[RP Blitz] Long Live the King OOC

- Aleksina follows Markel down a hallway, he is a surprisingly fast runner. Aleksina relates him to a weasel. If she wasn't injured from the Keep, she would have been able to catch him pretty easily.
- She almost catches up to him and almost slices his head off but he ducks and doges it, her sword clangs against the stone wall. Maybe Magessa says something here
- The hall angles to the right, and her keen eyes notices people far off down the hall.
- She continues the chase, and shouts to Markel that if he rats out, he kills Magessa. This may cause him to falter
- Maybe he says "keep coming after me, let's test that!"
- She realizes this was a trap. Well, of course it was a trap, he couldn't do anything against her directly. She stops and tells Magessa to follow him. Magessa is confused because she also shouldn't follow him but Aleksina states the obvious: he is in love with her and she needs to use that to distract him. Mags is probably obviously opposed to this level of deception (if sound is cool with it)
- Aleksina: if we lose him and he gets to the king, we're all dead. She leaves before Magessa can respond
- Aleksina runs down a hall to the side, mentally keeping a note of around where she should be at relative to where Markel is.
- The hallway ends, and she has to slip through a door where there is a cook making some kind of slop meal. She has to sneak past this person, use of her sneaky skills.
- She enters a mess hall of some kind that is more open. No one's there, thankfully and she can use the cover of the mess hall to spy and see where Markel is. [Description of Markel and Magessa interacting with maybe some court guests who wanted to see the King]
- Magessa gets the court guests to leave and Markel tries to run for the king.
- Aleksina grabs him from the shadows, blade to his throat. Tells him if he shouts, he's dead.
- Markel immediately tries to plead with Magessa. Collab w/ sound here.
- Aleksina, done with Magessa's indecisiveness, slits Markel's throat and condemns Magessa.
- "I thought the King would have made a true assassin out of you. Why did he even keep you by his side all those years--" and she finally realizes that the King cares for Magessa. Maybe Mags says that the King cares for her just like she cares for him, but Aleksina realizes that the King cared for her because they were kin.
- "Your old life is dead! Everyone you cared for have made their choice. Don't let your blood pool with theirs."
- Onward to the king.

Name: Samaan Mosi
Age: 35
Gender/Pronouns: Male, he/him
Faction: Loyalist (Secret Skeptic)
Birthplace: Vediatha
Role: Soundwave High Sorcerer of Ebony Keep

Appearance: Samaan is prettier than he ought to be for someone confined to Ebony Keep. He has a strong jaw, thick black hair, a well-kept short beard, and warm, russet brown skin. Broad-shouldered and athletic from years of being a runner, he stands an inch taller than his wife, Ludivine. He carries himself in an unassuming manner for someone capable of deafening someone for good, and wears a near-constant resting smile.
Personality: Unironically, Samaan is a very good listener. He learned to be affable, but his people-pleasing tendencies shaped a mask he only drops for Ludivine. Outwardly, he is confident, charismatic, and kind. While still the latter, he is far more insecure than he projects, and suffers from chronic overthinking. Always doubting, he finds himself passive more often than not: letting himself be told what to do, rather than deciding on his own. It's this malleable temperament that resulted in his Loyalist devotion before Ludivine slowly chipped away at it. Still torn between loyalties, his heart lies with Ludivine while his obligations tie him to the crown.

Core Motivation: Samaan was sent to Ebody from Vediatha as a young man. King Rhys explicitly requested a soundwave mage for Ebony Keep, seeking a hardcore loyalist to fit the role. For most of Samaan's career, he fit the bill. Only since meeting Ludivine have his doubts crept into his loyalty to the king. Now, he finds his desire for the kingdom's flourishing dimmed, and more than ever, all he wants is Ludivine's well-being. And, even more worryingly, he's actually considering what life might look like if he wasn't contracted in servitude to the King. Unfortunately, he can't imagine a workaround, because he can't fathom breaking the law himself.

Backstory: Samaan was born within Vediatha's walls, and for the longest time, knew nothing else. His experience in the school was sheltered and mostly positive. Leaving for Ebony was his first time away from home, following a promising job opportunity with support from his family. It was cushy, and a good challenge. He enjoyed being stretched in his skills and growing in excellence in their use. He wasn't, however, expecting to meet anyone in Ebony with a job so exclusive. Ludavine was the happy surprise he wasn't expecting, and being married to her was the happiest five years of his life, until she got caught. Now, he can't help but feel inescapable guilt for not being able to protect her more than he already has. Pleading for imprisonment instead of execution was already a reach, only allowed because of their marriage. Anything more, and he'd be suspected of treason, too. He still can't help but wonder if he should do something worthy of treason -- but if he falls into prison with Ludivine, he can't protect her. Thus, unending pain and pining between prison bars instead.

Name: Ludivine Mosi
Age: 34
Gender/Pronouns: Female, she/her
Faction: Skeptic, Former Loyalist
Birthplace: Ebony

Appearance: Ludivine has always been described as graceful, lithe, and beautiful. She holds herself with poise and knows how to pull up an appeasing smile, but it's practiced after being in the king's pocket. She has a soft, youthful face and has always stood out due to her height — a full 6 feet with a lean frame. She's quick, but not strong, as her practice has always been honed on her magic more than her physicality. She has deep umber skin, brown eyes, and has side-swept cornrows, braiding her hair back in a sleek, protective hairstyle. Her braids reach her middle back. Before her imprisonment, she wore many fitted jewel-toned suits, dazzlingly embellished with beads, woven patterns, and metallic inlays. That was her go-to for meetings in the palace with the king's inner circle, but when capturing dissidents, she would wear darker clothing that was unremarkable and inconspicuous. Caught and convicted in the latter, she now wears a faded purple tunic, a fitted black vest, dark pants, and well-weathered knee-high boots.

Personality: Ludivine is a woman of great discipline and conviction. Once she makes up her mind, she is not easily swayed. With the mind of a strategist and an empathetic core, Ludivine has spent most of her life quietly fighting not to compromise her integrity. She's discerning of people's true intentions and has a way of cutting to the core of an issue with concise, sincere honesty. It's a divisive trait: people love or hate that she sees through their masks, but she's careful to reveal what she sees or not. But she always takes note. She deeply values harmony, but also values truth. Sometimes the two are in contention with one another, and she's forced to choose.

She's learned how to navigate the world of kingdom politics, especially as it relates to magic use. Being a minority with enviable abilities, she knows she's a priceless resource to those around her, and can be commodified as such. Because of this, she leverages her abilities, but also her kindness and affability, working to make herself as appealing, helpful, and nonthreatening as possible. That is, of course, far from the reality: because she knows full well how to use her magic for harm. With an easy smile and a warm presence, she makes people feel safe, even if they aren't, in her presence.

Since becoming imprisoned and having nothing left to lose-- nothing aside from the huge part of her life that is Samaan, of course-- she's become more outspoken than usual, finally able to speak her mind about the tyranny she's witnessed. What are they going to do, throw her in prison? It's mostly for cathartic purposes, however, and she's very much in control of choosing between when to get something off her chest and when to switch back to her unassuming mask for tactical reasons.

What're They in For: She was imprisoned when the king discovered she was using her magic behind his back to sneak dissidents she deemed innocent out of Ebony. Accused of being traitorous to the Loyalists, she was stripped of her title, her reputation, and lost all trust with King Rhys.

Her original agreement with the king was to discreetly use her magic to make people disappear that he wanted out of his city. With her skills, she would easily sneak up on them, subdue them, and bring them to Ebony Keep where they'd spend the rest of their days hidden, and as the king hoped, forgotten. Unfortunately for King Rhys, very early on she saw the truth behind his schemes: his paranoia caused him to target people undeserving of a lifetime in prison. Often, it was simply outspoken skeptics. People who posed no real threat. So, she did what she could to curb the damage, and where she was supposed to catch some of them... she let the harmless ones go, when she could get away with it. Sometimes, she even worked ahead of the curve, and sought out dissidents before they were discovered, helping them get out of the city or stay hidden. All in all, she grew to resent Rhys' iron grip on Ebony, his paranoia, and his resistance to change. Naturally, when she was discovered, she lost all goodwill she had with the King. But for her, it was finally mutual.

Core Motivation: Ludivine wants to escape Ebony with her husband more than anything, but she and her husband can never escape the King's grasp as long as he lives. Contracted to the crown, Samaan cannot leave his role if he tried. At least, not without facing a fate worse than hers.

Backstory: Ludivine was born into the 0.05% as a light sorcerer. Her abilities were discovered early on when she was five. She was the firstborn to a family of tradesmen in Ebony, and her parents, who were tailors (and law-abiding), reported her abilities to the monarchy. Shortly thereafter, she was heavily monitored by the crown until the age of sixteen, when she was then sent off to Vediatha. She spent the next nine years learning in their school of magic, where she endured intense training that pushed her to her limits, expanded her capacity, and produced one of the strongest light sorcerers in the kingdom. Proud of their prodigy, Vediatha sent her back to Ebony with glowing remarks for the King to employ her as he pleased. Now 25, she was expecting a cushy job lighting the palace, but was surprised when her skills were instead used to silence anyone who broke the status quo.

Needless to say, she became disillusioned. The handsome, bright, respected king she remembered from her childhood had become a shell of his former self and glory. Paranoia had eaten away at him, and she couldn't long bear the brunt of his compromise, never mind being the hands of it. As the secrets ate away at her and she began scheming behind Rhys' back, she was surprised to find love in the unlikeliest of places: Ebony Keep.

Working closely with the keep meant brushing shoulders with their staff, namely their Warden, and keep security. Falling in love with Samaan, the Soundwave High Sorcerer who watched over its halls (or rather, listened), was a slow burn. For years, they built friendship. First, as aquaintences, then friends, then something more. They found solace in one another, holding the same secrets and the same pains around them. Eventually, she confided in Samaan, exposing herself and the people she'd saved. To her relief and surprise, he was happy to look the other way and believed in her cause.

A year later, they were married. She was 29, he was 30, and for five years, they were a dynamic duo in Ebony Keep, respected and well-liked. That was, until Markel (a coworker and fellow nabber of dissidents) caught Ludivine in the act of letting a dissident go free. For all their love, even Samaan couldn't protect her from the punishment that came down from the king. The only thing he was able to spare her was death: she was instead put in the Keep, for life.

Thrown into prison and monitored by her beloved, Ludivine sees no future so long as Rhys holds the crown, because as long as he lives, he holds her fate and, more importantly, the fate of her husband in his hands.

Name: Aleksina Viscretia
Age: 32
Gender/Pronouns: She/her
Faction: Rogue Kindling Assassin
Birthplace: Naru

Appearance: Aleksina's skin is that of the summer dunes, glistening under harsh sunlight. In the shadows, her skin becomes far less fair, and obsidian freckles show themselves under her granite eyes, her gaze as unmoving as the stone. Her hair is sleek and thin, its midnight strands coiled tightly back into a bun. Otherwise, it falls to her shoulder blades. She has a cleft chin. She stands at 5'3 when her back isn't slanted forward, which is not often. Her body doesn't show signs of physicality, but she has hardened muscles underneath her unassuming build, built for endurance. She wears gray undergarments with a black cloak donned on her shoulders. The cloak has a hood. She wears pouches belted around both arms, both thighs, and her waist, for containing her tools of the trade. Underneath her clothes, she has several scars criss-crossing her back.

Personality: Aleksina hasn't let herself feel in a long, long time. In that emptiness, she has let rage take over. She is determined and stonehearted. She is driven and single-minded. Her mind races but she knows her goals. She isn't good on failure, and the rage fuels when something unforeseen and unexpected happens. She laughs when she's angry, and bitter remarks are her favorite thing. She can be persuasive when she puts her mind to it, and she is a smooth talker, if she doesn't let her emotions get in the way. She can be intense and off-putting, and is reluctant to let things go or let go of control, because she feels it is the only way she can get things to go her way. She has little reason to trust because everyone in her life abandoned her or used her, and she views people the same way. She will use people to get what she wants.

What're They in For: Aleksina started a protest in the town square of King Rhys, where several other people joined in. They were all arrested and their public execution is being promptly scheduled. That puts Aleksina right where she wants to be.

Core Motivation: Aleksina, despite herself, believes in something better, and believes that there has to be something better. If it has to take a world-shattering prophecy, then so be it. Anything's better than what's going on now.

Backstory: Aleksina grew up in a poor family in Naru, where she had to learn hard work at an early age. She was the youngest of six siblings, and with too many mouths to feed for too long, eventually things got so dire that, when a cunning businessman swept through the town with empty promises and large pockets, Aleksina and her two younger siblings were sold off to the man for a pretty penny. Aleksina doesn't remember his name, only that he called himself Hatman. She gathered that wasn't actually his name, but nobody ever mentioned anything other than that. Maybe it was for a reason, so she couldn't get back to him and slice his throat open in his sleep.

Hatman was a brutal person behind closed doors and an enthusiastic people pleaser when company was present. His tongue worked fast, and his brain worked faster. He was always in meetings in the mornings, and he would force Aleksina and her brothers to do brutal grunt work while he was busy. Then, in the evenings, he would teach them. Arithmetic, reading, writing, the different native languages of Blitzia, philosophy, secrecy, politics, how things ran, how things actually ran, and how to kill. Hatman was ruthless, an evil person, but there was something about him that was sincerely passionate about making sure Aleksina and her brothers were raised right, or at least what he deemed was right.

When her brothers both turned twenty, Hatman sent them on a mission to Eider Isle. Missions were common for them as soon as they were old enough to go on their own. None of them ever thought about betraying Hatman, even though they all hated him. Her brothers never broke, not like she did. They were stalwart in their duties and did whatever Hatman ordered them. But, when they turned twenty, they were sent to Eider Isle and never returned. That was what broke Aleksina. She tried to be as strong as her brothers were, but after they left and didn't come back, she couldn't do it anymore. Hatman, of course, was infuriated by this predicament. He beat her to the brink of death, let her recover, tried to force her to do his bidding, and when she wouldn't, he did it again. This happened for weeks, until he realized she was no longer valuable to him and he tossed her to the streets, leaving her in the dumps of the back alleys of Onyx. She was twenty, beaten and broken, barely clinging to life when she was found by the Kindlings, who nursed her back to health and offered her an ultimatum: join their ranks or go back to the streets. Aleksina knew who they were, and she knew her only option was to join. So she did. Through the next decade, she climbed the ranks of the Kindlings and eventually even began to believe what they were spitting out: that there could be a better future if they were the ones to push forth the prophecy by ousting Rhys and putting his sister on the throne.

But, really, she wanted to find out what happened to her brothers. So, she took a mission to go to Eider Isle, to the mining operations to try and rally people to the Kindling cause (as its popularity within the city of Onyx had stalled over the recent years). She joined the mining operation, but was never able to figure out what happened to them. The security within the mines were far too severe and caught her before she could investigate further, and she was flayed publicly and sent away from Eider Isle, as a message to the Kindlings and their Queen that they wouldn't ever be welcome on the island. With that, something hardened within Aleksina. On her journey, she saw how many people were jaded about the prophecy, and how even the Kindlings weren't favored amongst the public. For many, the prophecy wasn't something of good omens, but of disaster and too much change to their simple lives. Combined with how long she had been a part of the Kindlings with no movement on the prophecy --there was a lot of talk and no action over the years-- Aleksina lost faith in the Kindling mission. She thought less of their intricate plans and silly machinations on how to get it done, and thought it was all pointless. She was trained from a young age that people who talk too much do so because they couldn't get things done. So, she took it upon herself to get things done.

Name: Magessa Cezria
Age: 25
Gender/Pronouns: Female, she/her
Faction: Publicly Loyalist, technically. Privately Skeptic-leaning. She does not trust the prophecy, or anyone eager to appease the crown.
Birthplace: Ebony

Appearance: She is slight and narrow-framed, standing around 5'7, with a dancer's restless grace and the practiced posture of someone who is always on edge. Magessa has dark, curling hair that is usually worn messily cropped or tied back with ribbons stolen from better-dressed courtiers, and sharp eyes that are, unfortunately, unmistakably familiar to the court. Her face is expressive by habit, quick to smile, but the humor rarely reaches her eyes when she is not performing. At court, Magessa is dressed in bright, clever excess: motley silks, embroidered sleeves, little silver bells, gloves with mismatched fingers, and a cap adorned with a mock crown of bent wire. Everywhere she goes, she carries a single bell hidden in the hem of her sleeve, which she claims is "for emergencies, funerals, and bad entrances." Since her imprisonment, most of the finery has been stripped away. The silks are gone, the bells taken, the wire crown confiscated, much to her dismay. What remains is a stained undershirt, torn trousers, and one ribbon tied stubbornly around her wrist. Even in the Keep, Magessa has a distant gleam in her eyes, suggesting that, in her mind, she is still somewhere in court.

Personality: Magessa is bright, observant, and almost incapable of leaving anyone alone. She speaks in jokes, deflections, riddles, and theatrical exaggerations, often turning any kind of silence into a performance. Years at court taught her that being entertaining was oftentimes safer - and more lucrative - than being honest, and being underestimated was safer than being understood. While being seen as the comedic relief, Magessa is quite emotionally evasive. She has been honing her talent at mimicry, especially voices and gestures, and can imitate noblemen, priests, guards, and even King Rhys himself. She notices everything: which courtiers laugh too loudly at their own jokes, which guards favor one leg, the little things. Beneath the wit, though, she is angry and deeply lonely. She craves recognition but is terrified of what being recognized might entail, especially with her proximity to the crown. Magessa has spent years of her life being looked at and very little of it being seen; she tends to put herself in situations where she can run before she has to confront her own wants. Despite all of this, she is not cruel by nature. Her jokes may be sharp, but they are rarely careless. Magessa is more likely to aim upward at nobles, soldiers, or anyone who mistakes their power for virtue.

What're They in For: She was arrested for sedition and treason after making a joke during a Loyalist banquet. The gathering was meant to be a show of unity between nobles, military officials, and wealthy supporters all assembled beneath the King's roof to reaffirm their faith in Rhys and his efforts to prevent the apocalypse. The prophecy had been read aloud more than once that evening, and Magessa, who had been drinking a bit too much, waited until the room had gone silent before bowing low before the King and saying, "Royal exchange? How generous of His Majesty. I was beginning to think he would never acknowledge his spare change." The joke lasted only a moment before the laughter soured. Magessa herself is not sure whether the King ordered her imprisonment out of rage, fear, shame, or protection. She hates that she still wants to know, despite the terrible conditions of the Keep.

Core Motivation: First of all, Magessa wants to get out of Ebony Keep. She has no grand desire to bring a Golden Age to Blitzia, or to rule at all. In fact, the thought horrifies her. She has seen too much of court life to believe that the crown improves anyone who wears it. What she wants, at least at first, is survival and distance. She wants to reach somewhere like The Reach, where outlaws and dissidents vanish into green fields and no one cares whether she's a court fool. More primarily, Magessa wants answers. She wants to know who her mother truly was, why she has always been so surrounded by nobility. What keeps her going is spite, curiosity, and the terrifying possibility that her life might belong to her if she can get far enough away from Ebony. She does not believe in the prophecy, but she does believe in what people are willing to do because of it.

Backstory: Magessa was born in Ebony to Celiane Cezria, a court performer known for her singing voice. Celiane was not noble, but she moved comfortably through noble spaces, often performing at banquets and private gatherings. Magessa never knew her father, as no name was officially recorded on her birth certificate. Unofficially, the palace had many guesses, and most of them became dangerous once Magessa understood that some things are better left unsaid.

After Celiane died, Magessa was not sent away, though many expected her to be. Instead, she remained in the palace, raised in the liminal spaces between servant's quarters, rehearsal rooms, and corridors no nobles were permitted to be using. She learned quickly that there were two courts in Ebony: the polished one, and the one beneath it, made of laundresses, cooks, musicians, scribes, and other exhausted figures who knew more about the kingdom than the royals did. By adolescense, Magessa was taken into the court's circle of entertainers and eventually became one of Ebony's favored fools. As tensions became impossible to ignore, Magessa's position grew more precarious. Whispers of Skeptics began to flow through the halls of the court, mostly in the hurried gawking of older noblemen, and Magessa knew that her life in the court may have been threatened at its foundation. Now, in Ebony Keep, she carries a lifetime of palace secrets in her head. For once, her survival could depend on making herself useful to people who have no reason to trust a royal fool.

Character created by candyhearts

Name: Markel Severance
Age: 32
Gender/Pronouns: Male, he/him
Faction: Loyalist
Birthplace: Ebony
Role: Fetcher of the Keep

Appearance: Markel has harsh, sharp features, pale skin, a gaunt face, and rigid, upright posture. He's of average strength, but a little underweight, and tends to dress unassumingly but fashionably. His resting expression is rather sad, despite him not particularly feeling so most of the time.

Personality: Markel has always been considered a little slimy, but it's what makes him a good Fetcher. He "fetches" dissidents and criminals, usually through persuasion and entrapment rather than force. He's proud, observant, excellent at deduction, deft at deception, and quick witted. He's an excellent investigator with a sharp memory. He is nothing if he cannot prove a point: he will never attempt to without evidence.

Markel has worked for Ebony Keep almost a decade now, and he's built a reputation for himself as the shadowy hand of the king, making people disappear. If he's investigating you, though, you'll never know until it's too late.

Things of Note: Markel investigated Ludivine for a long time before he collected enough evidence to present to the Warden to legitimize her imprisonment. He's a patient creature.

As a Fetcher, apart from catching and capturing criminals and dissidents for the Keep, he often ends up being an errand boy between the King and the Warden. "Fetching" messages as a liason.

Name: Darim Kee
Age: 28
Gender/Pronouns: Male, he/him
Faction: Loyalist
Birthplace: Ebony
Role: The New Court Jester

Appearance: Darim stands around 6'1, broad-shouldered and lean,. He has dark blond hair usually worn neatly tied back, a strong jaw, and cool gray eyes that rarely give away more than he intends. There is a scar cutting through one eyebrow, faint enough to be hidden beneath stage paint but obvious when his face is bare. His court costume is precise and rather polished. His jester's attire is solely deep blues, blacks, and narrow slashes of white. His bells are small and deliberately simple, stitched into his cuffs and collar. He wears fitted gloves, reinforced boots, and a cape embroidered with a mockery of a fool's pattern, though anyone looking closely would notice the hidden padding beneath his clothes and the thin blade concealed at his side.
Personality: He is disciplined, dry-humored, and very difficult to reason with. He is not without wit, but his wit is often delivered so flatly that people are not sure whether they are meant to laugh. He believes in order above one's comfort and duty above his own personal feelings. To Darim, Ebony's cruelty is unfortunate but necessary if the kingdom is facing apocalypse. He dislikes needless brutality, but he is very good at convincing himself that very little brutality is needless. Darim is, however, quite the fan of highbrow art. He has very expensive tastes and considers them evidence of his refinement. He has a habit of dismissing popular entertainment as crude and can be insufferably condescending when discussing culture. To everyone's annoyance, he rarely misses an opportunity to demonstrate how much more sophisticated his tastes are.
Relationships: Darim doubles as the new court jester, but he is also the king's bodyguard. He is seen accompanying the king at all times. Darim knew Magessa long before her fall. Their families were famous court performers: Darim's father and Magessa's mother performed together as a beloved musical duo, the sort of inseparable act where people could never fathom one without the other. However, despite their shared upbringing, their political differences were enough to create a wall between the two of them. Darim believes that Magessa is too reckless to be kept alive, especially as she poses a threat to the safety of the crown.

Name: Stefan Grayske
Age: 19
Gender/Pronouns: he/him
Faction: Loyalist
Birthplace: Naru
Role: Prison Guard / Aleksina's "Ally"

Appearance: Stefan stands at around 5'11 and his body is extremely built, with years of training to be a guard. He has moppy dirty blonde hair that he doesn't really take care of, and puffy eyebags and swollen looking cheeks that always makes him look sad and like he just cried. He has pale skin that tanned over the years of working under the sun, and deep blue eyes that glitter in the light.
Personality: Stefan is very much a follower. He followed in his father's footsteps of being a guard, who followed in his mother's footsteps of serving the King. Stefan apprenticed under a retired guard at the age of seven and worked to be the best guard he could be until he turned eighteen. Then he got a job as an Ebony Keep guard until he learned enough to become a Kingsguard. However, after one year of being a guard, he feels lost and not sure what to do with himself. He's not sure of himself and latches onto people who are sure of themselves. He meets Aleksina in a tavern whee she offers to help him with a better life, if only she could do him one small favor... get her to Level 5 of the Ebony Keep, in the cell with Ludivine and Magessa.
Relationships: No known relationships, but works as a guard in Ebony Keep.

Name: King Rhys Solomon
Age: 56
Gender/Pronouns: Male, he/him
Faction: Loyalist
Birthplace: Ebony
Role: King of Blitzia (Debated)

Appearance: The king has lived in the lap of luxury all of his life, but the stress of his reign has aged him significantly. His tawny brown skin is lined with wrinkles, especially where he furrows his brows, and his formerly black hair has gone white. He's of average stature, and though he eats well, a little thin, as paranoia has decreased his appetite more and more in recent years. Though lacking in a physically intimidating presence, he compensates with a severe expression, and his reputation precedes him. That, and he dresses the part: always clean, always polished, and clothed in only the finest robes with a crown he seldom takes off.
Personality: Rhys has always been described as intense. Focused, and born under the weight of responsibility, he's kept himself chronically busy. His paranoia has only worsened as the years drag on, and it shows in the severity of his rule.
Relationships: His only indulgence is kept hidden behind closed doors: to the public, he is devoted to his wife, Queen Myrra, and their son, Prince Nolan. His family, servants, and inner court, however, know of his infidelity. He's had many affairs, and kept every bastard child hidden and controlled in the walls of the palace.

His relationship with his younger half-sister, Aveline, has always been marked by tension and harm. His parents never accepted Aveline as their own (much like his treatment of his own children out of wedlock), and he's always seen her as a stain on their history. Her sees her plot to kill him as the result of a petty, long-standing grudge between them since childhood. But in his eyes, she's never been deserving of the crown, not just due to her muddied bloodline, but her overindulgence, selfishness, and immaturity. Needless to say, the king has failed at any meaningful self-reflection.