Julius 'Jules' Ragnarson
(From the Dominic Deegan comic, well worth a read...)
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Loyalty: Erubescian (Grand?) Chancellor
Gift: Sound Manipulation Julius can hear conversations in a place normally out of earshot with clarity, can accentuate/minimise sound he himself makes although he is not completely immune to the effects e.g. silencing his movements would mess with his natural movement as his brain could not understand the oddity, enhancing sound overly much could temporarily deafen himself as much as it incapacitates others.
Description Julius is a young man and his face, studiously clean shaven and free of any marks or scars from illness, clearly shows his age. At first glance his resting expression is one of mild, open and innocent amusement; a welcoming face if ever there was one and invites those he converses with to open up and lower their guard. Julius' chestnut hair is thick and looks tightly controlled although there are hints as to its rebellious nature, the way his fringe pushes forwards and hangs on either side of his face speaks of a long battle for control resulting in a truce: the fringe may stay but is parted to the sides. He is what is described as boyishly handsome - his features never quite losing their youthful nature.
Most days Julius' attire is casual: suit trousers with a short-sleeved shirt and what could almost pass for a homespun jumper over the top and a long, trailing scarf wrapped around his neck. When the time calls for it he will pull out his suit and will be as respectable as the occasion demands it but he is not one to overdress on his everyday life; being underestimated is Julius' key weapon and his homely clothes and kind expression are tools in his arsenal to this end.
At all times he wears spectacles perched low on his nose and carries a walking stick, usually a plain wooden one he has crafted himself but has a more fashionable design of black wood and crystal to match his suit when attending formal events. His limp, to take weight off of his right leg, is barely noticeable and does not restrict him, it barely dents his speed when running and Julius may overplay his old injury to further his appearance of weakness at times.
Personality Although his kind facade is a fundamental part of Julius' political strategy it is not entirely false; his first instinct is to reach out to others but his second, and stronger, nature is to control his actions tightly to further his aims and protect himself. He is highly intellectual and intelligent, a quick wit who enjoys successful endeavours in the world of intrigue but not out of malice, merely a sense of victory. He has no time for those he deems useless and, most of all, revels in the company of kindred spirits with whom he can discuss deeply philosophy and other academic pursuits. His key personality flaw is snobbery when it comes to academia and looks down on those he believes to be dim-witted.
SkillsIntellectual - Julius is well read and intelligent. For some this is a virtue of their upbringing and, to some extent, Julius' own intellect will come down to his relatively wealthy background. It is certainly true that his vociferous appetite for the acquisition of learning was enabled by the extensive access to books and research made available to him by his father's library. However, it would be shortsighted to label him as merely a well-read academic. His mind works faster than most others, his wide knowledge despite his age employed creatively and precisely with that focused intellect and he is wise when it comes to people unlike others with this same quality, the two traits combining into a deadly and flexible method of thought.
Silver-tongued - His quick wit extends to his tongue and Julius can talk his way out and through nearly any confrontation, emerging not only unscathed but often in the good favours of a former aggressor. His amiable nature is in part to aid this although he has steely side when pushed and this juxtaposition can often unnerve others enough for him to manipulate their own way of thinking to swing around and match his own. His young age makes those more experienced in the art underestimate him and allows him to win them over.
Educated - It is not just in the academics that Julius has form when it comes to knowledge. His ability to learn from anything he reads, hears or sees just the once is formidable and he has a wide array of combat styles he can employ and some of these he even has experience with, practicing his favourites to make up for the minor slowness his injured leg provides.
WeaknessesInjured right leg - As a young boy Julius' leg was nearly crushed in an 'accident' that nearly took his life. Whether the attempt was aimed at him directly or missed his father is both unclear and also irrelevant, such events are to be expected in the upper echelons. As a result he has been left with a permanent limp and a mild weakness in his lower leg, the knee having never fully recovered. Day to day he can easily manage, with some small discomfort, a normal life although he supports himself with a walking stick to lessen the pain. Extended exercise can cause him severe pain, even with a brace, and he is slower than he might have been had he never been injured.
Snobbery - Try as he might Julius has a tendency to underestimate those he deems less clever than himself. While he acknowledges the rarity of his own intellect and is aware of his own weakness it is not something he can fully control or account for and often this oversight will come back to haunt him. It is not in his nature to openly mock people for the advantage he holds over them in this regard but may accidentally cause some slight embarrassment to others with his words.
Sound Manipulation - He is not in total control of his Gift and can accidentally eavesdrop on others. Normally this would not be a problem for the fact that it is mildly distracting, like trying to listen to two separate conversations at once. He has become used to the experience but it is not a constant phenomenon which can lead him to act oddly to those around him before realising it is his Gift acting up. He is also not immune to the effects of his own Gift when he actively employs it, the employing of sound amplification or nullification also affecting himself so it would be possible for him to rupture his own eardrums while trying to incapacitate another.
Brief HistoryBorn to an affluent father of the Chancellor echelon and a mother whose parents were amongst the lofty heights of the Lordship classes, Julius wanted for very little as a young boy. He was the only child, his mother unable to conceive after his own birth and often sickly after the experience before a premature death when he was reaching his early teens. As such his parents, and grandparents, showered him with gifts and attention, if not affection, and he received a highly sought after education.
His father was keen for the family to advance, especially after gaining a rare connection to such a high class family through his wife, and focused his ambition on Julius after his own efforts failed. This drive, and Julius' own ambitions, had him excelling in most anything he turned his hand to from almost the moment he could walk. Every moment was spent in the library, exercising, learning from his betters and Julius loved the lifestyle; to this day his adoration of learning new things has not faded.
An assassination attempt, presumably aimed his father, was foiled shortly after his mother's death but Julius narrowly avoided the aftermath when a careering vehicle collided with him and crushed his leg. After rehabilitation he functions normally but still suffers from bouts of pain and a constant ache in his right knee. After this Julius' father became paranoid and drew back from public life, inadvertently thrusting his young son out into the world of politics and intrigue.
When many might have failed, Julius thrived on his new responsibilities. He made a name for himself as someone who got things done and done well and even legally. By his early twenties he had enough connections to rise above his father's old rank, achieving that long held ambition they had shared although not in the way his parents had envisaged.
Now, he toys with the idea of further advancement although not for any real desire for power or wealth. He is bored and, his boyhood ambition largely achieved, is in search of a new dream; one that will challenge but in as comfortable and least dangerous manner as possible.
OtherJulius is a great lover of old fashioned board games, especially chess and more complex ones such as Risk. He prefers physical pieces to more modern, digital equivalents although he is no less proficient in the latter; the sensation of touch and the personal connection are simply more interactive and amiable to his sensibilities.
He also likes music although has no ability to play an instrument, from a lack of trying for the most part, and has tremendous respect for those skilled in the art regardless of style or genre.
