Derrick V Blackheart
"Kill the men and burn their ship; I'll not have Demenian bootlickers on The Dread." - Derrick V Blackheart, King of Lower Lete
King (a.k.a. Derrick the Black, Derrick the Gatekeeper)
Physical Description
Derrick is a physically imposing man, tall, broad, and well muscled, though he's built up a gut as he's aged and taken to the physically undemanding role of King.
Derrick has a large, red scar from his ear to his jaw on the left side of his face that makes him look fearsome. The scar was "earned" in a fight with a Demenian when Derrick's crew boarded a Demenian galley on the Great River.
Mental characteristics
King Derrick V Blackheart can trace his ancestry back to the first clan of men to emerge from the Dragonspine Mountains in the north of Byanos; a group that came to be known as the Clan Redheart. It's a storied ancestry indeed and lays claim to the founding of the first kingdom of men, Lete, and the second, Lower Lete.
Derrick is the fifth of his name and came to power thirty years ago when his brother was swept over the railing of his frigate, The Dread, during a storm. Before ascending to the throne Derrick served as Prince-Admiral of the Lower Letian naval fleet and helped establish the first of its colonies on islands far to the southwest of Byanos.
Personality Characteristics
Derrick's sole motivation is to maintain the status and power of the Blackheart Dynasty. He comes from the main familial branch of the clan and is only the second King from the line to rule Lower Lete in two hundred and fifty years. It has always been a sore spot among the family, and Derrick is determined to secure the throne for as long as possible, even after his death.
Derrick hates Demenians in general, and Legionnaires in specific. The Empire is too young, too aggressive, and Vulcan Kerendas is not of noble blood. The mere existence of an Empire of Demenia is something Derrick takes as a personal slight.
Derrick is considered the most generous of the Blackheart kings in history. Taking care of the poor, sick,and infirm have been top priorities for him since he assumed the throne. This seems like altruism but it's not. He does it for two reasons: the happier the people are the less likely they are to rebel, and having the support of the people makes it harder to challenge his claim to the throne.
Rival (Important)
Towards Derrick V Blackheart
History
Blackheart and Kerendas have never met in person. The closest they've come is standing opposite each other on a battlefield, but both men have real grievances against the other for political slights, betrayals, and troubling behavior.
Relationship Reasoning
Derrick V Blackheart initially disliked Vulcan Kerendas because he considers the Emperor baseborn. The truth is that Kerendas was born to a minor noble family, and is categorically not baseborn. This relationship further soured during the Fenixian War For Independence when Kerendas beheaded many lords and knights from the Magi Republic for their role in the Massacre of Demenia. In Blackheart's eyes killing nobility is heinous because they are members of families with hereditary titles. Killing anyone from that family weakens its hold on those titles. Killing knights is heinous in its own right as they were merely upholding the oaths they swore and following the orders of their liege lords. Kerendas' expansionist ideals since becoming Emperor have only made the relationship worse.
The Emperor dislikes Blackheart because he sees the King as a lying warmonger. Several treaties over Demenian access to the ports of Karshé have been broken by Blackheart over the years and his armies constantly raid Demenian towns and settlements along their shared borded.
Year of Birth
4599 AS
-3468 Years old
Circumstances of Birth
Derrick was born during a hard, stormy sea, which is considered an ill omen.
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Tan, Weathered
Entry for WorldEmber 2019
Cover image:
by
SwordOfOmens
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