Name: Lord Zane of Lychbaen
Titles/Honorifics: The Black Wolf, Lord of the Werewolves, the King’s Dog (insult)
Age: 27
Origin: Albion, a small country similar to England, save for they remained under anglo-saxon feudal law. The country is ruled by King Charles the Third, and the country’s chief export is war. The noble houses earn vast wealth by aiding other countries in struggles, using the poor as their weapons.
Profession: Knight
Hobby: It might seem strange, but Zane finds training enjoyable enough to do it as his hobby. When his body is too fatigued to train, he hones his mind by exploring texts on warfare and similar documents.
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Strengths: Zane is an expert soldier, and a fierce fighter. Even those who hate him cannot refute his prowess in battle. In addition to this, he is an expert strategist, able to attain victory where others would only find death. He is loyal to the men under his command, and his unit, named the Werewolves, was regarded as one of the most elite fighting forces in the world.
Weaknesses: Though his skills on land are numerous, his ability is almost non-existent when it comes to the seas, getting seasick almost as soon as he sets foot on a ship. In addition, his academic ability lies solely in the art of warfare, making him weak on the political and diplomatic parts of his job. The loss of the Werewolves has also hit him hard, as he considered many of them equal to brothers. He is heavily reliant upon his guardian spirit, deferring more to its wisdom rather than his own.
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 124lbs
Build: Muscular but slender, relying on skill rather than strength to fight.
Hair: Black
Eyes: Red
Skin: Caucasian
Handedness: Right
Scars: His body is covered in scars, mainly around his face and arms. A couple of large gashes are across his left eye, as if someone had clawed at it.
Tattoos: An ornate picture of a fox and wolf is upon his back.
Basic Description: If men are like sheep, then Zane is a wolf who is forced to fight other wolves. The nobility despise him because he is of low birth and has risen. The poor hate him because he serves the king. Yet the soldiers love him, as he is an uncompromising leader, who would defy the king himself to save his men.
Visual Description:
Disabilities: Left Eye missing
Primary Outfit: black plate mail, with a helm designed to resemble a wolf’s head. He also has a cloak made of wolf fur upon his back.
Secondary Outfit: A pair of black breeches
Most Prized Possession (Material Value): His longsword, Black Regalia
Most Prized Possession (Emotional Value): A carved effigy of a fox, from his home town.
Likes: Fighting, Strong Opponents, Learning
Dislikes: Alcohol, Politicians, Nobility
Purpose: Zane and his Werewolves were sent to the east to aid the J, though this was a ruse to get him killed. After being shipwrecked of the coast of Mahoushima, Zane and his remaining men have but one goal. Avenge their fallen comrades.
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Relationship: Single
Family: Orphan, parents unknown, Darrack (sworn brother), Zamuri (sworn brother), Zel (sworn sister), the Werewolves (sworn brothers, mostly deceased)
Primary Weapon: [Black Regalia] – [Sword] – [A longsword made from the same dark metal as his armour. The hilt of his sword is coated in gold trim, and has a pattern similar to a couple of fighting.]
Secondary Weapon: [Morning Glory & Evening Splendour] – [Dual Blades] – [Morning Glory is a golden blade with sapphire ornamentation, and Evening Splendour is a silver blade with ruby ornamentation.]
Range: [Wolf Fang Crossbow] – [Gun] – [An ornate crossbow made from ivory and grey steel. It fires bolts, which have become more scarce in the era of the gun, as a flintlock rifle is easier to use and a bow is a more skilled weapon. Despite their rarity of ammo, the crossbow doesn’t require gunpowder which makes up for its lack of power.]
Guardian Spirit: [Ryteb] – [Fox] – [Fire] – [A cheeky spirit, one of the 22 guardian spirits that were in thrall to Alfred, the first king of Albion. Ryteb is known as a trickster who loves to play pranks on people, but has actually been protecting the Black Regalia for all that time.] – [Major Arcana- The Magician] – [The guardian is able to speak, and shares his vast knowledge with his host.]
Character Story: Zane was born into poverty, with not even a name to call his own. Barely a year after his birth, the local noble came through on an extensive ‘recruiting drive’, but the town refused, as they had suffered too many of these over the past year. Showing the absolute power of the nobility, his town was erased for the disobedience, and as a warning to anyone else who dared question the nobility.
The young child survived under the pile of corpses, the soldiers mistaking his slumbering form for a corpse. For a time, he survived off the corpses of the town, the soldiers of the noble having taken all other food. It was a testament to the young warrior’s luck, as well as his strength, that he managed to make it even to the age of five.
It is said that strife breeds growth, and no where was that more apparent than with Zane. Though he was but five, his body was of a youth of ten. It was then he attracted the attention of the wolves which roamed the forests around his homeland. Instead of fleeing, something inside made him challenge the wolves. The fight was without witness, but according to Zane it was the hardest he had ever faced. Were it again not for his luck, this would probably have been the end of this tale. As it was, Zane still lost his left eye in the encounter.
Fortunately for the sake of our story, Zane was rescued by the guardian spirit known as Ryteb. For these unknown woods housed a most precious treasure, the blade of King Alfred the Great himself – Black Regalia. Even though near 700 years had passed since its forging, the blade was still sharp, awaiting a warrior who could bring legend to the name. And after watching the child grow, Ryteb had decided that he should be the one to wield such a blade.
After scaring off the wolves, the fox appeared before Zane, and offered him protection in exchange for being his pupil. The child, graciously, accepted, and received his name.
Over the coming years, Ryteb didn’t just train Zane to be a mere soldier, but a Commander of men. The wolves who once threatened him were brought under his thrall, and made to be a staple of his Werewolves until the present day. By the time he was but fifteen, he already had a thousand men under his command. It was believed that he was going to rebel against the nobility and free the people. Then the opposite occurred.
Travelling to the capital, he swore fealty to the king, in exchange for lands and a title. He was named Lord of Lychbaen, a small village of no real value to the nobility. Via his training regime, and Ryteb’s knowledge, Lychbaen and the Werewolves became a sight to behold. Many of the nobles were jealous of Lychbaen, but were too afraid of Zane’s military might. By the time he was 25, even the king was starting to be wary of the threat the force proposed. So they planned a ruse to get him killed. Zane was ordered to sail to Japan, to aid in the war, but in actuality they had sent a message to the Japanese saying that Zane had gone rogue and was planning to attack them.
The Japanese attacked Zane’s ship of the coast of Mahoushima. Lacking any form of skill in naval combat, the Werewolves were all but eradicated. It was only by the quick thinking of Zel, one of his lieutenants, that even twenty of them survived. Upon the shores of the island, the remains of the the Werewolves made a promise. They would avenge their fallen brothers or die trying.