Heavy: The Steel Man

"She is... precious to me, yes."

Heavy was a steel man of Aelayeron and one of the protagonists of Almost Like Love. His journey with Sven Fernsby would see the pair traveling across the nation with the goal of meeting Suitalk: The All-Mother. (This article contains major spoilers for Almost Like Love & Still I Love)

APPEARANCE

by Awsm Chimera

As a steel man, Heavy was more-or-less the same fusion of metal, fibers, and magic that made up the rest of his siblings. At over 195cm in height, he stood over most grown Aelish and was an intimidating sight. Clad in the faded, broken iconography of House Calenvo, most people steered clear of him regardless if they knew what long and pained history his shawl's colour signaled.
Unlike his cousins of the other Houses, Heavy would neglect the upkeep of both his body and the armature fused to it following the Soft Defiance. By the Nineteenth Century, he'd find himself nearly completely exposed, though this seemed to bother him little.

"Uh, I- Er, oh my."
"I'm sorry; I don't normally cover my chest. I don't mean to offend you, Miss Charlotte."
"Oh, oh no-no-no, it's just- Well, you feel so- so... strange."

With a bow as deep as he could manage, he said softly, "Hello, Lady Suitalk. It is me, Heavy."
The woman reached out and lifted the steel man's chin. "So it is. You look terrible, dear."

Height

195cm/6'4

Weight

195kg/432lbs.

PERSONALITY

If a single word could be used to describe Heavy, it would likely be "complaisant." It wasn't in his nature to openly refuse others without sufficient reason. Heavy was a simple person and didn't mind going along with the desires of others. This made him easy to speak with, among other befriending qualities, but would also project an air of weakness onto the man. Those who were even vaguely aware of Heavy's past knew full-well this aspect of his character was further ingrained if not originating due to his time during the Soft Defiance; an inclination to avoid conflict and the pain it brought.
This wasn't to say Heavy was entirely helpless, however. He simply didn't see himself as anything to fuss over, willing to go so far as taking physical assaults without a thought. It was when others were involved did the vestiges of a once proud warrior reveal themselves; even centuries after abandoning his duties along the High Wall, Heavy couldn't help but step between the innocent and every cruelty the world brought unto them.
Heavy also saw the good in others, even those who couldn't do so with themselves. The sole reason he chose to travel with Sven came from a single conversation while the gunslinger was drunk.

"You are kind, Sven Fernsby; I saw that in you."

The steel man wasn't without his fair share of faults, however. Heavy wasn't one for going back on his decisions and this extended to his treatment of those in opposition to him. His time in the Soft Defiance hardened him into someone able to make quick and decisive actions so as to ensure enemies would not be afforded any chance to hurt the things he cared for.

"You are close to me, Sven. You are one I call 'brother.' But many others I called my family once shared the same place in my heart."

HISTORY & NOTABLE RELATIONSHIPS

The Roaring Silence

Heavy was born during the tail end of the age in which Aelayeron was under siege by swarms of Demons. For centuries, years of anxious lulls would be interrupted with the resurgence of the demonic scourge, always heralding the appearance of an Arch Demon. Overall, he'd look back upon this time as both horrifying yet nostalgic as it was when his earliest memories of camaraderie with his family of the steel men came to form.

The Soft Defiance

Although most history texts would focus on the 1501 "War of Roses," in actuality that was one small portion of a greater war those who lived atop the High Wall called "The Soft Defiance." Led by the steel man Pence, the conflict would consume the nation in a war so violent its scars would remain even well into The Nineteenth Century. Not only would the High Wall be damaged, but the steel men would be forever splintered and the Aelish Divinity broken.

"And then one day, Pence himself was seen walking towards Master Calenvo's Archives. Lady Suitalk was still in grief, as were we all, with her father's passing. Still, it was seeing Pence and the rest of those I once called family; it was seeing the way they carried themselves that I remember truly accepting the twisted reality we found ourselves in, yes.
It was horrifying, to see my cousin just as warm as I remembered him, yet brandishing the head of Lady Pollyanna on his lance."

Almost Like Love

Heavy would journey with a number of people he'd come to call friends and family, culminating in the arrival to Yilva City and a showdown with the outlaw High Voltage Varrick.

Notable Relationships

Ink Spot: Finding the infant xoti alone in Otiga Village, Heavy would take to becoming her adoptive father. Much of his life afterwards would be spent towards the goal of Ink Spot being able to grow up in safety and comfort. He would admit that he'd never felt quite as fond of anything as Ink Spot, understanding full-well the lengths he'd go to towards her protection extended to likely unreasonable lengths.
During Almost Like Love, Heavy would go so far as to take a brutal assault of malevolent aura from Suitalk, holding steadfast as his body was continuously burned.

"Please... Please do not ask for her, My Lady."
(Said to Suitalk after she insinuated the wish to keep the child as her own)

Sven Fernsby Sven was Heavy's closest friend and named Ink Spot's guardian should the steel man perish. The two would teach one-another many things and disagree on so many more in their time together. Sven in particular would learn the basics of older magic from Heavy such as the manipulation of his aura.

"You're afraid, aren't you, Sven?"

Heavy in-turn would come to understand the practicalities of rifle magic and how the seemingly obtuse spellcraft practiced by the modern Aelishman was by no means inferior to the techniques of ages past. This would culminate in Heavy gaining a full comprehension of his friend's fighting style and led to greater synergy with him.

Charlotte first encounters Heavy

Senator Charlotte Bozsca: Charlotte would encounter Heavy during the events of Almost Like Love, developing an infatuation with the steel man after mistakenly believing him to be a sort of romantic admirer of hers; this was primarily due to him repeating word-for-word the flowery descriptions her mother used just days prior.
The two would continue building their relationship through a near-constant series of miscommunications and erroneous assumptions about one-another's intentions until eventually becoming betrothed sometime after Almost Like Love.

"Oh. I wasn't aware you felt this way, but I will nevertheless respect your feelings and make the effort towards this relationship working. I accept your propsal of marriage, Miss Charlotte."
"[Quiet, whistling noise]"

ABILITIES & EQUIPMENT

As a steel man under House Calenvo, Heavy in particular was trained in the magecraft of restoration, most of his Miracles able to return things to a previous state of being, such as a reattaching a severed limb.
Saint Priscilla's Comfort: A smaller portion of Priscilla's story, it only has the power to slowly reverse any injury inflicted upon an object or person. However, unlike the full tale, this miracle is short enough to inscribe onto a talisman which allows one to continuously heal without considerable effort. If one is willing to wait months, they can restore nearly anything at their leisure.
Saint Priscilla's Dreaming Blade: The Dreaming Blade recounts Priscilla boldly walking before a greater Demon and splitting it cleanly in two with a sword of pure startlight. Each blade conjured looks a little different, shifting between every retelling as stories tend to do.
Iron Staff & Armour: Heavy's spell catalysts are both the plating attached to his flesh as well as his staff. However, due to him etching the stories of his miracles into these items, he foregoes the need to explicitly memorize the entirety of these tales for their full effects; essentially relying on faster, if less potent versions.
Pink Shawl & Closed Helm: As did the rest of his family, the steel men under Calenvo modeled their helmets to resemble their master. However, the colours they wore had been modified as they were originally black. After the birth of his youngest daughter and the discovery of the colour pink through her hair, Calenvo felt it appropriate and more pleasing to the eye to have their house in the same shade.