even have a mental link with their living family and not just the dead.

Some notable and common feats of the stromist is body enhancement to help leap incredible distances, lift unliftable objects, create massive amounts of will and restraint, call forth the spirit to enchant your weapon, and even add force to your own voice. Some Stromists can even grant their own power to another, or even in extreme cases call forth fallen Stromist ancestors to fight side by side as a shade.

A Stromist shies away from dulling their senses and therefore tends to not drink alcohol or take substances. However, a classic Stromist exercise is to attempt to heal one's own wounds or strains through sheer will, to which the masters even succeed, having taken such tedious control over every inch of body, mind and soul. This perfect control over perfect balance couples with the ability to absorb and release further powers allows for a wide variety of enhancements, making the options near limitless in regards to the body, spirit and mind. A great example (albeit one not attained by anyone else as of yet) is Iao’s own warrior’s slumber, in which he does not hunger, thirst, or age, and while fast asleep, he is completely aware of his surroundings at all times and in complete control of himself.

A fun side effect of Stromism is that as an added bonus to your own discipline, you can also gain extra power from the cumulative generations of Stromists in your family before you, as they are able to grant your their own Stromist spirit and strength. This leads to many specialized Stromist soldiers painting thanks to their ancestors on their shields.[/hider]
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