The Black Adder
Name
Thengil of Karmanjar, alias the Blackadder
Race
Human
Gender
Male
Age
600 years
Appearance
Thengil has a weathered and disheveled look to him. His grey hair and beard is unkempt, his sunkissed fair skin scarred and wrinkled, his eyes dark and sunken. He has a sinewy build, once well muscled and athletic, but shrivelled with age. The clothes and armor he wears, once rich and splendorous, is tattered and in disrepair. "Fallen from grace" is often the first words that comes to mind to an observer when asked to describe him. The one thing that still tells of his glorious past in his statuesque poise and stoic expression, an indication that, though fallen on hard times, there is still iron in the old man.
Personality
Thengil is a still and quiet man, prone to observation and introspection. He rarely acts on a whim, disliking rash action and mindless violence. Tempering this restraint is an iron willed disciplin, and once he has set his mind to something he rarely lets up, to the point of pig-headed stubborness. Thengil has developed a dark streak in his old age, not a defeatist but certainly pessimistic outlook on the world. There is a deep seated pain in his soul that cannot be mended, fueled by traumatic memories and losses. He still values honor highly, but hates himself for past deeds and choices, and thinks of himself a villain due for just punishment. These destructive feelings makes him look past the wrongdoings of others, or even himself, even though he knows he shouldn't. He tells himself that he doesn't care, that it's too late or too little, but this is a lie. Deep down the fire of his chivalrous ideals still burn, and his conscience gnaws at his guts.
Background
Thengil was born to a noble family in the fading city of Karmanjaka in the northern Westerlands. As the third son, he was destined for knighthood, not lordship. His childhood was joyful, surrounded by loving parents and close siblings. He was well-educated, mastering the skills of a knight and squiring under an uncle whose name is now forgotten. Thengil earned his spurs in his teens, ready for a life of duty.
From a young age, Thengil was plagued by strange, prophetic dreams and an uncanny sense of premonition. These visions set him apart, and one foretold a meeting with a man bearing a wyrm-emblazoned crest. Days later, he met Berondil Hiselion, emissary of the Roquen Lindwir—the Dragon Riders. Chosen by fate and paired with a dragon at birth, Thengil left his family forever to join their ancient, magical order.
The Roquen Lindwir trained him for decades, teaching both knightly and arcane arts. In his later years, he completed the order’s sacred blood-bond ritual, binding him to his dragon, Dunkelwirn, and extending his life unnaturally. For centuries, Thengil served, becoming a respected rider despite being the youngest during the rise of the White Tiger.
When trouble stirred in the realm, Thengil had a grim vision: his order would turn against the King and be annihilated. Sharing his vision, he was accused of treachery by the masters, who had foreseen a black snake—an omen of betrayal. Refusing to back down, he was banished on pain of death after five centuries of service.
Determined to save what he could, Thengil turned to King Tyronde, offering his allegiance to prevent the horrors of war. He brokered a promise: those Dragon Riders who surrendered would be spared, and the King’s armies would not march on the Boreals until Thengil's mission was complete. Thus, the Black Adder began his dark crusade against his former brothers.
Determined to prevent his vision from becoming reality, Thengil secretly reached out to trusted members of the Roquen Lindwir, urging them to see reason. A few, swayed by his conviction and their own doubts, joined his cause, forming a splinter faction bent on saving the order from its doomed path. Together, they sought to persuade the rest to lay down their arms and avoid a war against the King.
When diplomacy failed, the rift turned to violence. The two factions clashed in the icy peaks of the Boreals, a brutal battle of knights and dragons that shook the mountains themselves. Amid the chaos, Thengil faced Berondil, his old mentor, who accused him of betrayal. Thengil pleaded with him one last time, but when Berondil refused to yield, Thengil was forced to strike him down. The victory was bittersweet, as the splinter faction emerged victorious but gravely weakened.
Believing their struggle over, Thengil and his allies descended the mountains to negotiate peace with King Tyronde. Instead, they were met with treachery. Fearing the power of the surviving dragon riders, the King condemned them all as traitors. His armies attacked the battered remnants of the Roquen Lindwir, and the riders fought valiantly but were ultimately overpowered.
Thengil’s greatest agony came when Dunkelwirn, his closest companion and bondmate, fell in battle. The severing of their blood-bond left him shattered, but there was no time to grieve. Captured by the King’s forces, Thengil was delivered into the hands of the Warden, a cruel and cunning agent of the crown. Branded a traitor, he was cast into the Maw—the most infamous prison in the Westerlands, a place from which no soul had ever returned.
Talents
Thengil is both knight and scholar, a master of the blade and the quill. His decades of study have made him a repository of draconic lore, versed in the secrets of wyrms and their ancient bonds. Beyond his martial prowess, he wields arcane power with precision and skill. His talents include the ability to sense and influence thoughts through telepathy, command the unseen forces of telekinesis, and glimpse the threads of fate through premonition. These gifts, bestowed by the Roquen Lindwir’s ancient rites, make him a force both formidable and enigmatic.
Flaws
Thengil is a man burdened by the weight of his own choices, an old soul hollowed by centuries of loss and betrayal. He sees himself as a traitor, haunted by the faces of those he has slain and the trust he has broken. Bitter self-loathing festers within him, a poison that saps his resolve and clouds his judgment. Though he carries immense knowledge and power, his heart is a battlefield of regret, leaving him vulnerable to despair and the shadows of his past.
Equipment
His clothes and armor, tattered and worn from battle. He also carries a longsword forged from star-steel, a gift from Berondil on his inauguration to the order and his most treasured possession.
Miscellaneous
N/A
