[sub]Where have all the good men gone
And where are all the gods?
Where's the streetwise Hercules
To fight the rising odds?
Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night I toss and I turn
And I dream of what I need

I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero till the end of the night
He's gotta be strong, and he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero till the morning light
He's gotta be sure, and it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life
Larger than life[/sub]

[hider=Hero (Murderer)]
[center][h1]Scourge of the Great Swamp[/h1]
[img]https://i.ibb.co/CV1Styj/image.png[/img]
[h3]Derrick Lowborn ● 24 ● He/Him[/h3][color=gray][sup]______________________________________[/sup][/color][/center][h3][sup][i]Appearance:[/i][/sup][/h3][indent]5'8, slender but athletic build, dark brown hair, pale skin, and sullen amber eyes. Wears a mixed set of armor emphasizing mobility and an assortment of dark, natural colors, perfect for skulking around wooded lands and underbrush as well as protecting against the rain. Also carries an assortment of different smaller weapons such as a hatchet, an arming sword, and a light pick. He most notably sports a black mask when hunting, made to protect himself from fungal spores and other inhaled threats common to his homeland. [url=https://i.ibb.co/9yCLFmL/image.png]Image for reference[/url]. [url=https://i.ibb.co/XFRJsQ5/image.png]Dos[/url].[/indent]
[h3][sup][i]Reputation:[/i][/sup][/h3][indent]A roaming, "ranger"-type mercenary. When one would ask about the "Scourge of the Great Swamp," one would receive a variety of different accounts, many of which are heavily exaggerated. One common theme is that he is a monster slayer of no small renown, a local legend to those living in the more remote regions of the Lowlands and a folk tale to others nearby. All of these accounts are unreliable, however, as he leaves just as fast as he arrives. Those who have traveled with him would describe him as rather reserved and quiet, a soft-spoken expert when consulted in matters he specializes in, and turning into "something else" in the throes of battle.[/indent]
[h3][sup][i]Reason for Traveling:[/i][/sup][/h3][indent]Simply put, Derrick wishes to become a hero. His mother, a powerful and infamous enchantress, had raised him for such a purpose, sending him off as soon as he came of age, having ingrained the young man with that aimless goal in mind. However, Derrick's opinion of "becoming a hero" is incomplete, as he believes this equates to seeking out stronger monsters and slaying them in battle. His current goals are to find such a monster, having grown unsatisfied with the "smaller" threats he normally faces.[/indent]
[h3][sup][i]Skills:[/i][/sup][/h3][indent]As expected of someone raised in the wilder regions of the Lowlands, Derrick is a skilled survivalist, with proficiency in hunting, tracking, gathering, and other skills expected of a Ranger. Derrick is also gifted in more clandestine acts, taking advantage of his smaller frame and his conformity with the woodlands of his home to hone his skills at hiding and moving silently. Derrick is also a skilled trapper, able to make rudimentary snares out of sticks and vines alone, and more deadly traps if given the proper time and resources. Due to being raised in the Indiga Great Swamp, he has a familiarity with many of its flora and fauna, taught to him by his mother.

That said, while Derrick is trained in many practical skills, his weakness is in magic, as he is incapable of using his mana or casting any spells due to a curse placed on him at a young age. To compensate, Derrick has honed his skills with weapons to a degree that rivals that of a trained knight, specializing in smaller arms to complement his role as a skirmisher. However, when compared to a warrior that has received formal training, Derrick's fighting style seems to be more vicious and destructive in nature. While a knight of similar skill would fight in order to "defeat" their opponent, Derrick fights in order to "annihilate" his opponent. In other words, a professional slaughterer. This method of combat shines fully when up against supernatural beings.[/indent]
[h3][sup][i][b]Meta[/b]:[/i][/sup][/h3][indent]For Derrick, I was looking to do something of a deconstruction of a folk hero, as well as the classic [i]Hero's Journey[/i] story, using elements from different classic legends (such as being raised by a powerful magic being, slaying monsters, etc.) and hopefully turning all of it over its head. The conclusion was an aloof young man who was raised with high expectations in mind and doing his best to accomplish them without really knowing the meaning behind them. That said, I do have a desire for Derrick to grow out his shell and hopefully learn that there is more to being a hero than slaying every single monster he comes across. Hopefully in the end, Derrick would have received proper rehabilitation from his dubious upbringing. Of course, I'm a fan of tragic endings as much as I am of happy ones, so we'll see what the story has in store in the future~ 

There are other, more secretive elements to Derrick's growth I already discussed with Yankee previously for the sake of narrative such as the curse that doesn't allow him to cast spells, but I can say that they may involve Derrick's witchy mother making an appearance, among other things. Hopefully the twists and turns I have planned aren't too obvious from the get-go... And of course, I do also want to have cool monster fights every now and then, as expected from those who know me.[/indent]
[h3][sup][i]Extra:[/i][/sup][/h3][indent][url=https://twitter.com/navigavi]Art Source[/url][/indent]
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