Black Blade
An unleashed beast without purpose. A ghost searching for a place to haunt. A hunter of predators, out for blood and nothing more. Neither someone to reason with, nor someone to depend on. That is all he was. But what he became through his actions, was a saviour.Black Blade is a young man who has been fighting monsters, both literal and metaphorical, from age eleven. An eternal wanderer, he has visited many places far from civilization, ever hunting for more enemies to fight. To those who only have heard vague stories of him, he is but an urban legend. Those he has protected consider him either a hero or a villain, depending on whether they realised that the people he killed were monsters in their own right.
A Child born from Snow
The one later known as Black Blade came into life in Avebia of the Vrunia Empire, born shortly after the turn of the century. During this period, the Vrunia Empire went through a time of internal strife, which frequently caused crops to be raided or burnt down. As a result, winters were filled with hunger. This came to a head in 4102, when a harsh winter caused massive starvation. During this winter, a nameless traveller went around to trade needed medicine and supplies with remote villages. When he arrived at one village, he found naught but eerie silence. Both on the path to the village, and in the houses, he only encountered starved corpses. In the end, the only life he discovered was a toddler consuming tree bark and insects. With pity in his heart he took the child with him. Since the child did not know his own name, the traveller temporarily called him Blue. Initially he intended to leave Blue at the first place that would take him, but Blue's stare turned off anyone that might have been interested. So the traveller kept Blue with him and decided to educate the child.Eyes turned to Ice
The traveller wandered through many lands in the years after, teaching Blue how to write, read, wield a knife, gut and skin animals, and many more useful skills. The child also was taught how to fight, both against predators and against robbers. Blue learned many dirty tricks, and showed a natural talent for combat. By the time he was nine, he already was proficient with his short sword. The one thing the traveller failed at, was getting the harsh glance out of the child's eyes. Blue would not socialize, and whenever the two encountered poor treatment, there would be an angry glare barely contained. Fortunately, a single hand on Blue's shoulder was enough to restrain him, the child willing to follow the traveller's directions. But slowly and surely, Blue's glare grew more harsh, almost as if he was a beast on a chain that was about to break. Then came the spring of 4111, when things came to a head. As the two waited in line to enter a town, they witnessed a noble angrily confronting a merchant. Out of nowhere, three swords materialized in the air, pointing at the merchant's throat. Something stirred in Blue, and he began to walk towards the quarrel. The traveller grabbed his shoulder, restraining him as always. But Blue noticed that unlike ever before, this time his teacher's hand shook with fear. And he knew, beyond a doubt, that it was not the noble the traveller feared. It was him. And while he stood and observed the flying swords, his fingers itched. This, he recognised. This, he knew. This, he too could do.Breaking of the Line
Only a mere three weeks later, the pair was at a small village, where they were welcomed yet could taste the fear in the air. Their host, a humble farmer, treated them to a small yet tasty meal, and offered clean straw at the barn as bed. Because of the tension neither slept well, so during the night they easily woke from noises. The animals were nervous, and they could hear strange sounds from outside. As they peeked through the gaps, they saw the farmer running over from his house, a pitchfork in hand and fear in his eyes. The two quickly opened the door just enough for the man to slip through, when they saw a figure rush towards them from the bushes. They pulled the farmer inside, but directly after a monster, neither animal nor man, forced its way through the gap. Blue was rammed aside and skidded through the barn, losing his sword in the process, and the other two also were knocked down. It was then that Blue materialized a Tarot blade for the first time, and attacked the monster.He looked at the beast, a strange mixture of a lizard and a man, wearing torn-apart clothing and a damaged cloak. His teacher on the floor, the farmer trembling against a wall, both without weapon. His knife in his bedroll, near the beast's feet, and his sword slid into the livestock pen. And he could tell from the cruel look in the beast's eyes, that they wouldn't get a chance to arm themselves. Within him, emotions stirred. Instinctively, he arrived at the solution. Ice gripped his heart, and rage filled his eyes. With a growl that turned into a shout, moving faster than he had ever done, he launched himself at the beast. And midway through his jump, a blade formed inside his hand, with which he severed the beast's arm with a single strike. In a flurry of movement, he struck at the beast's limbs, blades appearing in his hands and disappearing once their weight got in his way. It took but a few counts for the beast to topple over, directly next to his bedroll. As if he didn't trust his summoned blades, he snatched up his knife, and before the beast could respond to his frenzy, he had already cut through its throat. Silence fell as he looked at the beast, black blood gushing out of the cut arteries and coating his knife. Even the panicked livestock ceased their noise. For five counts he observed, before rising to his feet, convinced the beast no longer was a threat. And then he noticed the fear in the eyes of the two men in that barn with him. A fear that persisted still. With a trembling voice, his teacher spoke to him. "Not that. Never that. When you are simply talented at fighting, they may be at unease with you. But when you use that, when you so blatantly show that you're not one of them, they will fear you." And he recognised the trembling, recalling a hand on his shoulder that considered him the biggest threat. It took but a moment for him to respond. "Then let them fear." While saying those words, he tore the cloak from the monster's back and claimed it as his own. After he had spoken, he left. That was the last his teacher ever saw of him.
Blades as Black as Night
The boy wandered the night without a master, itching for a fight while wielding abilities he didn't fully understand. So he chose to learn from those he faced. He traveled through the forests, and whenever he encountered predators, he stalked them. As they fought or hunted, he watched and learned their ways. Yet as long as they did not come for him, he did not harm them. To find monsters to fight, he would listen to people and follow trails of fear. Whenever he found monsters, he would eradicate them with a fury. Any move they made, he copied, a true prodigy. Yet he did not dare to fully depend on his special abilities, so the killing blow would be with his real sword. It didn't take long for his weapons to turn permanently black from the strange blood he spilled time and time again. As his instincts developed, he began realising when monsters were being sent or controlled. To find their master, he would mingle in disguise and eavesdrop, his blunt approach provoking people but giving away the culprits. Whenever he took on those responsible, he quickly grasped their abilities for his own. For a short while he would hold back, learning from what they showed him while verifying they had no hidden moves left. Then he would cut them down without mercy. Distrusting his summoned blades proved useful, when one day he encountered a foe that easily cut through any blade he summoned. Wielding a longsword as black as ebony, this man pushed him through his limits, but after a long fight he managed to claim victory. Seizing the blade for his own, he became a dualwielder, using the black blade as a useful tool against enemy abilities.Fame and Infamy
Over the years, the boy travelled from backwater to backwater, following rumours and his instinct to find more opponents. While he would disguise himself on infiltration, he would do no such thing during the final fight. This led to his exploits being noticed, and soon stories began to spread. Since he always had his face hidden, disguised, or covered in blood, the main characteristic these stories shared was simply his black swords. And with that, he earned the moniker Black Blade. There were times he was observed fighting monsters, or dangerous beasts. Occasionally he'd even lose his temper and take on corrupt guards. While he usually did not go out of his way to protect people, he would still hunt down his opponents without relenting. Realising the danger he had protected them against, many of these people would spread stories of the mysterious hero that had saved them. One time Black Blade had joined a caravan, which was suddenly beset by an entire horde of wild beasts. Rather than rushing from front to front, he stood still in the center instead. Yet near-invisible blades would flash around. With every slash he made, so too would these blades. Without taking a single step, he thus defeated all beasts without a single fatality amongst the guards. Yet at times Black Blade would leave corpses in his wake, of those that corrupted and twisted people and animals into becoming monsters. These people had kept their true nature well-hidden. As such, in most cases this appeared to be a horrible murder committed by a mysterious stranger. And so stories of the ruthless murderer spread as well. What didn't help his reputation was how he fought and how he interacted with people. He never did lose his ferocious nature, a brutal fighter that butchered his opponents. And when he interacted with people, he was blunt and cold, frightening them with ease. Neither of which helped his reputation as a coldblooded killer that simply turned against beasts instead of humans.Legacy of the Hunter
After six years, Black Blade disappeared. His last whereabouts were on the road to the decaying town of Hailov. Hailov did go through a monster attack a while after, but Black Blade was not seen. Around that time the rumours about his exploits began to escalate yet at the same time unified. Even those who considered him a murderer, were confronted by the possibility that maybe his victims had been far from innocent. As his reputation began to improve, and people slowly began to fear he had disappeared for good, Black Blade showed up again. Yet now he no longer snuck around hunting for rumours. Instead, every few weeks he would reappear near his last exploit and openly ask if everything was alright. At most a day later he would then appear far away, to quickly take down whatever monster plagued the next location. With Black Blade maturing personality-wise, suppressing his bluntness and agression, his legend began to greatly change. His fast travel made people wondered if maybe multiple Black Blades existed. The alternative, that he could move around at an incredible rapid pace, frightened them almost as much as the monsters he saved them from. It has been over a year since Black Blade was seen on the road to Hailov, and even now his name grows. Both Nobles and the Church are starting to take note and investigating his deeds, and there are still plenty of people that fear or distrust him. Yet for those that live in fear of the night, he has become a symbol of hope, a blackhearted hero that comes to the aid of the downtrotten and saves them from the monsters.
Personal Details
Looks
Current Tarot Abilities
Quantity - Intermediate
Control - Intermediate
Special Abilities
Important moments
29/01/4102 WE - Picked up as sole survivor15/04/4111 WE - Attacked by Tarot Monster
09/05/4117 WE - Last seen going to Hailov
30/05/4117 WE - Monster army at Hailov
Children
Really interesting character. I like how you've framed him almost as a legend.
He's one of the few characters where I know roughly what he'll do after the Academy, namely travel around more openly and with a companion by his side. But yeah, of the two wandering background stories, this one is the publicly known one. The other knew better than to leave a trace. And of course their stories intertwined at Hailov... (Black Blade is, of course, Alexander's alterego.)
Too low they build who build beneath the stars - Edward Young