Appearance:


Name: Acerbus Invictus

Age: 18

Allegiance: Currently neutral, but most likely the Imperium after he graduates depending on the circumstance.

History (Optional):
"Instead of looking to the future for our resolve, we dwell on the impertinent shadows of the past. This brews into a concoction of repetition, where each of our previous mistakes return to haunt us, fervently... and even as I acknowledge this simple truth, I continue to make similar mistakes, out of nothing more than hubris and bitterness."

Ever since Acerbus was conceived, his parents believed one thing - he was going to die. At childbirth, Acerbus had some complications which suspended their caring beliefs for the youth. Sickly and frail, they did their best to try and ignore the child to avert growing close and succumbing to their emotions. The child ended up surviving the transition through their phase thanks to a few older siblings who had the heart to try and keep their younger brother from crossing over too early. The parents were in disbelief, and felt ashamed for abandoning the child when his terminal fate was averted. They secluded themselves from Acerbus, seldom talking to the boy after this detestable act. He had barely any guidance outside of his older siblings who took it upon themselves act as the mentors for most of his childhood

Acerbus is the second youngest out of five siblings; Valde, his oldest brother, and Laetitia, his only sister at the time took him under their wing, influencing him to the best of their abilities before the two parents managed to get over their guilt. The family (on their mothers side) heralds a legacy of having their children drafted into the branches of the Imperium; very seldom does one go off on their own destiny and even conclude to have a unique family birthright outside of the Imperium as in the end, someone will return back to the origin. The third oldest sibling, Croceus, was not especially fond of the new sibling, in due part that his survival caused their parents to procure some emotional grief. Two years after his birth, his younger sister, Novus, would be born.

As he grew up, the child was constantly blessed through teachings passed from older siblings who were set up to grow up quickly. As he procured these teachings, he had less than stellar interactions with other children in the Capital. Most of the times, he would exclude himself and not practice social interactions with other people. The two older children stressed that he spoke to the myriads of children encompassing, however he always retreated to his books, which would sometimes vanish into thin air only to appear later again.

Acerbus didn't make any new friends and was rather adverse to making new friends, outside of any family members. Most children called him a cliche nickname known as bookworm since he would always scurry away from any other person into some sort of book or article. The reason from this stemmed from how Croceus mistreated him, saying how he will never properly integrate into society and claimed that all the research in the world would not help him. With some determination, he began looking at certain books which exhibited some sorts of human behavior... of course, it was mainly a mix of fiction and nonfiction.

It wasn't until his parents finally decided to attempt to reconcile with Acerbus when he was eight in an attempt to mend their relationship... this was easier for the father since he was not a part of the Knights of Ragnarok, rather, their mother who is a part of the Judicial Division. While their interactions allowed the boy to raise his confidence a bit, his brother would tear it down again, little by little out of nothing more than petty irritation. While he still struggled to make any friends, Acerbus managed to make small talk before fleeing the vicinity... that was a start, but he ended up focusing more on his schooling, slightly nullifying the encouragement.

Of course, the eldest brother and sister would continue to evaluate him and give him words of encouragement, but ended up spending more time with their allies and school work. Acerbus grew lonely once more and began isolating himself once more. However, at the age of ten when he was reading a fictional story, his sibling, Novus, interrupted him, quizzing the bespectacled boy what he was doing. This lead down a path of swift, gut punching questions which lead to Novus pleading the child to accompany her and friends on a little adventure. Of course, it took a bit before Acerbus was pressured into begrudgingly following her.

The young boy was... slightly surprised to see different people within differentiating age ranges. Acerbus was plenty sure that the youngest kid there was a seven year old with the eldest being three years above him. It felt... strange to him with all these unusual looks directed at him. It was rather uncomfortable having the limelight on him, especially since he was bad at interactions. Of course, he stumbled and struggled to get any audibility from his mouth, but began stumbling with "ums" and a simple "heh... heh... hell... heh, hell... o?" which sounded more like giggling from everyone's perspective.

Thankfully, a young "girl" broke the ice by introducing herself as Bellus. The young boys defenses were dropped, and he began blushing wildly out of embarrassment. Acerbus made a successful attempt at introducing himself, albeit a quiet one, as he stared at the solemn ground. The girl gave him a smile before catching him in a choke hold while laughing, saying it was a pleasure to meet him, giving him a noogie before releasing him and bouncing back to Novus. Befuddled, others began inquiring about Acerbus directly, distinctively learning that he was the one people called bookworm, along with being Novus' older brother. Of course, as he attempted to make a proper conversation with the others, he wasn't rushed or looked upon with any contempt. As he continued the conversation, he felt a surge of confidence as he began stuttering less and speaking more. It felt strange to him, but he really didn't talk much, but instead listened as the others began coming up with ideas and talking before they all ran off somewhere, together. At times, Acerbus interjected himself into the conversation, and was always met with a proper response.

Even though he kept to himself at times, he was comfortable, and became slightly sociable. Of course, Croceus would bully him from time to time, but as each day past, he was happy. Over time, they began learning more about each other... and the fact that Bellus was a guy who dressed up as a girl, or how another could conceive interesting structures merely from paper. The group had their quirks, but they were otherwise pleased with each other, despite some of their differences. They bonded and became close with each passing day as they expressed their thoughts and feelings into each discussion.

As the time passed, they each kept in contact with each other since they were traversing down different paths, some joining the Imperium after graduating while others went into the workforce to provide for the public. Acerbus' supposed destiny lied in attending the academies in hopes of joining the Imperium... maybe. While in school, he was constantly subjected to torment by Croceus (per usual), who was a well off third year that was most likely to be drafted into the Asgard division. From what he recalled, Valde was put into the military division, while Laetitia was chosen to join the ranks of Yggdrasil. With what little allies he made, he was put off in his brothers shadow, always compared to his siblings as always lacking behind, little more than a shadow. This would of effected his mental stability quite effectively, but he was always encouraged by his remaining friends.

Of course, Acerbus, with support from what he had was able to display skills which would make the Invictus bloodline proud. In an ironic twist, at the end of his first year, people began comparing him to Croceus and how the bold judge was lacking in some areas. It was tough for him to compete with others, and the praises were a bit nonfactual. For the most part, he struggled in a few areas and was forced to labor more than others to revel in the same results. Of course, Acerbus breezed through his second year quite effectively, making himself appear to others as a prime candidate for each of the divisions within the Knights of Ragnarok.

This is his final year before he was to be evaluated for a division which he would be drafted into. He displayed impeccable skills for each division, which was commented on by some acquaintances and friends. While he was lacking in confidence, he was reassured by most of them who commented that he would be fine. With lingering doubts on his mind, Acerbus could only ponder on if his abilities were at the top of his class, still doubting himself along the way. Maybe this was his calling, maybe this feeling was his internal desires telling him to seek another destiny. Either way, in the end it would all depend on this final year.

"... who am I really trying to impress here?"

Personality: Cold, aloof, you name it - this kid is the embodiment of it. Acerbus is a hardworking student who sees that his task is properly completed and that he is right on target when it comes to his studies. He is not one to joke around when in a serious matter as he will shoot your mouth off (figuratively) when trying to make light of a somber situation. Acerbus will put studying and training above social interactions, however is not adverse to speaking with others.

Moreover, he is rather quiet and displays some sort of happiness when indulging in a book or spending time with others. Acerbus isn't one to speak much during a conversation, usually commenting or interjecting his presence when necessary. This doesn't identify him as anti-social, as he fits the mold of being the more watching ally when it comes to being in groups. Of course, he does have a slight weakness for puns, and will attempt hiding a smirk if one does come around. Even so, he respects others in their destiny, finding that whatever they decide as their choice... unless it's a ruinous one, which he will discourage the person vehemently on.

However, even with these traits, Acerbus heralds a lingering doubt within himself, over his own abilities. While he does have the support of others, at times he feels like he is nothing more that a shade with weights strapped on. This stems from constant bullying from Croceus and others, which can lead him to sometimes seclude himself from other people. Moreover, he is a bit emotionally unstable. Hitting the right buttons with him can cause him to go berserk or break down at the flick of the wrist.

Moreover, he is also truly unsure of what he wants to do with his life. His family has an upheld legacy of always joining the ranks of the Imperium, but sometimes he feels there's another calling for him. With that, comes fears of judgement once more for his own decisions and how others will view Acerbus in the long run. He doesn't want to disappoint others or himself, but he just can't figure out his role in this world... it sometimes scares him. Either way, in the end, he hopes he makes the right decision, and with his third year, that factor may be coming to a close soon enough.

Acerbus heralds the power to decide his fate, but what will he do?

Tome (Color and Abilities):
The Forsaken Kismet

Originally starting off as a regular looking book with simplistic colors of violet embroidering along the edges with a darker shade of purple in the center with the words "Kismet" at the top, this tome eventually transformed into a being that was conjoined with his shadow. In this form, Acerbus' shadow is much more gloomy and can be very much reminded of dusk. At times, there is a flicker of his shadow, in which purple shades emanate before dying down, back into the shadow.

What this Tomes power is lending Acerbus' the abilities to manipulate the shadows at the snap of his hand. With this, he can use it to evade attacks or create items of interest from the shadows, allowing him to freely morph the silhouettes with his imagination. One of his basic abilities is melding into the shadows, disabling him from attacking opponents, but keeps him from being harmed in the process. This allows for him to pull off stealthy maneuvers, however there has to be some form of shade in the process, otherwise it is completely nullified. He has been questioned if he can take anyone into the shadows, and still does not have an answer since he won't risk it due to complications and the difficulty he had mastering the new "terrain."

The next power comes from the mind itself, which he can use his powers to "create" or "pull" things from the shadow. The shape can be of a person itself, or a weapon of interest his friends can use. All he can say is that it takes more time to solidify things in the shadow, and it's a true undertaking to make them act like living things. This allows for illusions and trickery, along with not having to pay for any weapons in the process. However, the shadows will fade over time, making their life fleeting in one realm. However, they can easily be brought back through another shadow. If the shadow is solidified, it can last longer than regular shades that a person can walk through. He can also use what looks like a glob of shadow in this form and hurl it at an enemy; the damage that is transferred relies on the belief of the giver and receiver. The more both sides see it as real, the more harm it can do.

Other: Some OOC info, I might work on some parts in the backstory to fix a few things I might consider holes... that's if I'm not lazy ofc xP
-It is very rare to see him without a book or some article in hand wherever he goes.
-He does not enjoy sweets that much, outside of cheesecakes which he will gleefully snack on.
-Acerbus has to work twice as hard in physical endeavors to get the same results as a regular person.
-He still has the nickname "Bookworm" in school, however, it's more associated with positive meanings now.
-Acerbus loves making and drinking tea more than anything - it's his favorite drink you know!
-With his new abilities, his favorite pastime (aside from reading) is playing with the shadows. Not only does it help fuel his imagination, but it can help him be creative when it comes to combat.