Kandar Lucus
Kandar Lucus Tiberosad Nervantonin, The Bastard
The Emperor of Kanda, known as The Kandar, is not chosen through some human process of complex bureaucracy; contrary to what the exceedingly parchmentwork based nature of the nation might imply.
Nor is the next Kandar decided by some antiquated method of monarchic succession or election. Instead, The Founders set down an eternal process that would magically decide who in the present ruling line would become the leader of The Empire.
The Force Of Kanda was created to, independent of anyone's will, decide the next to take upon himself the leadership of The Realm.
He who this great force falls upon SHALL be The Kandar! The Force Of Kanda does not only choose trueborn children, however...
It may fall to Any Blood Children...
Including, in this case, Bastards! For, So Long As One Is TRULY The Best Member Of The Nervantonin Line To Lead In A Just And Fair Command, The Force Of Kanda Shall Choose Him.
Lucus Tiberosad Nervantonin, Born From To A Leev's Daughter Living On The Outskirts Of The Core, Was That Such Member...
Nor is the next Kandar decided by some antiquated method of monarchic succession or election. Instead, The Founders set down an eternal process that would magically decide who in the present ruling line would become the leader of The Empire.
The Force Of Kanda was created to, independent of anyone's will, decide the next to take upon himself the leadership of The Realm.
He who this great force falls upon SHALL be The Kandar! The Force Of Kanda does not only choose trueborn children, however...
It may fall to Any Blood Children...
Including, in this case, Bastards! For, So Long As One Is TRULY The Best Member Of The Nervantonin Line To Lead In A Just And Fair Command, The Force Of Kanda Shall Choose Him.
Lucus Tiberosad Nervantonin, Born From To A Leev's Daughter Living On The Outskirts Of The Core, Was That Such Member...
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Kandar Lucus, typical of a dedicated military man, is still in the very best condition of his life; just over five and a half feet tall, broad in the shoulders with clearly visible muscle rippling over his body and next to nothing in the way of body fat!
The very picture of a classic Kandia with dark, curly hair, wide feet, deep olive colored skin, almond eyes, a prominent nose and a distinctly generalist body type, Lucus is the embodiment of classical western male beauty; the type of person that you see as an ancient statue from Rome.
Almost halfway from forty to fifty, Kandar Lucus is still youthful in appearance and possesses nothing in the way of wrinkles or stress lines; the only blemishes upon his body being a scar running horizontally across his right cheekbone and a scar that extends down the outside length of his left arm, both of which he received on the farm before The Force Of Kanda ever chose him!
Special abilities
The Force Of Kanda is so powerful and expansive that it needs its own article but, in possessing it, Kandar Lucus has the strength of all citizens of Kanda at his disposal!
The Kandar punches with the force of all Kandia fists!
He runs with the speed of all the legs of Kanda at once!
And he thinks with the hearts and minds of all great geniuses who call Kanda their home!
His physical power is directly proportionate to the size and health of the nation and he may call upon the abilities and resources of those within the Empire freely with but a snap of his fingers!
In the realm's time of greatest need, The Kandar may pool the power of all of Kanda's people into himself and unleash it upon The Empires Enemies all at at once! While this may seem like some sort of sweeping power that can do whatever Lucus wants, it is far more constrained than that!
While the Kandar may call upon the power of his people, he may only use their individual abilities directly if he knows of them!
If he is not aware of an individual with special powers, he will instead transfer their potential energy into mere strength of body rather than being bestowed with the faculties to perform their specific tricks!
However, upon understanding them and their abilities, Kandar Lucus may freely duplicate such powers so long as the individual in question is a Citizen Of Kanda! With durability sufficient to shrug off spears, swords, teeth, claws, fists, arrows and even explosions and lasers with unceremonious ease, Lucus also has the speed and agility to casually catch bullets or even deflect potent beams of light with a dismissive wave of his hand.
He can track objects moving beyond lightspeed and can even interrupt large area of effect spells and explosions by catching them before they go off and cupping his hands over them; the collective power of all of Kanda's population combined into one man letting him surpass the boundaries of ridiculousness and occasionally step into the realm of the strictly cartoonish!
It is hypothesized by some Primes that he might be able to punch out ICBM's in flight and digest uranium but these hypotheses are unreasonable in the best case scenarios... and nobody even knows where to get an intercontinental ballistic missile in Ta Mando so it's hardly worth considering! But his ability to wield the power of his subjects does not stop with only mortals!
For The Founders, summoned BY the gods to support the Earliest Kandia Refugees, were charged by those same Founders to uphold the Force Of Kanda henceforth in perpetuity!
So long as a deity belongs to the Divine Bureaucracy Of The Kandia Pantheonic System... they too are subordinate to The Kandar and their power devoted to fueling his own!
And, so far as Kandar Lucus actually KNOWS them... he may use their power as well!
Suitably The Kandar may easily bring thunderstorms upon his enemies, draw lines of sunlight down upon positions to catch them on fire, restrain his victims with literal chains composed of Law And Order and may even paint new entities into existence with the sweep of an ink brush!
Anything that he has seen personally, so long as it falls within his domain and is performed by a citizen of his realm, he may potentially reproduce with equal or greater power... for he does not merely mimic these amazing abilities...
He coopts them; taking them in full for his own use! Perhaps one ability NOT inspired by others... is the power that Lucus himself added to The Force Of Kanda!
Traditionally Kandaria have special guards and groups of highly ranked Leconia to protect them... for the mantle of Kandar is a singular one that stands outside of the military structure of the Empire.
However, Lucus realized that his power as the Kandar is more than great enough to construct his own special abilities.
For his loneliness and isolation had become so great that he required someone to stand at his side... to be the Leconis he had been raised to work alongside.
But nobody could possibly match his power...
None but himself!
And so Kandar Lucus spent the last twenty years perfecting the magic of duplication... so that he would be his own Leconis when nobody else could be!
While split apart, however, Kandar Lucus' power does not wane... rather it multiplies, as each copy of himself is able to call upon the exact same power of Kanda!
Able to watch his own back and produce up to five THOUSAND of himself at a time, nobody else in all of Kanda can claim the capacity to BE an entire Letanis all on their own!
That being said, this sort of division is incredibly stressful on the Kandar's mind and he cannot maintain being split into so many pieces for long.
Even still, when he does die... this power will integrate with The Force Of Kanda itself... for Lucus has spent decades ensuring that it is part of the very identity of The Kandar... to call upon all the deities of Kanda with the power to do so to immortalize this ability... that no Kandar EVER be alone and vulnerable again!
The Kandar punches with the force of all Kandia fists!
He runs with the speed of all the legs of Kanda at once!
And he thinks with the hearts and minds of all great geniuses who call Kanda their home!
His physical power is directly proportionate to the size and health of the nation and he may call upon the abilities and resources of those within the Empire freely with but a snap of his fingers!
In the realm's time of greatest need, The Kandar may pool the power of all of Kanda's people into himself and unleash it upon The Empires Enemies all at at once! While this may seem like some sort of sweeping power that can do whatever Lucus wants, it is far more constrained than that!
While the Kandar may call upon the power of his people, he may only use their individual abilities directly if he knows of them!
If he is not aware of an individual with special powers, he will instead transfer their potential energy into mere strength of body rather than being bestowed with the faculties to perform their specific tricks!
However, upon understanding them and their abilities, Kandar Lucus may freely duplicate such powers so long as the individual in question is a Citizen Of Kanda! With durability sufficient to shrug off spears, swords, teeth, claws, fists, arrows and even explosions and lasers with unceremonious ease, Lucus also has the speed and agility to casually catch bullets or even deflect potent beams of light with a dismissive wave of his hand.
He can track objects moving beyond lightspeed and can even interrupt large area of effect spells and explosions by catching them before they go off and cupping his hands over them; the collective power of all of Kanda's population combined into one man letting him surpass the boundaries of ridiculousness and occasionally step into the realm of the strictly cartoonish!
It is hypothesized by some Primes that he might be able to punch out ICBM's in flight and digest uranium but these hypotheses are unreasonable in the best case scenarios... and nobody even knows where to get an intercontinental ballistic missile in Ta Mando so it's hardly worth considering! But his ability to wield the power of his subjects does not stop with only mortals!
For The Founders, summoned BY the gods to support the Earliest Kandia Refugees, were charged by those same Founders to uphold the Force Of Kanda henceforth in perpetuity!
So long as a deity belongs to the Divine Bureaucracy Of The Kandia Pantheonic System... they too are subordinate to The Kandar and their power devoted to fueling his own!
And, so far as Kandar Lucus actually KNOWS them... he may use their power as well!
Suitably The Kandar may easily bring thunderstorms upon his enemies, draw lines of sunlight down upon positions to catch them on fire, restrain his victims with literal chains composed of Law And Order and may even paint new entities into existence with the sweep of an ink brush!
Anything that he has seen personally, so long as it falls within his domain and is performed by a citizen of his realm, he may potentially reproduce with equal or greater power... for he does not merely mimic these amazing abilities...
He coopts them; taking them in full for his own use! Perhaps one ability NOT inspired by others... is the power that Lucus himself added to The Force Of Kanda!
Traditionally Kandaria have special guards and groups of highly ranked Leconia to protect them... for the mantle of Kandar is a singular one that stands outside of the military structure of the Empire.
However, Lucus realized that his power as the Kandar is more than great enough to construct his own special abilities.
For his loneliness and isolation had become so great that he required someone to stand at his side... to be the Leconis he had been raised to work alongside.
But nobody could possibly match his power...
None but himself!
And so Kandar Lucus spent the last twenty years perfecting the magic of duplication... so that he would be his own Leconis when nobody else could be!
While split apart, however, Kandar Lucus' power does not wane... rather it multiplies, as each copy of himself is able to call upon the exact same power of Kanda!
Able to watch his own back and produce up to five THOUSAND of himself at a time, nobody else in all of Kanda can claim the capacity to BE an entire Letanis all on their own!
That being said, this sort of division is incredibly stressful on the Kandar's mind and he cannot maintain being split into so many pieces for long.
Even still, when he does die... this power will integrate with The Force Of Kanda itself... for Lucus has spent decades ensuring that it is part of the very identity of The Kandar... to call upon all the deities of Kanda with the power to do so to immortalize this ability... that no Kandar EVER be alone and vulnerable again!
Apparel & Accessories
While he used to love the finery of the capital, Lucus has long since lost taste for the glamor and majesty of Kandia Fashion and mostly wears basic red or white tunics around the city; often wandering among the people as one of them, unable to be told apart from the next Kandia with exception to his small but capable group of guards... and even then he may well simply be mistaken for any other aristocrat!
A fan of simplicity, Kandar Lucus often even eschews the glory of ceremonial armors and merits when speaking publicly and only dons the traditional Timbo of Kanda when attending Ta Thinal!
While most aristocrats and imperials are otherwise obsessed with fashion and accessorizing... Lucus could not care less for it and aims to dress as modestly as he can most of the time!
Specialized Equipment
The Force Of Kanda is not merely a power that gives one special abilities...
It also comes with a kit!
Similar to The Leconis Kit, The Armory Of The Kandar is a sort of interdimensional space from which Lucus can produce the ancestral kit of the first Leconia under The Father Of War!
Said to be the very arms and armor The Father Of War himself used in battle alongside his first disciples of the blade, Lucus may summon forth his armor and weapons at anytime, no matter where he may be! Composed of a spear, sword, shield and layered armor similar to what Leconia wear, The Armory Of The Kandar is said to hold the power to resist any attack and break through the strongest of all armors!
As it comes about a Kandar's form it also wreathes them in dread; intimidating those who do not follow his order into surrender!
Able to give him the power of flight, The Armory Of The Kandar does not simply pull Lucus about as so many spells will for magicians the world over, but instead propels him forward by way of magical energy pushing out from the armor itself; so potent is this thrust that it can kill people who stand too close. While the weapons of The Armory can be broken they cannot be eliminated entirely, as The Kandar may merely summon them back to his hand reformed... or even direct their fragments at his enemies with a mere gesture. While many rumors of The Armory Of The Kandar may be just that... idle rumors fueled by the gossip of those wishing for a world grander than what they live in... it is still a potent resource that Lucus is able to call upon at any time he so desires.
And even though he has only ever needed to call upon The Armory once he knows that it will always be available to him.
It also comes with a kit!
Similar to The Leconis Kit, The Armory Of The Kandar is a sort of interdimensional space from which Lucus can produce the ancestral kit of the first Leconia under The Father Of War!
Said to be the very arms and armor The Father Of War himself used in battle alongside his first disciples of the blade, Lucus may summon forth his armor and weapons at anytime, no matter where he may be! Composed of a spear, sword, shield and layered armor similar to what Leconia wear, The Armory Of The Kandar is said to hold the power to resist any attack and break through the strongest of all armors!
As it comes about a Kandar's form it also wreathes them in dread; intimidating those who do not follow his order into surrender!
Able to give him the power of flight, The Armory Of The Kandar does not simply pull Lucus about as so many spells will for magicians the world over, but instead propels him forward by way of magical energy pushing out from the armor itself; so potent is this thrust that it can kill people who stand too close. While the weapons of The Armory can be broken they cannot be eliminated entirely, as The Kandar may merely summon them back to his hand reformed... or even direct their fragments at his enemies with a mere gesture. While many rumors of The Armory Of The Kandar may be just that... idle rumors fueled by the gossip of those wishing for a world grander than what they live in... it is still a potent resource that Lucus is able to call upon at any time he so desires.
And even though he has only ever needed to call upon The Armory once he knows that it will always be available to him.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Like many, Lucus' story begins long before he was born... with the meeting of his parents.
Called forth to manage a dispute on the northern border, The Late Kandar Tiberos was coming back from the frontier and stopped in a small community on the outskirts of the Kandia Core.
Given a grand ceremony by the town and personally invited to stay at the manor of a well to do Sharleev overseeing the local festivities, Tiberos allowed himself more drink than usual and his eyes were caught by the Leev's youngest daughter Faustina; barely a woman grown and wildly starstruck by his regality and jovial manner. Teased along by wine and sweets, Tiberos could not resist Faustina's wiles and found himself sneaking out of the Manor in the middle of the night with the Leev's daughter; off to the lakeside cottage her father had built for her when she was just a little girl.
Suffice to say that the activities they partook in that night were most decidedly... not for little girls. While Tiberos stayed at the manor for a few more days it was only a matter of time before he had to leave; back to business.
However, unbeknownst to all, he left an informant in the area; as he'd grown unusually attached to Faustina in his short time there.
Still, despite his affections from afar, the two would never meet again. Nine months passed and Lucus was born strong and healthy.
Faustina prepared to travel to the Core to present him to The Kandar... but Tiberos' informant instead left her with money and goods to keep her quiet, The Kandar's foreign affairs spreading through the upper ranks of the Court and threatening his credibility.
Suffice to say, he did not need a bastard showing up at court claiming to be his own.
Disappointed but understanding, Faustina resigned to raising her baby boy on her own; thrust forth from her Father's home after finding that she was no longer a virgin for a good family marriage... and with a bastard child, no less. Faustina did the best she could and married a young Gumar that owned his land who didn't mind her previous attachments and treated her well!
Her new husband adopted Lucus as his own and they had two more children together; a boy named Alberos after his father and a girl named Faustina after her mother.
While life was hard and Lucus, as the eldest son, had much work to do and took responsibility for many things, he took to his duties with grace and fortitude; ever interested in helping maintain his family and community passionately, becoming a beloved figure with the locals for his compassion, charisma and compulsion to help those in need.
Hunger was a non-issue and his step-father was more than capable of providing Lucus with a proper education; as he had good grazing land upon which many strong cattle were bred. It was a humble life... but it was satisfying.
Lucus, having never known of his true father and having always had such a loving Step-Father, never thought to ask about his mother's teenage love affair.
It never even occured to him.
All that mattered was the simple, fulfilling life of farming; living alongside the animals and tending the land while his father taught him this and that about how to best get along with neighbors and superiors.
Eventually he supposed he would enter the military and, once done with his tenure, start his own family! His dreams of a simple life were dashed the day that the family home caught fire when he was ten and his step-father died getting them out.
For another year the family trudged on; the livestock and assets preserved and the Imperial Kensaria more than willing to allow them to retain the property until it was either inherited through military service or the Widow Faustina died.
Moreover, his father had earned some noteworthy merits during service and that extended to their care.
Lucus would receive an extended military education upon coming to age and would enter service with special marks and privilege afforded to him by his father's achievements!
They would be comfortable enough for the remainder of Faustina's life... it wasn't the end of the world. However, the light was gone from the household and, to make it worse, when Lucus was eleven Kandar Tiberos died. The nation was struck by a month of searching for the new Heir.
The Force Of Kanda had, so the common folk said, passed OUT of the Nervantonin Line!
SOME worried that, weakened by the transition, the Salvinia and Ducky Islanders would band together with the Northern Coldland Darobia and overthrow The Empire entirely!
Riots and looting broke out throughout the Core and independence movements sprouted upon the frontiers. Boasting that he had received the Force Of Kanda, Aldamos: Third Son of Tiberos arrived in Kanda Sentran from The Eldin Border and took the throne; though refused to publicly lift The Stone Of The Core, which every New Kandar must lift singlehandedly to prove their possession of The Force Of Kanda.
Only Faustina and Lucus understood what had truly transpired. Lucus had received The Force Of Kanda... and he alone had the right to lead The Empire.
Not yet understanding the true power at his disposal, Faustina brought Lucus into hiding. Fortunately the Informant that Tiberos had left to watch over Faustina had remained all those years; watching Lucus grow from The Shadows and slowly falling in love with his mother at a distance.
From time to time he would appear and leave her gifts, especially after the death of her husband.
Knowing the danger Lucus faced, the Informant revealed himself and got them to safety before the many bastards of Kandar Tiberos could be found and killed.
While nobody else could know yet... they alone understood that Aldamos was a pretender and knew how fake he was. Two years went by as Lucus trained under The Informant Primus and his hidden order; secret from even the Kandar himself.
The Force Of Kanda made Lucus strong, fast, enduring and heightened his ability to think clearly beyond the capability of humankind.
Even as his older brother Aldamos drove Kanda into a great war against Salvin and The Ducky Islands, impoverishing the nation, Lucus stayed in the shadows and avoided his brother's gaze. Already all of Tiberos' other bastards had been found and murdered...
Aldamos had even killed all but two of his trueborn brothers for fear that they might one day challenge his right to rule!
It was only a matter of time until the Imperial Assassins found him. When Lucus was thirteen, however, Primus could no longer hide them.
Faustina and Lucus awoke on his thirteenth birthday to find Primus begging them to get out, to run as far and fast as they could!
Their tiny cottage in the Entwi inland had been found and surrounded... there was nowhere to go.
The agents of Aldamos had found them... and they were actively burning the place down with Lucus and his family inside. Lucus, deciding there was nothing better he could do, burst from the cottage and destroyed the force sent to kill them.
He had learned already that he held the force of all Kandia citizens behind his every punch.
He had been taught that the the power of all suits of armor combined was dwarfed by his ability to resist the swords and spears of Kanda's enemies.
Even at thirteen he understood what that meant! Cowed by his power, his clear ownership of that which gave him the right to lead, many joined him...
Some fell to their knees and bowed before him! And to them he said...
"RISE!
I Am Not A King From A Foreign Land To Which You Shall Bow...
I Am A Citizen Of Kanda As Are You!
But You Have Followed A Man Who Cares NOT For Our Kinship!
He Would Have You Spill Kandia Blood... The Blood Of Kandia Children!
But Not I... No True Kandar Would Ask That Of His People!
And That Is Why He Is No True Kandar... But A Pretender!
For I Am The Kandar!
I Was Chosen By The Force Of Kanda!
And I Shall Gather My Forces, March On Kanda Sentran And Lift The Stone Of The Core Before Unseating This False Kandar Once And For All!" And so he did!
He marched from Entwi down through the Southern Bridge to Vastutos Marnus Lasuk and gathered forces in every Dogla through which he traveled!
Then, continuing to collect drips and drabs as he marched east and defeating numerous assaults by Aldamos' military leaders around Ta Geta, Lucus made his announcement to all!
The march would continue along the coast until they reached the Upper Core... Then Lucus would call out his half-brother and would challenge him to single combat.
No More Kandia Lives Needed Be Lost To This Civil War! During the new year, as Waking came on and the snows began to slowly melt, Lucus camped his men at The Seven Red Hills and waited; staring southward as he expected the armies of his Half-Brother in the distance.
His mother told him he was still growing and needed his rest...
He had not slept all night.
He politely told her that the people of Kanda slept for him... that their power kept him awake.
In just two and a half short years he had gone from simple farm boy to leader of men. Eventually his brother's forces did arrive... and Aldamos led them.
Having made dark promises to darker powers, Aldamos barely concealed his connections to the profane; Tuniswia surrounding him instead of Mysteria... foreign mercenaries as his guard instead of faithful Kandia Leconia...
He expected others to kneel and bow before him... and wore purple on the field instead of red as all fighting Kandia men on the expecting battle should.
Even the son of a Gumar like Lucus sneered at the decadence. "This is not the way of Kanda, Brother..." Lucus had told him when they met for the first time between the two forces. "You are a bastard and a child... and no brother of mine." He was told in return. "What would YOU know of the way of Kanda?" The two fought and their armies faced off against each other.
Though it was a fight that lasted days and saw tens of thousands of Kandia dead... in the end Lucus stood victorious over the broken remains of his half-brother Aldamos. Immediately the new Kandar lifted The Stone Of The Core to prove his birthright!
He pardoned all those involved with his brother's plots, released his remaining trueborn siblings from house arrest and assigned new officials to the highest ranks of his administration. Over the next ten years he went on to finish the wars that Aldamos had started; cutting Salvin in half, finally making peace with and annexing Ducky Island while seeing the Theocracy of Eldin close their borders entirely after the announcement of "A New Age Of Supremacy Under The One And Only God."
All was not completely stable but he had finished all of the wars his brother and father had started.
There was new land to settle, new communities to fortify and new people to incorporate into the Empire.
He would enter Kanda into an age of peace that would last twenty years. Over the course of the next two decades he traveled his Empire and ensured that there was no TRUE war; just small border skirmishes, peasant revolts and trade mishaps at first until eventually even those slowed down.
The most conflict was at the Eldin and Southernmost Borders... and nothing was new about that!
He built up, focused on consolidating his territory and reforming the system!
Times under him were stable, secure, prosperous, pious... and boring. Though the people loved him and lauded the great progress under his egalitarian reforms he found himself spending less time in Ta Thinal.
He knew better than any ruler that, in this era of peace and progress, he wasn't needed to oversee the people...
They could oversee themselves in such stable times. And that was good for a while... even as Lucus grew jaded and distant; ensuring that all of his people lived in a perfectly ordered society...
Safe...
Well Fed...
Well Cared For...
Boring... Until The Day He Received A Letter...
From Jonathan Mondragon...
The Maiden Of Health...!
Given a grand ceremony by the town and personally invited to stay at the manor of a well to do Sharleev overseeing the local festivities, Tiberos allowed himself more drink than usual and his eyes were caught by the Leev's youngest daughter Faustina; barely a woman grown and wildly starstruck by his regality and jovial manner. Teased along by wine and sweets, Tiberos could not resist Faustina's wiles and found himself sneaking out of the Manor in the middle of the night with the Leev's daughter; off to the lakeside cottage her father had built for her when she was just a little girl.
Suffice to say that the activities they partook in that night were most decidedly... not for little girls. While Tiberos stayed at the manor for a few more days it was only a matter of time before he had to leave; back to business.
However, unbeknownst to all, he left an informant in the area; as he'd grown unusually attached to Faustina in his short time there.
Still, despite his affections from afar, the two would never meet again. Nine months passed and Lucus was born strong and healthy.
Faustina prepared to travel to the Core to present him to The Kandar... but Tiberos' informant instead left her with money and goods to keep her quiet, The Kandar's foreign affairs spreading through the upper ranks of the Court and threatening his credibility.
Suffice to say, he did not need a bastard showing up at court claiming to be his own.
Disappointed but understanding, Faustina resigned to raising her baby boy on her own; thrust forth from her Father's home after finding that she was no longer a virgin for a good family marriage... and with a bastard child, no less. Faustina did the best she could and married a young Gumar that owned his land who didn't mind her previous attachments and treated her well!
Her new husband adopted Lucus as his own and they had two more children together; a boy named Alberos after his father and a girl named Faustina after her mother.
While life was hard and Lucus, as the eldest son, had much work to do and took responsibility for many things, he took to his duties with grace and fortitude; ever interested in helping maintain his family and community passionately, becoming a beloved figure with the locals for his compassion, charisma and compulsion to help those in need.
Hunger was a non-issue and his step-father was more than capable of providing Lucus with a proper education; as he had good grazing land upon which many strong cattle were bred. It was a humble life... but it was satisfying.
Lucus, having never known of his true father and having always had such a loving Step-Father, never thought to ask about his mother's teenage love affair.
It never even occured to him.
All that mattered was the simple, fulfilling life of farming; living alongside the animals and tending the land while his father taught him this and that about how to best get along with neighbors and superiors.
Eventually he supposed he would enter the military and, once done with his tenure, start his own family! His dreams of a simple life were dashed the day that the family home caught fire when he was ten and his step-father died getting them out.
For another year the family trudged on; the livestock and assets preserved and the Imperial Kensaria more than willing to allow them to retain the property until it was either inherited through military service or the Widow Faustina died.
Moreover, his father had earned some noteworthy merits during service and that extended to their care.
Lucus would receive an extended military education upon coming to age and would enter service with special marks and privilege afforded to him by his father's achievements!
They would be comfortable enough for the remainder of Faustina's life... it wasn't the end of the world. However, the light was gone from the household and, to make it worse, when Lucus was eleven Kandar Tiberos died. The nation was struck by a month of searching for the new Heir.
The Force Of Kanda had, so the common folk said, passed OUT of the Nervantonin Line!
SOME worried that, weakened by the transition, the Salvinia and Ducky Islanders would band together with the Northern Coldland Darobia and overthrow The Empire entirely!
Riots and looting broke out throughout the Core and independence movements sprouted upon the frontiers. Boasting that he had received the Force Of Kanda, Aldamos: Third Son of Tiberos arrived in Kanda Sentran from The Eldin Border and took the throne; though refused to publicly lift The Stone Of The Core, which every New Kandar must lift singlehandedly to prove their possession of The Force Of Kanda.
Only Faustina and Lucus understood what had truly transpired. Lucus had received The Force Of Kanda... and he alone had the right to lead The Empire.
Not yet understanding the true power at his disposal, Faustina brought Lucus into hiding. Fortunately the Informant that Tiberos had left to watch over Faustina had remained all those years; watching Lucus grow from The Shadows and slowly falling in love with his mother at a distance.
From time to time he would appear and leave her gifts, especially after the death of her husband.
Knowing the danger Lucus faced, the Informant revealed himself and got them to safety before the many bastards of Kandar Tiberos could be found and killed.
While nobody else could know yet... they alone understood that Aldamos was a pretender and knew how fake he was. Two years went by as Lucus trained under The Informant Primus and his hidden order; secret from even the Kandar himself.
The Force Of Kanda made Lucus strong, fast, enduring and heightened his ability to think clearly beyond the capability of humankind.
Even as his older brother Aldamos drove Kanda into a great war against Salvin and The Ducky Islands, impoverishing the nation, Lucus stayed in the shadows and avoided his brother's gaze. Already all of Tiberos' other bastards had been found and murdered...
Aldamos had even killed all but two of his trueborn brothers for fear that they might one day challenge his right to rule!
It was only a matter of time until the Imperial Assassins found him. When Lucus was thirteen, however, Primus could no longer hide them.
Faustina and Lucus awoke on his thirteenth birthday to find Primus begging them to get out, to run as far and fast as they could!
Their tiny cottage in the Entwi inland had been found and surrounded... there was nowhere to go.
The agents of Aldamos had found them... and they were actively burning the place down with Lucus and his family inside. Lucus, deciding there was nothing better he could do, burst from the cottage and destroyed the force sent to kill them.
He had learned already that he held the force of all Kandia citizens behind his every punch.
He had been taught that the the power of all suits of armor combined was dwarfed by his ability to resist the swords and spears of Kanda's enemies.
Even at thirteen he understood what that meant! Cowed by his power, his clear ownership of that which gave him the right to lead, many joined him...
Some fell to their knees and bowed before him! And to them he said...
"RISE!
I Am Not A King From A Foreign Land To Which You Shall Bow...
I Am A Citizen Of Kanda As Are You!
But You Have Followed A Man Who Cares NOT For Our Kinship!
He Would Have You Spill Kandia Blood... The Blood Of Kandia Children!
But Not I... No True Kandar Would Ask That Of His People!
And That Is Why He Is No True Kandar... But A Pretender!
For I Am The Kandar!
I Was Chosen By The Force Of Kanda!
And I Shall Gather My Forces, March On Kanda Sentran And Lift The Stone Of The Core Before Unseating This False Kandar Once And For All!" And so he did!
He marched from Entwi down through the Southern Bridge to Vastutos Marnus Lasuk and gathered forces in every Dogla through which he traveled!
Then, continuing to collect drips and drabs as he marched east and defeating numerous assaults by Aldamos' military leaders around Ta Geta, Lucus made his announcement to all!
The march would continue along the coast until they reached the Upper Core... Then Lucus would call out his half-brother and would challenge him to single combat.
No More Kandia Lives Needed Be Lost To This Civil War! During the new year, as Waking came on and the snows began to slowly melt, Lucus camped his men at The Seven Red Hills and waited; staring southward as he expected the armies of his Half-Brother in the distance.
His mother told him he was still growing and needed his rest...
He had not slept all night.
He politely told her that the people of Kanda slept for him... that their power kept him awake.
In just two and a half short years he had gone from simple farm boy to leader of men. Eventually his brother's forces did arrive... and Aldamos led them.
Having made dark promises to darker powers, Aldamos barely concealed his connections to the profane; Tuniswia surrounding him instead of Mysteria... foreign mercenaries as his guard instead of faithful Kandia Leconia...
He expected others to kneel and bow before him... and wore purple on the field instead of red as all fighting Kandia men on the expecting battle should.
Even the son of a Gumar like Lucus sneered at the decadence. "This is not the way of Kanda, Brother..." Lucus had told him when they met for the first time between the two forces. "You are a bastard and a child... and no brother of mine." He was told in return. "What would YOU know of the way of Kanda?" The two fought and their armies faced off against each other.
Though it was a fight that lasted days and saw tens of thousands of Kandia dead... in the end Lucus stood victorious over the broken remains of his half-brother Aldamos. Immediately the new Kandar lifted The Stone Of The Core to prove his birthright!
He pardoned all those involved with his brother's plots, released his remaining trueborn siblings from house arrest and assigned new officials to the highest ranks of his administration. Over the next ten years he went on to finish the wars that Aldamos had started; cutting Salvin in half, finally making peace with and annexing Ducky Island while seeing the Theocracy of Eldin close their borders entirely after the announcement of "A New Age Of Supremacy Under The One And Only God."
All was not completely stable but he had finished all of the wars his brother and father had started.
There was new land to settle, new communities to fortify and new people to incorporate into the Empire.
He would enter Kanda into an age of peace that would last twenty years. Over the course of the next two decades he traveled his Empire and ensured that there was no TRUE war; just small border skirmishes, peasant revolts and trade mishaps at first until eventually even those slowed down.
The most conflict was at the Eldin and Southernmost Borders... and nothing was new about that!
He built up, focused on consolidating his territory and reforming the system!
Times under him were stable, secure, prosperous, pious... and boring. Though the people loved him and lauded the great progress under his egalitarian reforms he found himself spending less time in Ta Thinal.
He knew better than any ruler that, in this era of peace and progress, he wasn't needed to oversee the people...
They could oversee themselves in such stable times. And that was good for a while... even as Lucus grew jaded and distant; ensuring that all of his people lived in a perfectly ordered society...
Safe...
Well Fed...
Well Cared For...
Boring... Until The Day He Received A Letter...
From Jonathan Mondragon...
The Maiden Of Health...!
Gender Identity
Kandar Lucus Identifies As Male!
Not only does Kandia culture lack a solid concept for anything other than Male (The Penis) Or Female, (NOT The Penis) but Kandar Lucus himself is actually quite an avid practitioner of what modern people might call "The Art Of Manliness!"
Often playing up masculine stereotypes and the general military culture of Kanda, Lucus is nothing if not "A Man's Man" and regularly goes out of his way to take part in masculine activities and endeavors either to impress those around him or simply to stay fit and spry in his middle age!
Not only does Kandia culture lack a solid concept for anything other than Male (The Penis) Or Female, (NOT The Penis) but Kandar Lucus himself is actually quite an avid practitioner of what modern people might call "The Art Of Manliness!"
Often playing up masculine stereotypes and the general military culture of Kanda, Lucus is nothing if not "A Man's Man" and regularly goes out of his way to take part in masculine activities and endeavors either to impress those around him or simply to stay fit and spry in his middle age!
Sexuality
It Is Said That All Kandaria Have A Weakness Of Some Sort...
Lucus' Weakness Is Women! A Notoriously Occupied Lecher, Lucus' proclivities have left him with hundreds of confirmed offspring; each and every one of which he has gone out of his way to legitimize and grant educations and all the proper rights of Imperial citizenship to.
That being said, Lucus' sexual conquests seem functionally endless and his eyes are eternally wandering when in new company. While Lucus has never been successfully harmed since coming into his position as Kandar, it is said that he has never failed to fall for the tricks and traps of a potential lady assassin's wiles and, indeed, has many children to women who once tried to kill him... only to be "convinced" otherwise after reaching their mark.
Lucus' Weakness Is Women! A Notoriously Occupied Lecher, Lucus' proclivities have left him with hundreds of confirmed offspring; each and every one of which he has gone out of his way to legitimize and grant educations and all the proper rights of Imperial citizenship to.
That being said, Lucus' sexual conquests seem functionally endless and his eyes are eternally wandering when in new company. While Lucus has never been successfully harmed since coming into his position as Kandar, it is said that he has never failed to fall for the tricks and traps of a potential lady assassin's wiles and, indeed, has many children to women who once tried to kill him... only to be "convinced" otherwise after reaching their mark.
Education
While Lucus had a functional Kandia education in his childhood, it was NOT one of lofty and aged tutors within great institutions as may be considered for imperial students.
Instead, like most Kandia children, he learned how to read and write from his father and mother and had his most learned neighbors and relatives as his tutors.
The community was his school and the children of the community were his fellow students!
While he was taught the basics of combat and leadership by his adopted father and eventually the Informant Primus, Lucus spent most of his upbringing focusing on the most practical skills of life; like animal handling, dirt farming, carpentry, masonry, hunting, fishing, riding and practicing lesser merchant skills at the local markets!
While perhaps not the deepest of educations, it was incredibly diverse and armed Lucus with many skills that higher aristocrats and imperials simply don't have the opportunity to cultivate; much less the inclination! Perhaps more importantly for his future as Kandar, Lucus' education as a humble Gumar's son gave him an incredibly thorough knowledge of the inner workings of people and the mind of the common folk!
Unlike so many Kandaria before him Lucus had been raised among the farmers, herders, traders, fishermen, craftsmen and scouts of Kanda; as one of their own!
So, unlike so many Kandaria before him, Lucus was given the knowledge of understanding the common folk's needs and wishes; to work with them as fellow Kandia rather than as subjects and subordinates. After he came to power, however, his mind grew sharper and more desperate for information!
In time Lucus was able to access all manner of special tutors, higher institutions and learning opportunities unavailable to those outside the Imperial Circle!
Amazed by the availability of knowledge, Lucus threw himself into learning; constantly having tomes, scrolls and even tutors brought along with him on campaign! When the wars were finished Lucus passed his time on learning even more... though, by this point, even the higher philosophies had started to bore him.
Bland numbers and banal reports had become uninteresting and unimpressive.
As time went by, only the most exciting bits of knowledge seemed to keep his attention. Though Lucus is extremely well educated, it is said that he has never had an interest for numbers and bean counting; always preferring his Scurrilia and Kensaria to manage such things these days.
Instead, like most Kandia children, he learned how to read and write from his father and mother and had his most learned neighbors and relatives as his tutors.
The community was his school and the children of the community were his fellow students!
While he was taught the basics of combat and leadership by his adopted father and eventually the Informant Primus, Lucus spent most of his upbringing focusing on the most practical skills of life; like animal handling, dirt farming, carpentry, masonry, hunting, fishing, riding and practicing lesser merchant skills at the local markets!
While perhaps not the deepest of educations, it was incredibly diverse and armed Lucus with many skills that higher aristocrats and imperials simply don't have the opportunity to cultivate; much less the inclination! Perhaps more importantly for his future as Kandar, Lucus' education as a humble Gumar's son gave him an incredibly thorough knowledge of the inner workings of people and the mind of the common folk!
Unlike so many Kandaria before him Lucus had been raised among the farmers, herders, traders, fishermen, craftsmen and scouts of Kanda; as one of their own!
So, unlike so many Kandaria before him, Lucus was given the knowledge of understanding the common folk's needs and wishes; to work with them as fellow Kandia rather than as subjects and subordinates. After he came to power, however, his mind grew sharper and more desperate for information!
In time Lucus was able to access all manner of special tutors, higher institutions and learning opportunities unavailable to those outside the Imperial Circle!
Amazed by the availability of knowledge, Lucus threw himself into learning; constantly having tomes, scrolls and even tutors brought along with him on campaign! When the wars were finished Lucus passed his time on learning even more... though, by this point, even the higher philosophies had started to bore him.
Bland numbers and banal reports had become uninteresting and unimpressive.
As time went by, only the most exciting bits of knowledge seemed to keep his attention. Though Lucus is extremely well educated, it is said that he has never had an interest for numbers and bean counting; always preferring his Scurrilia and Kensaria to manage such things these days.
Mental Trauma
While Kandar Lucus doesn't EVER talk about it, for such would be seen as weakness in the overwhelmingly Byzantine structure of Kanda's Imperial Circles, he is not without memories that keep him awake at night.
When he was but a child his entire life was torn apart and thrown into chaos and he had to cope with that in an age where nobody had the technology or capacity to help him... and where he was the sole defender of an entire family before even reaching his teenage years!
And by the time he had become a teenager he already had need to lead armies and fight his own siblings for the sake of a nation he had never thought he would mean anything to! Having lost his step-father in a fire, having never known his own birth father, having learned who he was by way of assassins in the night trying to end any threat to his Half-Brother's reign...
Kandar Lucus seldom sleeps at night these days, preferring instead to stay up and read to avoid the nightmares; the face of his brother as he killed him, the sight of the many enemies he slew on the field of battle alongside his fellow soldiers, the vision of monsters that he has fought in the three decades since his coming to power.
Ever one to take on the challenges of his nation personally... Kandar Lucus has chosen to carry the terrors and burdens of his people... and so, for every mortal horror that faces off against his realm, he shall stare into the eyes of madness... and HE shall be the one to take the blow so that they do not have to. Only his closest family; his mother, direct siblings and the Informant Primus know the pain he feels... for he will tell nobody but them.
Otherwise the only option is to bury himself in pleasures of the flesh and try to move on...
When he was but a child his entire life was torn apart and thrown into chaos and he had to cope with that in an age where nobody had the technology or capacity to help him... and where he was the sole defender of an entire family before even reaching his teenage years!
And by the time he had become a teenager he already had need to lead armies and fight his own siblings for the sake of a nation he had never thought he would mean anything to! Having lost his step-father in a fire, having never known his own birth father, having learned who he was by way of assassins in the night trying to end any threat to his Half-Brother's reign...
Kandar Lucus seldom sleeps at night these days, preferring instead to stay up and read to avoid the nightmares; the face of his brother as he killed him, the sight of the many enemies he slew on the field of battle alongside his fellow soldiers, the vision of monsters that he has fought in the three decades since his coming to power.
Ever one to take on the challenges of his nation personally... Kandar Lucus has chosen to carry the terrors and burdens of his people... and so, for every mortal horror that faces off against his realm, he shall stare into the eyes of madness... and HE shall be the one to take the blow so that they do not have to. Only his closest family; his mother, direct siblings and the Informant Primus know the pain he feels... for he will tell nobody but them.
Otherwise the only option is to bury himself in pleasures of the flesh and try to move on...
Intellectual Characteristics
It has been said by some that "The Bastard Kandar" is more educated than genius, that the Imperial Libraries can make a prodigy out of a puppy if given enough time and resources.
However, if this is the case, the Kandar is certainly one of the only examples of a common farmer getting an Imperial Education, let alone a pig!
Indeed, very few are allowed in the Imperial Libraries without special dispensation and yet Kandar Lucus, upon entering their halls, quickly found himself adapting to the flood of information! Not only does Lucus adapt quickly but is always thinking on his feet and has a keen sense of battlefield awareness; as no force Lucus has led has ever been ambushed or pinned down in a disadvantageous position on the battlefield.
Though Lucus' battlefield genius is not limited merely to the ability to quickly make choices with his men in a pitched battle!
Indeed, before he ever took the mantle of Kandar, Lucus was already designing new strategies and forcing his men to practice extremely niche, high level formations. While sometimes regarded as a bit excitable, Lucus has a swift mind for debate and used to regularly stand in the Foria and challenge others to battles of rhetoric and academia!
While certainly without a perfect record, Lucus has been regarded as winning well over half of his debates and knowledge battles and seems to enjoy straining his mind against others! In his offtime Lucus has always loved games of skill and strategy; often playing Chess and Go with members of his inner circle.
While also not undefeated in any of these board games, Lucus is an avid gamer and seldom loses without presenting his opponents a strenous challenge!
However, if this is the case, the Kandar is certainly one of the only examples of a common farmer getting an Imperial Education, let alone a pig!
Indeed, very few are allowed in the Imperial Libraries without special dispensation and yet Kandar Lucus, upon entering their halls, quickly found himself adapting to the flood of information! Not only does Lucus adapt quickly but is always thinking on his feet and has a keen sense of battlefield awareness; as no force Lucus has led has ever been ambushed or pinned down in a disadvantageous position on the battlefield.
Though Lucus' battlefield genius is not limited merely to the ability to quickly make choices with his men in a pitched battle!
Indeed, before he ever took the mantle of Kandar, Lucus was already designing new strategies and forcing his men to practice extremely niche, high level formations. While sometimes regarded as a bit excitable, Lucus has a swift mind for debate and used to regularly stand in the Foria and challenge others to battles of rhetoric and academia!
While certainly without a perfect record, Lucus has been regarded as winning well over half of his debates and knowledge battles and seems to enjoy straining his mind against others! In his offtime Lucus has always loved games of skill and strategy; often playing Chess and Go with members of his inner circle.
While also not undefeated in any of these board games, Lucus is an avid gamer and seldom loses without presenting his opponents a strenous challenge!
Morality & Philosophy
Among the brunt of the population of Kanda Lucus is largely considered to be an honorable and responsible individual!
While his eyes wander and his thirst for feminine touch has led him astray many times, he has never failed to compensate the families and legitimize any bastard children that have made themselves apparent... such that his personal Mysteria have long fostered a spell that can, without fail, determine whether or not a child is one of Lucus' own or someone else's.
Because of this, Lucus has hundreds of legitimized children that he personally takes responsibility for.
While perhaps not very present, as he generally encourages his own children to live the lives they were born to and otherwise has work to do, Lucus has never failed to do everything required of a father in Kandia Culture; from ensuring his many children have tutors to making sure their mothers are well taken care of to arming and armoring his children for military service (and expecting they DO serve!) to allowing his daughters to choose their suitors and marry whenever or if ever they so desire! Not only does the Kandar do whatever is called upon him in his parenting but also looks upon the entire Empire Of Kanda with similar responsibility!
He has never failed to upkeep the roads or aqueducts during his thirty years of rule and has always maintained the grain dole to those in the core, even expanding outward into neighboring longia; building up the prosperity of this time of peace all the more!
More importantly, Kandar Lucus sees this as extremely important; believing that ALL people in Kanda should, at the very least, be fed and watered appropriately!
Having grown up on a farm among the common folk, he has always known that life relies on good food to stay productive!
If the people were to stop working for even a year the entire Empire would starve!
And so, knowing that extinction is one bad year away, Kandar Lucus has worked hard to build gigantic food stores around the Empire in case of famine... for Kandar Lucus knows that ALL must eat and it would hurt him beyond words to know that his citizens were dying from something so paltry as starvation... If there have ever been Kandaria more concerned for the elimination of basic suffering among the common people it is not recorded.
Since his entry into the public eye, Kandar Lucus has made it his personal mission to furnish the cities of the realm with affordable solutions to perennial problems like poverty, fire, disease, hunger, wealth inequality, food standards and homelessness... with mixed results.
However, while some initiatives fail, the Kandar has never turned his back on the people; always concerned with their necessities and always working to give them enough leeway to afford the simple pleasures in life!
Of course Kanda still practices slavery and has no universal systems to aid people... but that is more a factor of the age within which Kanda exists rather than the Kandar's own sense of compassion; for he has made many decrees and moved many laws through Ta Thinal to ensure the proper treatment of slaves and servants, the integration of useful hands into safe jobs in the military and the assurance of fair pay to those within the borders of his nation.
While he cannot solve all of the problems of the common folk, nobody can say that Kandar Lucus does not at least try!
While his eyes wander and his thirst for feminine touch has led him astray many times, he has never failed to compensate the families and legitimize any bastard children that have made themselves apparent... such that his personal Mysteria have long fostered a spell that can, without fail, determine whether or not a child is one of Lucus' own or someone else's.
Because of this, Lucus has hundreds of legitimized children that he personally takes responsibility for.
While perhaps not very present, as he generally encourages his own children to live the lives they were born to and otherwise has work to do, Lucus has never failed to do everything required of a father in Kandia Culture; from ensuring his many children have tutors to making sure their mothers are well taken care of to arming and armoring his children for military service (and expecting they DO serve!) to allowing his daughters to choose their suitors and marry whenever or if ever they so desire! Not only does the Kandar do whatever is called upon him in his parenting but also looks upon the entire Empire Of Kanda with similar responsibility!
He has never failed to upkeep the roads or aqueducts during his thirty years of rule and has always maintained the grain dole to those in the core, even expanding outward into neighboring longia; building up the prosperity of this time of peace all the more!
More importantly, Kandar Lucus sees this as extremely important; believing that ALL people in Kanda should, at the very least, be fed and watered appropriately!
Having grown up on a farm among the common folk, he has always known that life relies on good food to stay productive!
If the people were to stop working for even a year the entire Empire would starve!
And so, knowing that extinction is one bad year away, Kandar Lucus has worked hard to build gigantic food stores around the Empire in case of famine... for Kandar Lucus knows that ALL must eat and it would hurt him beyond words to know that his citizens were dying from something so paltry as starvation... If there have ever been Kandaria more concerned for the elimination of basic suffering among the common people it is not recorded.
Since his entry into the public eye, Kandar Lucus has made it his personal mission to furnish the cities of the realm with affordable solutions to perennial problems like poverty, fire, disease, hunger, wealth inequality, food standards and homelessness... with mixed results.
However, while some initiatives fail, the Kandar has never turned his back on the people; always concerned with their necessities and always working to give them enough leeway to afford the simple pleasures in life!
Of course Kanda still practices slavery and has no universal systems to aid people... but that is more a factor of the age within which Kanda exists rather than the Kandar's own sense of compassion; for he has made many decrees and moved many laws through Ta Thinal to ensure the proper treatment of slaves and servants, the integration of useful hands into safe jobs in the military and the assurance of fair pay to those within the borders of his nation.
While he cannot solve all of the problems of the common folk, nobody can say that Kandar Lucus does not at least try!
Personality Characteristics
Hygiene
In the nature of any good Kandia, Lucus is particularly fond of hygeine and the culture around it!
Having commissioned the building of thousands of bathhouses around The Empire, expanded the aqueduct network into the frontier territories and built seven new Imperial Colleges Of Sokandia, it is clear that Lucus finds importance in his people keeping clean just as much as he considers it necessary for them to stay fed! However, due to his position, Lucus has more available to stay fresh!
With armies upon armies of servants and slaves at his disposal the Kandar is able to bathe in complete and total luxury unkown to the common Kandia citizen; massaged by strong handed men from Vastutos Marnus Lasuk, walked upon by petite women from the Isles Of Youth, covered in aromatic oils spiced with exotic scents from Ta Fanusia Hyanus and scraped clean by perfectly silent bathhouse servants from right there in the core, soaked alongside the richest and highest elites in the empire before being carted off without even having to get up to an Imperial Barber from Ta Geta and then scrubbed clean with the finest of soaps from Capedona, rinsed with rosewater steeped in foreign petals from the north of Ducky Isle and finished off with a happy ending from a Spirit Isles Pleasure Girl! That all being said, it is rumored that Lucus sometimes insists upon scraping and scrubbing himself down without the aid of servants to do so for him, though it is not encouraged to spread such unkind gossip!
Having commissioned the building of thousands of bathhouses around The Empire, expanded the aqueduct network into the frontier territories and built seven new Imperial Colleges Of Sokandia, it is clear that Lucus finds importance in his people keeping clean just as much as he considers it necessary for them to stay fed! However, due to his position, Lucus has more available to stay fresh!
With armies upon armies of servants and slaves at his disposal the Kandar is able to bathe in complete and total luxury unkown to the common Kandia citizen; massaged by strong handed men from Vastutos Marnus Lasuk, walked upon by petite women from the Isles Of Youth, covered in aromatic oils spiced with exotic scents from Ta Fanusia Hyanus and scraped clean by perfectly silent bathhouse servants from right there in the core, soaked alongside the richest and highest elites in the empire before being carted off without even having to get up to an Imperial Barber from Ta Geta and then scrubbed clean with the finest of soaps from Capedona, rinsed with rosewater steeped in foreign petals from the north of Ducky Isle and finished off with a happy ending from a Spirit Isles Pleasure Girl! That all being said, it is rumored that Lucus sometimes insists upon scraping and scrubbing himself down without the aid of servants to do so for him, though it is not encouraged to spread such unkind gossip!
Social
Reign
Unlike many Kandaria before him, the most notable aspect of Lucus' reign has been the peace!
Known by many as Ta Kandia Pax, over twenty years of peace and prosperity has been the main staple of Kandar Lucus' time overseeing The Empire!
While the Theocracy Of Eldin has closed down the Way To The West and blockaded The Strait Of Youth he has endeavored to expand to the south, giving permission to independent explorers to find a Southern Route To The West!
While the Northlands Darobia have ceased trading and begun raiding the northern borders, united under some upstart young sailor girl, he has worked with skilled economists and high seas traders to expand their trade networks to The Spirit Isles and The Marca Isles to bring in fantastic tropical hardwoods, spices, shells, trained pleasure slaves and skilled laborers; to say nothing of the cultural expansion such activities have encouraged! So incredibly universal is Ta Kandia Pax that, recently, there have been Leconia retiring from twenty-five years of military service having never seen a proper battle; instead dedicated to the maintenance of the infrastructure of Kanda or to training the next generations of Kandia Leconia or even to expanding the domestic space available to those retiring from service! For the first time in known history Kanda has found itself in a time of peace and prosperity wherein new combat tactics are being considered, new technologies are being developed for war and tried and true tactics are being gently teased and toyed with by experienced generals from a past era of untold civil warfare to be developed into even greater and more efficient beasts!
And, while the military slowly upgrades its tactics and fighting styles, the civilian sector of Kanda swells beyond anything previously imagined; now a cosmopolitan, multicultural realm with over a 120 million human inhabitants with a burgeoning metropolis of over two million inhabitants as its capital city! Because of this peace new works of stability and infrastructure have been able to crawl out from Kanda Sentran and enrich the surrounding areas; with crop yields per acre around The Core and its surrounding longia rising by over twenty percent in the last decade alone and with The Kandar's Domestication Initiatives encouraging the average size and productivity of all manner of livestock to rise considerably since he took up the mantle! Instead of dedicating his nation to continued wars to capture more land... Kandar Lucus recognized that there was a wealth of land yet untapped in The Empire and, as soon as he was able to end the wars started by his father and brother, he motivated the people to unlock the true potential of their territory!
And for this he will be remembered as one of the greatest of all Kandaria!
While the Theocracy Of Eldin has closed down the Way To The West and blockaded The Strait Of Youth he has endeavored to expand to the south, giving permission to independent explorers to find a Southern Route To The West!
While the Northlands Darobia have ceased trading and begun raiding the northern borders, united under some upstart young sailor girl, he has worked with skilled economists and high seas traders to expand their trade networks to The Spirit Isles and The Marca Isles to bring in fantastic tropical hardwoods, spices, shells, trained pleasure slaves and skilled laborers; to say nothing of the cultural expansion such activities have encouraged! So incredibly universal is Ta Kandia Pax that, recently, there have been Leconia retiring from twenty-five years of military service having never seen a proper battle; instead dedicated to the maintenance of the infrastructure of Kanda or to training the next generations of Kandia Leconia or even to expanding the domestic space available to those retiring from service! For the first time in known history Kanda has found itself in a time of peace and prosperity wherein new combat tactics are being considered, new technologies are being developed for war and tried and true tactics are being gently teased and toyed with by experienced generals from a past era of untold civil warfare to be developed into even greater and more efficient beasts!
And, while the military slowly upgrades its tactics and fighting styles, the civilian sector of Kanda swells beyond anything previously imagined; now a cosmopolitan, multicultural realm with over a 120 million human inhabitants with a burgeoning metropolis of over two million inhabitants as its capital city! Because of this peace new works of stability and infrastructure have been able to crawl out from Kanda Sentran and enrich the surrounding areas; with crop yields per acre around The Core and its surrounding longia rising by over twenty percent in the last decade alone and with The Kandar's Domestication Initiatives encouraging the average size and productivity of all manner of livestock to rise considerably since he took up the mantle! Instead of dedicating his nation to continued wars to capture more land... Kandar Lucus recognized that there was a wealth of land yet untapped in The Empire and, as soon as he was able to end the wars started by his father and brother, he motivated the people to unlock the true potential of their territory!
And for this he will be remembered as one of the greatest of all Kandaria!
Contacts & Relations
Being the Emperor Of Kanda, Lucus' connections run far and wide; well beyond even his own borders!
All in his domain must salute his presence and most must at least consider his requests if he presents them.
In times of war, there is nobody under him that can refuse his orders.
Moreover, Lucus is one of the most traveled Kandaria in Kandia history; making it his business to personally walk the roads and sail the shores of every Longo from Ta Fanusia Hyanus to The Strait Of Youth!
Lucus has therefore met many people and works hard to build good relations with all those he comes in contact with, considering he has very few extended family members to rely upon.
Though his many sons and daughters can help him with governance, they are still under his direct purview and thus part of his resources...
And nobody can run an entire empire on their own. Most importantly, Lucus closely aligns himself with Philanthropus Domitad Magnomus; The Richest Man In The World!
While most might immediately think that Philanthropus would be a greedy miser with that moniker he is, in fact, beyond incorruptible; having near unanimously received the title "Generositas" from Ta Thinal for his altruistic activities and capacity to build entire businesses out of armies of slaves that he has bought, freed and gainfully employed!
Despite his fairly humble demeanor, Philanthropus is often seen advising Lucus directly and many have said that The Generositas sees Lucus as the son he never had! While he has been busy with matters in The Capital, Kandar Lucus has made it his personal business to find and make contact with The Returned Founders Of Kanda; already having spoken through letters to Jonathan Mondragon: The Maiden Of Health and Timothy Finnegan: The Speaker Of Truth!
While other matters keep him from personally meeting either of them, he has already begun planning on how he will find himself in their presence.
All in his domain must salute his presence and most must at least consider his requests if he presents them.
In times of war, there is nobody under him that can refuse his orders.
Moreover, Lucus is one of the most traveled Kandaria in Kandia history; making it his business to personally walk the roads and sail the shores of every Longo from Ta Fanusia Hyanus to The Strait Of Youth!
Lucus has therefore met many people and works hard to build good relations with all those he comes in contact with, considering he has very few extended family members to rely upon.
Though his many sons and daughters can help him with governance, they are still under his direct purview and thus part of his resources...
And nobody can run an entire empire on their own. Most importantly, Lucus closely aligns himself with Philanthropus Domitad Magnomus; The Richest Man In The World!
While most might immediately think that Philanthropus would be a greedy miser with that moniker he is, in fact, beyond incorruptible; having near unanimously received the title "Generositas" from Ta Thinal for his altruistic activities and capacity to build entire businesses out of armies of slaves that he has bought, freed and gainfully employed!
Despite his fairly humble demeanor, Philanthropus is often seen advising Lucus directly and many have said that The Generositas sees Lucus as the son he never had! While he has been busy with matters in The Capital, Kandar Lucus has made it his personal business to find and make contact with The Returned Founders Of Kanda; already having spoken through letters to Jonathan Mondragon: The Maiden Of Health and Timothy Finnegan: The Speaker Of Truth!
While other matters keep him from personally meeting either of them, he has already begun planning on how he will find himself in their presence.
Family Ties
After the near complete genocide of the Nervantonin Line Lucus has little family to be tied to other than the line he sired from his own loins...
However, his own siblings survived the conflict and so did his trueborn halfsiblings from Kandar Tiberos.
Because of this, the House Of Nervantonin is both hilariously wealthy even for Imperials whilst also incredibly small.
With only three surviving children to each of Aldamos' brothers and his own halfbrother to his mother having six children, the hundreds of progeny that Lucus has sired far outstrip any and all potential competitors; leaving Lucus the head of one of the largest contiguous families in Kanda. While this relatively small pool of extended kin leaves out much competition and infighting that was so common in previous administrations it also leaves Lucus with a highly constrained team of cooperators in times of need.
Unable to call upon well-to-do family members or distant relatives that owe the main branch favors, Lucus must instead beseach the public for the support required to meet his ends.
While a resourceful individual like Lucus may well have learned to navigate these challenges in due time, it is still a disadvantage to have such a small house while holding such lofty positions.
However, his own siblings survived the conflict and so did his trueborn halfsiblings from Kandar Tiberos.
Because of this, the House Of Nervantonin is both hilariously wealthy even for Imperials whilst also incredibly small.
With only three surviving children to each of Aldamos' brothers and his own halfbrother to his mother having six children, the hundreds of progeny that Lucus has sired far outstrip any and all potential competitors; leaving Lucus the head of one of the largest contiguous families in Kanda. While this relatively small pool of extended kin leaves out much competition and infighting that was so common in previous administrations it also leaves Lucus with a highly constrained team of cooperators in times of need.
Unable to call upon well-to-do family members or distant relatives that owe the main branch favors, Lucus must instead beseach the public for the support required to meet his ends.
While a resourceful individual like Lucus may well have learned to navigate these challenges in due time, it is still a disadvantage to have such a small house while holding such lofty positions.
Religious Views
While most Kandaria are at least remotely religious, Kandar Lucus is particularly eager to go about the song and dance of various spiritual ceremonies when compared to his predecessors; having gone out of his way on many occasions to fund lavish festivals and celebrations the likes of which make Western Kingdom Aristocrats blush.
Perhaps he is particularly Zealous that the people need celebration to maintain productivity or perhaps he simply likes the opportunity for a good party but it is well known that Lucus is a fervent supporter of any community's traditional holidays and harvest feasts!
To this day he has never demanded the cessation of any traditional holidays in any domain of the Empire so long as they eschew any attempts at human sacrifice or other strictly barbaric practices. While all people revere the gods in some way, most are only particularly concerned with their specific patrons and Lucus is no exception to this!
Unlike many past Kandaria, however, Lucus has chosen his patrons carefully along the lines of his beliefs growing up. For all people love and pleasure are something to be valued and which cannot necessarily be discovered easily!
Similarly, for all people, justice stands as a solid pillar by which anyone might be judged fairly!
The law holds society together and honesty in upholding the law is what maintains its potency!
And so, with that in mind, Venara and Ustis are the primary patrons of Kandar Lucus; the Goddess of Love and Mother of the People alongside the Goddess Of Truth, Honesty, Society and The Law! But Lucus' reverence always extended beyond that... for The Founders are worshipped in Kanda much like other gods are; deified upon their leaving of Ta Mando over one and a half thousand years ago as great figures to be remembered and respected, their stories passed on through the generations!
The Founders Of Kanda, suitably, were the super heroes of Lucus' childhood; the mighty saviors that had come at the behest of the gods to the rescue of the first Kandia after they'd run from the collapse of a great nation that came before!
When he was just a little boy he would beg his mother every night at bedtime to tell him yet another story of the Founders and, when she ran out, he would beg she repeat his favorite ones!
When he grew up he wanted to be as powerful as The Father Of War, as crafty as The Mother Of The Arts, as compassionate as The Maiden Of Health, as resourceful as The Counter Of The Earth, as honest and just as The Speaker of Truth, as learned as The Teacher Of Scholars, as dedicated as The Builder Of Cities and as free spirited and supportive of the people as The Bringer Of Fertility!
Sadly, in his adulthood, he still feels that he has fallen short of all of this... But, with the return of The Founders, Kandar Lucus has excitedly dedicated all the more time to restoring the old temples to the Founders and instructed those most active sects of the clergy open their stocks of long stored resources to be allocated to new building projects and matters of infrastructure in honor of the founders!
Perhaps he is particularly Zealous that the people need celebration to maintain productivity or perhaps he simply likes the opportunity for a good party but it is well known that Lucus is a fervent supporter of any community's traditional holidays and harvest feasts!
To this day he has never demanded the cessation of any traditional holidays in any domain of the Empire so long as they eschew any attempts at human sacrifice or other strictly barbaric practices. While all people revere the gods in some way, most are only particularly concerned with their specific patrons and Lucus is no exception to this!
Unlike many past Kandaria, however, Lucus has chosen his patrons carefully along the lines of his beliefs growing up. For all people love and pleasure are something to be valued and which cannot necessarily be discovered easily!
Similarly, for all people, justice stands as a solid pillar by which anyone might be judged fairly!
The law holds society together and honesty in upholding the law is what maintains its potency!
And so, with that in mind, Venara and Ustis are the primary patrons of Kandar Lucus; the Goddess of Love and Mother of the People alongside the Goddess Of Truth, Honesty, Society and The Law! But Lucus' reverence always extended beyond that... for The Founders are worshipped in Kanda much like other gods are; deified upon their leaving of Ta Mando over one and a half thousand years ago as great figures to be remembered and respected, their stories passed on through the generations!
The Founders Of Kanda, suitably, were the super heroes of Lucus' childhood; the mighty saviors that had come at the behest of the gods to the rescue of the first Kandia after they'd run from the collapse of a great nation that came before!
When he was just a little boy he would beg his mother every night at bedtime to tell him yet another story of the Founders and, when she ran out, he would beg she repeat his favorite ones!
When he grew up he wanted to be as powerful as The Father Of War, as crafty as The Mother Of The Arts, as compassionate as The Maiden Of Health, as resourceful as The Counter Of The Earth, as honest and just as The Speaker of Truth, as learned as The Teacher Of Scholars, as dedicated as The Builder Of Cities and as free spirited and supportive of the people as The Bringer Of Fertility!
Sadly, in his adulthood, he still feels that he has fallen short of all of this... But, with the return of The Founders, Kandar Lucus has excitedly dedicated all the more time to restoring the old temples to the Founders and instructed those most active sects of the clergy open their stocks of long stored resources to be allocated to new building projects and matters of infrastructure in honor of the founders!
Hobbies & Pets
As any good Kandar would, Lucus has vast menageries that are taken care of by entire houses of animal caretakers that have dedicated themselves to the health and breeding of such creatures for centuries.
However, having been raised on a farm handling animals to survive, Lucus has come to use his Menageries for far more than simple pleasure!
Having long wondered what exactly made dogs different from wolves, cattle different from aurochs, cats different from... other cats... Kandar Lucus has used his Menageries over the last several decades to perform lengthy experiments in animal breeding, training and domestication; with mixed results depending on the animal in question!
Possessing no less than six hundred elephants in Vastutos Marnus Lasuk alone, the Kandar has personally overseen two generations of selective breeding in his populations; having always hoped to domesticate the elephant as humanity has domesticated the dog, though the recent Elephant War in Soterri has soured his opinion of this project and brought him to consider elephants differently. While the elephansts are his most publicly visible project they are only an example of what he has dedicated himself to in all of his other menageries!
In various imperial sanctuaries all over the Empire Lucus has been attempting to selectively breed and domesticate any animal he can think to; from bears and tigers to wolves and foxes to elk and rhinos to minks and ravens!
Free from the standard dangers of wild animals such as the paltry chance of getting one's head bitten off by a wild lion, The Kandar regularly visits these places and personally handles his animals to test their temperaments and choose which he would like to breed.
Moreover, he has entire schools dedicated to the teaching of new animal caretakers how to select for desirable traits and cultivate such dangerous and fascinating beasts! While considered by some to be a bit... less discerning when it comes to the female population of Kanda, Lucus has consistently supported them, specifically through his repeated support of Venara's temples and the construction of numerous sites explicitly dedicated to various women around the Empire; such as the Road Of Flowers in Kanda Sentran and The Homage Shrine To Yllara The Sweet in Entwi.
In fact it might seem to the outside observer like Kandar Lucus is a bit obsessed with the idea of raising the status of women in Kanda; almost to the point of seeming like a personal hobby of his!
Not only has he taken on Sobuka Of The Ducky Isles as his Master Of Exotic Peoples but he has also appointed the first female High Scurrilos Of Kanda; Domina Marcusad Julus, who continues to be one of the best High Scurrilia that Kanda has ever had despite usually looking like a disorganized mess!
Many a rumor runs the length and breadth of Kanda suggesting that Kandar Lucus MAY even be considering allowing women to join the military and bear arms, though he has made no such indications publicly.
For now it would seem that Lucus' hobby of enriching the women of the realm is just a dedicated avocation.
Having long wondered what exactly made dogs different from wolves, cattle different from aurochs, cats different from... other cats... Kandar Lucus has used his Menageries over the last several decades to perform lengthy experiments in animal breeding, training and domestication; with mixed results depending on the animal in question!
Possessing no less than six hundred elephants in Vastutos Marnus Lasuk alone, the Kandar has personally overseen two generations of selective breeding in his populations; having always hoped to domesticate the elephant as humanity has domesticated the dog, though the recent Elephant War in Soterri has soured his opinion of this project and brought him to consider elephants differently. While the elephansts are his most publicly visible project they are only an example of what he has dedicated himself to in all of his other menageries!
In various imperial sanctuaries all over the Empire Lucus has been attempting to selectively breed and domesticate any animal he can think to; from bears and tigers to wolves and foxes to elk and rhinos to minks and ravens!
Free from the standard dangers of wild animals such as the paltry chance of getting one's head bitten off by a wild lion, The Kandar regularly visits these places and personally handles his animals to test their temperaments and choose which he would like to breed.
Moreover, he has entire schools dedicated to the teaching of new animal caretakers how to select for desirable traits and cultivate such dangerous and fascinating beasts! While considered by some to be a bit... less discerning when it comes to the female population of Kanda, Lucus has consistently supported them, specifically through his repeated support of Venara's temples and the construction of numerous sites explicitly dedicated to various women around the Empire; such as the Road Of Flowers in Kanda Sentran and The Homage Shrine To Yllara The Sweet in Entwi.
In fact it might seem to the outside observer like Kandar Lucus is a bit obsessed with the idea of raising the status of women in Kanda; almost to the point of seeming like a personal hobby of his!
Not only has he taken on Sobuka Of The Ducky Isles as his Master Of Exotic Peoples but he has also appointed the first female High Scurrilos Of Kanda; Domina Marcusad Julus, who continues to be one of the best High Scurrilia that Kanda has ever had despite usually looking like a disorganized mess!
Many a rumor runs the length and breadth of Kanda suggesting that Kandar Lucus MAY even be considering allowing women to join the military and bear arms, though he has made no such indications publicly.
For now it would seem that Lucus' hobby of enriching the women of the realm is just a dedicated avocation.
Wealth & Financial state
While the Kandar is a position that comes with considerable wealth Lucus is not one for the trappings of decadence and, indeed, has passed a few sumptuary laws in his time as Leader of The Empire forbidding the overspending of the upper classes. (Though these have been largely toothless and have done little to cease the wanton reveling of the frontier Longia)
Still, Kandar Lucus could probably count himself as one of the hundred wealthiest people in Kanda! Even so, his the imperial purse is always being strained by his responsibilities as Kandar; from planning great festivals to throwing lavish parties in celebration of new Longaria to spending on the building of trade docks and harbors and expanding the borders of his own personal holdings.
While it is fair to say that he has his fingers in nearly every venture in Kanda, it is equally fair to say that Kandar Lucus in particular is only ever about a year away from complete and total bankruptcy despite the fact that his treasury seems to swell so often.
Perpetually locked up in monumentally large deals to move thousands of tons of grain, expand important infrastructure to previously uninhabited areas and hiring all manner of private labor to fill in the gaps of his economic needs; The Imperial Treasury is, at this point, only upheld by the fantastic accounting skills of his High Kensar and High Scurrilos alongside their respective armies of apprentices and clerical workers.
Without these highly specialized workers Kandar Lucus' treasury would simply dwindle away to nothing...
Still, Kandar Lucus could probably count himself as one of the hundred wealthiest people in Kanda! Even so, his the imperial purse is always being strained by his responsibilities as Kandar; from planning great festivals to throwing lavish parties in celebration of new Longaria to spending on the building of trade docks and harbors and expanding the borders of his own personal holdings.
While it is fair to say that he has his fingers in nearly every venture in Kanda, it is equally fair to say that Kandar Lucus in particular is only ever about a year away from complete and total bankruptcy despite the fact that his treasury seems to swell so often.
Perpetually locked up in monumentally large deals to move thousands of tons of grain, expand important infrastructure to previously uninhabited areas and hiring all manner of private labor to fill in the gaps of his economic needs; The Imperial Treasury is, at this point, only upheld by the fantastic accounting skills of his High Kensar and High Scurrilos alongside their respective armies of apprentices and clerical workers.
Without these highly specialized workers Kandar Lucus' treasury would simply dwindle away to nothing...
Alignment
Lawful Bored
Current Status
Planning A War And Trying To Find The Reincarnated Founders
Species
Date of Birth
12th Of Warring, 1588
Year of Birth
1588 BCV
44 Years old
Circumstances of Birth
A Bastard To Born To The Daughter Of A Rural Sharleev In The Northern Reaches Of The Core
Birthplace
Some Nowhere Inn In The Middle Of Nowhere, Northern Core Of Kanda
Children
Current Residence
The Imperial Palace Complex Of Kanda Sentran
Pronouns
He/Him
Sex
Male
Gender
Male
Eyes
Hazel, Perfectly Horizontal, Almond Shaped
Hair
Short, Dark Brown; Very Curly
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Deep Olive, Unblemished
Height
5' 8" (172.72 cm)
Weight
180 lbs (81.646 kg)
Belief/Deity
Lucus Is Publicly Most Fond Of Venara, Ustis And The Founders As His Patron Deities
Aligned Organization
Ruled Locations
Comments