A Closer Look
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"All Knights must bleed. Blood is the seal of our devotion."
― George R.R. Martin, A Feast for Crows
MARJAN
Masculine | Male | Macedonian
MALUM
Unisex | an evil, mischief, misfortune | Roman -
B a s i c s
◖BIRTH NAME◗
Marjan Malum.
◖NICKNAME◗
Aurora refers to him as Marj, while others like such things as 'bad apple', 'bad seed', 'evil', 'rotten', such, based on his name and the fact that he's a bastard. It never gets old and it never seems to stop.
◖BIRTH DATE◗
6th March.
◖AGE◗
26 years old.
◖ZODIAC◗
Pisces.
◖NATIONALITY◗
Niamman, presumably, but he has never been allowed to take on that label.
◖OCCUPATION◗
He's the personal royal knight of princess Aurora Clothilde Laferriere.
◖RESIDENCE◗
Niamma Castle.
◖RACE◗
Shur'tugal, but he presumes that he's human.
◖HEIGHT◗
1,8 m.
◖BODY TYPE◗
Athletic and well-defined, quite the beautiful body, which he hides away.
◖EYES◗
A deep, dark brown colour.
◖HAIR◗
Dark brown, curly, kept slightly long.
◖COMPLEXION◗
A warmer ivory tone.
◖TATTOOS◗
None.
◖SCARS◗
Plenty, he is basically covered in them, most faded by now though.
◖HANDEDNESS◗
Righthanded, but proficient with left as well.
◖SEXUALITY◗
He is homosexual.
◖RELATIONSHIP STATUS◗
He sleeps around, that's about how serious it gets. It will never amount to more anyway.
◖STRENGTHS◗
His swordsmanship and physical capabilities, but his calm nature is certainly also a strength in most situations; he can keep his head calm even in the worst situations, he's intelligent and quick on his feet and his thoughts, he's a general strong character who never backs down, never gives up. His loyalty is immense and he will do anything for those he holds dear, no matter the cost.
◖WEAKNESSES◗
The fact that he is willing to go this far for others is surely a weakness; he will gladly throw himself into death for others, but does not expect the same in return. His value of himself in the greater scheme is his weakness, the necessity to belong, how he clings to his title, the only thing he has ever earned. He is willing to suffer ― if that's necessary, if that's how far he has to go to protect those he holds dear. He has been taught to lead and make his own decisions, yet at the same time that he is nothing all of his life, and that has left a mark.
◖LIKES◗
He likes training, staying physical, armour and swords, horseback riding, being outside ― but also beautiful fabrics and embroidery, colours of all kinds to dress himself in (and undress from), the movements of the court, music and dance, though preferably with Aurora, the most important person in his life, surely.
◖DISLIKES◗
Though he has grown used to it, he still dislikes the relentless bullying because of his heritage, he hates always being looked down upon by the king and the crown prince, those long glances and the whispers of the court, the rumours they so eagerly spread. He hates being left alone, he hates being left on the outside, all that was taken from him, even if he has grown to understand it.
◖FACECLAIM◗
Orlando Bloom.
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B a c k g r o u n d
"I'd rather have a heart of gold
Than all the treasure of the world."
― Ana Claudia Antunes, Memoirs of An Amazon
The royal knight
Who dreamed of blue blood and nobility
________________
Marjan Malum was found near the river of the Niamma Castle by the Queen Mother while on a walk with her guards. Instead of sending him to a local orphanage, she decided to take him in, as if something was calling her to keep him and take her in. So for the first 7 years of his life, he had it all. He had siblings and a loving mother, even a father who seemed to accept him, even if he was never allowed to actually carry the same name as then. It didn't matter, because his mother protected him and he was never truly made aware, branded a miracle instead of a mistake. He was a prince, roaming the grounds as one and no one ever questioned it, at least not in front of the young boy. That all changed when the Queen Mother died and the king made it clear that the only thing that kept him from tossing him out with the trash was his wife. In her memory, he decided not to kick him out, but he stripped him of the life he had once had. No longer a sibling, he was enlisted to become a knight, removed from his chamber, his guards taken away, his nannies revoked. Most of his former siblings still cared, but the true colours of especially the oldest brother ― now simply the crown prince ― came forth too. Suddenly, he was a 7-year-old bastard, not someone who had just lost his mother, the only mother he had ever known, simply to be told that he never had a mother and never would have. Grief was not an option and he just had to learn how to bury it, something seemingly possible for such a young kid.
All he had from that point was to train. And then there was Aurora, of course. The youngest of the royal siblings, someone he held like his own sister and someone he would have to protect, something he was told early on, that that would be his task. The training was brutal and he had an even worse time. Malum became an insult for the first time, a label of his bastard origins, no one to protect him this time. It wasn't easy, but the amount of times he was broken over and over again built him up to become strong, if not extremely emotionally distant to his past life as a prince ― longing for that in nothing but his dreams. At least he had Aura, with whom he grew up alongside, quickly growing to be not just princess and knight, but the closest of friends, siblings without being siblings, thick as thieves, always a game to play, everything shared between them, nothing kept hidden; besides that past. He grew up knowing her mother as his own and she never got to truly know her. It was just a comfort to have her and have something so close to her. At least he could then forget about where he used to belong, because with her he had something new, someone who was depending on him and the skills that he was taught, the only thing he carried of value thanks to the king who made sure to emphasise the fact that he would only amount to that and nothing else.
Marjan was never close to the king, not even when the queen was alive, but it worsened when she died. He might have been allowed to become a knight, but there was no doubt that the king wanted him to quit that too, putting him through the worst of the worst that he could even imagine. Training was far from regular, he was meant to be pushed so far that he couldn't take it anymore, yet that it still wouldn't kill him. It only made him more determined to keep working as hard as he could, if not for himself, then for Aurora at least. She knew what he was going through, she saw the scars when he came back from training, she'd even tend to some of his wounds if he chose to skip the infirmary simply to show that he was bigger than the task that almost killed him. At a certain point, he finished training, becoming a fully fledged knight, Aurora's private security to always stay by her side no matter the course, no matter where she would go ― because he knew she would eventually have to leave Niamma due to the politics of the kingdoms and how the king valued and moved his children, especially the daughters.
Marjan has been a knight for almost 10 years at this point. Though his training ended, it never truly stopped, it was just on his own premise, training himself, keeping it going, spending his days with that, the rest of the time at Aurora's side, adventures galore ― mostly involving men. As they were growing up, they briefly confused their close bond with love, and who would blame them? But as soon as they decided to fulfill this love, they quickly realised it to be nothing but platonic, a deep connection, soulmates beyond love, destined, but not as such. They soon realised that they had more of the same time than they first imagined and that they craved it just as much as the other, however difficult it was for both of them, for different reasons. At least they could help each other, especially knowing that one day they would have to leave it all behind, probably sooner than later. Instead of grieving what was to come, they enjoyed the times that were, even when her marriage to the king of Calor was announced. Nothing would stop them, even if he knew that he had a duty of brining her there safely, knowing how it would change their life so drastically ― and for the worse ― but he would have to carry through, prove that he could carry this sole title he had truly earned, while still supporting Aurora through it all no matter what, because if one thing mattered, it was her and always her.
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C o r e t r a i t s
"I have faced death this night, and I have called his bluff."
― Lucien LaCroix
○ A D E P T
adj. | adept
Having or showing exceptional knowledge, experience, or skill in a field of endeavour. Marjan is skilled and has always been able to learn quickly. He prides himself with his skill and it's a big part of his person and how he views himself. His person is the fact that he is a knight, that he is strong and so capable with his sword. He obtains knowledge easily and knows what to do, and if he is not like this, if he doesn't have this, he is nothing.○ L O Y A L
adj. | loy·al
Firm in one's allegiance to someone or something. Marjan is incredibly loyal. Not so much to Niamma as a kingdom, he doesn't blindly trust and support it, but he supports those close to him. His allegiance lies with them and no one else, and if he had to go against Niamma for them, he probably would. It is not easy to win his trust and loyalty, though, it doesn't extend to just anyone.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔○ L E V E L H E A D E D
adj. | lev·el·head·ed
Based on sound reasoning or information. Marjan has always been the one to keep his head leveled, to stay calm, and to move about in the best manner possible, both physically as well as diplomatically. He always has this kind of aura around him, one of calmness, as if he's always in control of the situation. He always has an eye on the situation around him, but he's calm and not obvious about it. He simply looks like he knows what he's doing at most times, someone to seek advice and guidance from, but most of all protection.○ L O N G I N G
adj. | long·ing
Strongly desiring especially for something unattainable. There has always been a huge part of Marjan that is intensely longing. He was once a prince, that was how he was brought up. Not to inherit, but to be part of something, to have siblings and parents, even with a tainted name, he belonged. But as that was taken away from him, it was replaced by something that was good, yet a simple band aid. He was allowed to stay, he was allowed to be with Aurora, but he also stayed closed to that which was taken away from him. He has always wanted more, knowing that he will never achieve more, accepting this, but still daydreaming about what could have been ― especially when he's alone, which is why he tries not to be. -
A b i l i t i e s
S H U R ' T U G A L
"The hunger of a dragon is slow to wake, but hard to sate."
― Ursula K. Le Guin
Marjan is, unbeknownst to him, a Shur'tugal, the dragonriders only of Niamma royal blood, a breed of humans and elves creating a race capable of riding and communicating with the most powerful creatures known to the kingdoms, dragons. While dragons are now extinct, the Shur'tugal were once considered some of the most powerful beings due to their control of these creatures that sparked fear in all kingdoms around them. Hubris hit them, though, as they chose to enslave the dragons rather than keep their promised agreement, which eventually became the death of the dragons and the end of their golden age; for dragons were never meant to be slaves, thus making them nothing but a myth.
|FIGHTING|
Marjan is first and foremost a knight. He has no knowledge of his true abilities and has been training to be a knight all of his life and holds that title and honour. He is physically great, immense capabilities and skills with the sword, having been pushed from a very young age, even beyond the training that the other Niamma knights have gone through. He is fast, both in movement and reaction, moves beautifully in a fight, born to be on the battlefield, he has been told.
|TELEPATPHY |
Once a rider has bonded with their dragon following a ritual of burning together with the egg of a dragon, they are able to communicate through telepathy, even over great distances. They can call on their dragon at any given time ― and their dragon will answer. The dragon is like a child to them, though even closer than a child could ever be to a parent.
|FIRE IMMUNITY|
Though Marjan has spent his entire life avoiding fire at all cost, he is immune to any damage that heat or fire would normally cause. He can easily survive the hottest fire and he will never feel the burning heat of the desert, he cannot he be damaged by heated weapons nor can he be marked by fire. Since this is commonly used to test if someone is of royal blood, a true Laferriere, the king has made sure that Marjan never got near it.
|HARNESSING FIRE|
While not a common trait for the dragonborn, Marjan is also capable of harnessing the fire, meaning that he can not only withstand it, but grab a hold of it, carry it with his hands, though only for a limited amount of time. While not harmful for a short amount of time, it will slowly tear him apart if he keeps a hold of it for too long, as it will heat up his core to a dangerous level, literally making him burn from the inside out.
|HIGH VALYRIAN|
Marjan's abilities with High Valyrian, the language of the dragons, is very limited. He was taught briefly by the queen during the years that she was alive and then the king forbade him from ever touching the language again. It is an old native tongue only spoken by the royal family and a few scholars to pass it on, otherwise forbidden to be learned by others, which is why he was never allowed when the queen was no longer in his life.
|DRAGON ARMOUR|
While all Shur'Tugal have special armour made for them with an ancient technique, Marjan has never received any by this method. The armour is designed to withstand the low temperatures of flying across the skies as well as the high temperatures of the dragon's breath, while also ensuring that you stay firmly seated on its back. As this armour is only made for the king's children, there was no reason for him to have one; not only is he not a child of the king, he is presumed not of royal blood. If you do not meet these criteria, it is otherwise punishable by death to practice.
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S i g n a t u r e
