Eidolon Nocturne
His Majesty, King Eidolon Erebus Oberon Endymion Nocturne (a.k.a. Eidos)
The current King of Umbragard, who rose to the throne unexpectedly after the deaths of his father and brother. He greatly expanded Umbragard's wealth and improved relationships with its allies, making his kingdom peaceful and prosperous under his rule.
Physical Description
Body Features
Like most Shadows, Eidolon is incredibly pale. He has a slender frame. He has straight white hair that falls down his back, which he sometimes wears in a ponytail.
Facial Features
He has a diamond-shaped face with high cheekbones. He looks much younger than he is. His eyes are indigo, and he also has vertical pupils.
Identifying Characteristics
Eidolon is immediately identifiable from a distance by his silvery-white hair. Because of that and his smooth, slow movement, he often looks ghostly. He also usually wears a white veil in public, leading to his epithet "the Veiled Lord."
Physical quirks
Eidolon is right-handed. He has a royal bearing, and a quiet but authoritative presence. He tends to walk slowly.
Special abilities
Umbrakinesis: Eidolon is a skilled umbrakinetic, despite having average magical abilities. He is better at intangible constructs than tangible ones, but he is still proficient at light absorption and Umbrateleportation.
Empathy: Eidolon's Nightsense is empathy, a psychic ability that allows him to absorb and feel the emotions of other people. He literally feels the (emotional) pain of his people. This is one of the reasons he is so kind and so popular, but it burdens him.
Apparel & Accessories
Eidolon's folds are four layers thick and naturally a deep indigo, like the night sky. His inner layers are black.
He almost always molds them into indigo or black robes with simple but elegant designs. He often wears silver jewelry, but never gold. He'll occasionally wear a black or silver crown. He also wears a white veil when in public. This began as a sign of mourning when he took the throne, but eventually his subjects began to associate him with the veil, so he usually wears it.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Eidolon was born in The Palace of Eternal Night as the youngest of three princes. He had a cushy childhood, learning the basics of diplomacy and politics, but with little attention given to him as the youngest. He was much more popular with the people than Abaddon, but always lived in Adonis' shadow. He fell madly in love with Hecate and was shocked when she agreed to marry him.
When Erebus died, Adonis was suddenly killed, and Abaddon was banished, Eidolon was shaken to the core. He had to become king in his grief, without ever expecting to assume the mantle of power, and it nearly broke him. He survived with his mother's and wife's support and the promise of Astor's birth. Nearly two decades later, Eidolon is a successful and popular king who's diplomatic efforts have greatly benefited Umbragard.
Gender Identity
Identifies and presents as male.
Education
Like his children, he was tutored extensively throughout his childhood, in history, diplomacy, economics, literature, combat, and other skills he would need to know as King. His education was somewhat less extensive than that of his older brothers, since he was not the crown prince and was not expected to take the throne. His natural political skills helped get him through his first few years as monarch.
Eidolon also learned magic, but only the basics. He did not have an exceptional gift for it.
Employment
Eidolon rules Umbragard as its king regnant, and has ruled it for 18 years by the time Shadowbook takes place. His primary concerns are maintaining peace between Umbragard's citizens and its allies, and managing Umbragard's assets and the flow of resources.
Accomplishments & Achievements
Eidolon enriched Umbragard significantly through trade alliances with other Dark Realms (and even Conscious people!), and befriended most of the local lords and ladies so there’s relatively little internal political drama.
Morality & Philosophy
Eidolon is optimistic and prefers to see the best in all people. He views Shadow Work as a way of making peace with oneself and putting all one's qualities to the highest good. He believes that the sole responsibility of a king is to make life as good as possible for his citizens. Diplomacy tends to be his answer to everything -- "talk it out" is the best way to resolve any sort of situation. In his mind, the most important quality for a leader to have is compassion.
Like most Shadows, he values introspection and internalization of one's "darker" qualities. He keeps his own Shadow work very private. Unlike some Shadows who eschew the concept of morality entirely, Eidolon attempts to be as moral as possible, exercising soft power and avoiding ruthlessness unless absolutely necessary. He still understand that he must always do what is best for Umbragard, and put its benefit over his own ideals.
Eidolon does hunt, but unlike Astor, he does not make a game of it. He also does not torment Conscious people for the fun of it, believing that doing so will only lead to trouble, torches and pitchforks in the long run.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Eidolon's goal as king is to foster peace and cooperation between the Dark Realms and improve the quality of life for Umbragard's citizens. He has made significant strides towards doing so, boosting the trade economy and improving relationships with allies. He attempts to make peace with everyone, human and monster alike, but recognizes that part of the reason the Dark Realms hold such respect for Umbragard is because they so dread his wife. Without her terrible power and her reputation, he knows he might be perceived as soft, naive, or a pushover.
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Eidolon is easily able to predict the actions of other people, which makes him politically savvy (and good at chess). He has excellent social skills and diplomatic skills, and is silver-tongued. He can talk himself into and out of almost any situation. He can arrange any sort of deal or alliance to his benefit, without making the other person feel cheated. This is one of the reasons his reign was so beneficial for Umbragard's economy and foreign relations. His ability to easily gather allies and read a room has made him an expert at managing his court, and also secured beneficial trade partnerships for Umbragard.
Likes & Dislikes
Eidolon likes playing chess, reading, horseback riding, dancing, theater, gossip, political satire, quiet parties and social functions, and forms of simple opulence like statuary or rare flowers. He prefers moonlight, Shadowlight, or candlelight to total darkness. He actually enjoys hunting, although he often will not admit it.
He dislikes any form of discord, being deceived, bright light, and bright colors (especially gold).
Virtues & Personality perks
Eidolon's principle virtue is his overwhelming compassion, which is why he really cares about his people and wants the best for them. However, he is also a skilled manipulator. His political skill comes from his ability to accurately read people and predict how they will react. Throughout his life he has had to reconcile his empathetic nature with his manipulative tendencies, although his empathy provides a convenient "safety net" to prevent him from acting only in his own self-interest. He has strong moral standards, attempting to use his position as king to do as much good as possible. Some mistake him for a pushover, but this could not be further from the truth. Eidolon is more than capable of being decisive and making difficult decisions for the good of his kingdom.
Eidolon is possessed of much more humility than his son Astor. He does not feel any need to feel special or to be worshipped by his subjects. If he becomes a footnote in the history books, known only for being good but not particularly exciting, he does not mind.
Vices & Personality flaws
Years of Shadow work have given Eidolon mastery over his shortcomings, but although he is mature and accustomed to the severe difficulty of ruling, he will sometimes backslide when extremely stressed. He still questions his worthiness to be king and struggles to trust the wisdom of his own decisions. He also sometimes feels as if he must be universally liked or must make everyone happy, even though he knows that it is impossible.
Eidolon is quite manipulative. His ability to read people and his persuasive skills make it easy for him to turn any situation in his own favor, at others' expense. Although he avoids seeing people as pawns, he's easily able to view life as a giant chessboard replete with power plays. He feels morally divided between prioritizing advantageous politicking and prioritizing moral goodness. For example, he dislikes lying and values authenticity, but is completely capable of weaving webs of lies and half-truths for his own advantage. Being king forced him to acknowledge the big picture, and he views his empathy as a check on his Machiavellian tendencies. He's also capable of being ruthless, though he hated this about himself, and most of his Shadow work revolved around balancing out his more amoral inclinations with desire to do good by his people.
He can occasionally be overly emotional. He was never violently emotional like Astor, but the grief at losing his father and brother almost broke him. In his early reign, he would cry into his mother's or wife's arms, which made him feel weak and inadequate. After nearly two decades, his emotional control is on par with Hecate's, but he will sometimes crack when confronted with the most difficult situations.
Social
Contacts & Relations
Eidolon can make friends with almost anyone, so he has managed to bring the noble families of Umbragard to a state of relative peace. He is genuinely friends with the Moonforests and Ravenwicks, and although he remains wary of some of the other lords and ladies in his Court, he is on good terms with them. Most of the Court trusts Eidolon for his competence. Eidolon was friends with Ozul Sableshroud, and when he and his wife died, he took in their son Orphe to raise as his own. Eidolon loves Orphe like a son, and Orphe is closest to Eidolon out of anyone in the royal family.
Eidolon has also forged friendly working relationships with the other rulers of the Dark Realms, including the kings and queens of Fey, the rulers of the Vorae, and (most impressively) the King and Queen of the demonic realm of Cavernest.
Family Ties
Eidolon has always felt especially close with his own family, but also feels as if they are all more distant from him than he would like. He loves his wife, though even he sees her infrequently since she so often remains secluded. He also loves his children more than life itself, even though his duties often keep him from them. Although she does not live in the palace, Eidolon maintains a close relationship with his mother, Asphodel, who helped him adjust to his new and unexpected position of monarch while struggling through grief. He still misses his father and brother Adonis terribly. He almost treats his cousin Tempest as a kind of surrogate brother, and often visits him in Windymere.
The only member of his family that Eidolon actively despises is his brother, Abaddon. He hates Abaddon so intensely that he prefers that he not even be mentioned.
Religious Views
Eidolon considers himself agnostic, unsure of the literal existence of the gods but not fully disbelieving in the idea of divine favor. His experience with the Rite of the Onyx Throne has confirmed that some mystical force, be it a goddess or something else, connects him directly to the land. He privately asks himself if fate or some divinity willed that he be King, or if his father's and brother's deaths were pure random chance mixed with Abaddon's scheming. Every once in a while he asks his wife about this, but she gives him no clear answer. He trusts the interpretations of the royal astrologers.
Social Aptitude
Eidolon could not possibly be more socially adept. He is extroverted, polite, welcoming, and kind. Although he commands respect as king, he does not talk down to his subjects or make them feel threatened. He usually knows exactly what to say to people to endear himself to them, and responds to their emotional states. He is an eloquent speaker. He is good at small talk and makes friends easily. He likes to throw parties and entertain guests, then retire to private rooms to discuss political matters after everyone has enjoyed themselves.
Hobbies & Pets
In his free time, he enjoys playing chess, horseback riding, reading in the library, and occasionally hunting (both kinds).
His familiar is a silver falcon, Ákos.
Speech
Eidolon typically speaks in a low, soft voice, rarely ever raising it. He has the same refined accent as his children.
Relationships
History
Astor was a godsend to Eidolon. The promise of his son was one of the only things that kept him going when he was unexpectedly crowned king. Astor didn't get as much attention from Eidolon in his childhood as he would have liked, but appreciated that Eidolon went out of his way whenever possible to spend time with him, aside from teaching him how to run a kingdom. Astor truly admires his father and aspires to be like his father, but he stresses over the idea of power. He doesn't always realize how highly Eidolon thinks of him. Eidolon believes in his son's ability to rule effectively, and to support his subjects. He has more faith in Astor than Astor does in himself, and is genuinely proud of him.
History
When Hecate came to Umbragard to choose one of its Princes to marry, she chose Eidolon. Eidolon was absolutely shocked. He was completely enthralled with Hecate and didn't even dare to believe she loved him. Hecate says that she chose him because unlike his brothers, he put on no pretenses and had no ulterior motives. Despite his coy demeanor, she admired his authenticity and his kindness. It is likely that she also knew Eidolon would become King, even if she didn't know exactly how, and knew that she would become Queen by marrying him. They quickly married, already expecting a child when tragedy struck and Eidolon ascended to the throne. Eidolon and Hecate are not in love, but they each feel deep affection for each other, and they are fantastic business partners. They have divided up the work of ruling Umbragard between them according to their individual strengths. They work well together and play off of each other. Their reign has been very successful.
Wealth & Financial state
As King, Eidolon (nominally) controls all of Umbragard's assets, including its land, its natural resources, and its magical wellspring. He is skilled at managing wealth. He's boosted Umbragard's trade economy with his diplomatic efforts, and invests enough money to cover disasters like plagues, famines, storms, and wars. His sense of empathy compels him to use Umbragard's wealth for the benefit of its people, but he is wise enough to be careful in his use of it.
Current Location
Species
Ethnicity
Honorary & Occupational Titles
King of Shadows, Lord of the Night
Date of Birth
15 July / 18 Mothmoon
Year of Birth
1976
Birthplace
The Palace of Eternal Night , Nighthaven
Spouses
Hecate Nocturne
(Wife)
Siblings
Children
Current Residence
The Palace of Eternal Night , Nighthaven
Gender
Male
Eyes
Indigo, vertical pupils
Hair
Long, white, always in a ponytail
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Pale white
Height
5'8"
Aligned Organization
Ruled Locations
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