General Information
Name: Lance Owen Trystane
Gender: Male
Age: 26
Birthday: 31/10
Sexuality: Pansexual Demiromantic
Special Characteristics: A natural aura of melancholy. Hair that can change length at will.
Personality
Names hold power. They always had. They always will. So much, in fact, that some – few as they may be – seem to think of one’s name as a guide, a premonition, foreshadowing. Even as fate. A prophecy. Nonbelievers will rise, wasting no time, to brand them as self-fulfilling; for, if you know the ending, your subconscious propels you towards it. If not that, then others do it for you. Yet, proponents of this tradition – a branch of magic known as nomenology – keep pointing to the obvious connection between names and symbols. And no one can deny the importance of symbolism in magic. Even those who practice it struggle to discern a name’s actual impact. You see, names don’t hold one meaning. Their meanings, as the power they also carry, are versatile. The same words that imply a live of greatness can also point to a life full of sorrow. Unfortunately, it is only in hindsight that nomenology’s predictions can be confirmed; once is an accident, twice a coincidence, thrice is a pattern, yet one only has one life to live. Proud One / Servant Clank of Steel / Sadness Yet a third side, in the nomenology, for lack of better word, debate, adheres to one simple principle; Nothing has inherent, intrinsic meaning. Meaning is given. A worldview shared by Lance as well. Lance Owen Trystane is, simply put, an optimistic nihilist. He views existence as meaningless. Not as in it being futile, but as in it having no predetermined point or values. Denying life of an intrinsic meaning, he instead believes it is people and, most importantly, their intent that provides that. A fact he finds equally fascinating and beautiful. As an extension he believes in no higher purposes, no greater goods or evils. Matter of fact; he doesn’t believe in good or evil at all. He views morality as a social construct. After all, the universe itself isn’t capable – or, if it is, doesn’t seem to care – about morals. And since words such as good and evil were given meaning throughout time, who is to say that one’s evil isn’t another’s casual Tuesday? No, to Lance there is no good or evil. There is only power and the intent with which its wielded. Besides, as he often preaches, if you need to be told that things -like wanton murder or judging people based on circumstances they can’t control- are evil in order to not do them…That isn’t morality at all. That’s lack of common sense. That’s not to say he lacks a moral compass. He just doesn’t concern himself with dealing with the whole aspect of morality in general. Lance follows a personal code of conduct, generated via abiding to common sense and enriched by the values he himself has come to hold. Lance’s nihilistic views don’t stop at his philosophy though. They extend to his day-to-day life as well. He rejects institutions such as family and finds terms like friends, girlfriends, boyfriends etc. to be inadequate at properly explaining each individual, interpersonal relationship – he does however use them, much to his annoyance, for ease of conversation. Regarding family, Lance thinks that blood relation isn’t enough to warrant the affectionate relationship others think it does. After all, the blood of the covenant runs thicker than the water of the womb. This outlook of his was born out of necessity. Because he had no other escape. No other avenue to pursue. It was that or let the fire gnawing inside him consume him. Lead him towards a never-ending cycle of self-doubt and overthinking. For – and this is the part those who believe in nomenology would deem, that with such a name, was meant to be – Lance is blessed, as they say, by the Ever-Vigil Flame; a curse igniting in the soul of its bearer. Appearing only once in a thousand, the Flame grants its subject power. The potential to be great, as it gifts them with extraordinary magical abilities. But at what cost? Also called the All-Consuming Flame, the curse keeps whispering to its bearer. Constantly making them question themselves and their actions. It keeps them awake at night, causing them to overthink. Over and over and over and over again. To relive every tiny mistake that they’ve ever done. Whether actual or imaginary. Needless to say, that leads most of those blessed with it to madness. When everything around goes wrong, at some point you begin to wonder if you are at fault. So, slowly, as a defense mechanism to guard himself against the oncoming, always at bay madness, Lance turned to nihilism. To put it in more vulgar terms; he forced himself to run out of fucks to give. Existential dread and constant angst aren’t all there is to Lance Owen Trystane. Whatever entities may – or may not, in the end it doesn’t matter – be forbid he be as two dimensional as that. Despite his mental struggles and anguish, he doesn’t let those, and by extension his acquired worldview, dictate who he is as a person. Lance is a quiet young man of few words. Goal oriented and driven, yet easy going. His somewhat imposing appearance bears a stark contrast to his well-mannered, kind personality. Make no mistake though, he isn’t afraid to speak his mind, even if that would make him come off as rude or impolite. To those who do not know him well he may appear as shy or calculating, collected. His movements are usually measured, as he tends to move at his own languid, yet firm and precise pace. He doesn’t easily allow situations to cloud his mind and is perceived as a calm man. Not hard to anger, but hard to show it. Those more intimate with him speak of a different Lance altogether. Passionate about his hobbies and believes. Loyal to a fault to those close to him, yet quite harsh, and at times vindictive, towards any who has earned his ire. In more familiar settings, Lance’s movements tend to reflect his more relaxed state; his pace picks up, hand movements and expressive facial reactions accompany his speech. The way he talks also reflects that change. Whereas otherwise it is short, to the point, polite but frank; towards kith and kin he tends to speak in a more intricate, longwinded and complex manner. Often using metaphors, puns and jokes while he does so. Apropos jokes, Lance’s humor is a borderline worrying – regarding his mental health- aspect of him. Lance seems to enjoy the “small things” in life. Walks under the starlit sky, good coffee and a movie, spending an evening with friends or an afternoon with some warm tea, a fantasy fiction book and a cigarette. At first glance that makes him look sophisticated. An image that will shatter faster than you can say aye-aye though once you see him behind closed door; incessantly rambling about plot holes, theories and ships regarding his favorite books and series. In a fight Lance tends to be pragmatic and efficient; not wasting time or excess energy when it is not needed. His fighting style seems to imitate this as well. Unless he finds the fight in question particularly interesting that is. Then his cocky, taunting side surfaces. When that happens, he seems to enjoy the battle, even if he is reluctant to admit that. He does well in commanding positions but can falter when he doesn’t know his team’s capabilities that well. As a leader he is calculating, cunning but fair. A treatment he expects others to have when he is under their command. Lance views himself and his teammates as equals and demands the same; no matter what position in the team he occupies. |
Likes:
♕ The Simple – Lance enjoys the small thing in life; taking walks in the park, reading a good book by the window or fireplace, drinking warm beverages, smoking in the dark, sharing a bonding conversation in the deep of the night and the like. Deeming life devoid of a predetermined, grandiose meaning he can take in the beauty of now and just being.
♕ The Complex – Few things excite Lance more than a worthy challenge. Be it an intricate problem that requires solution or a blood-boiling, sweat-inducing fight. Adversity breeds excellence and innovation and Lance is too ambitious to not seek self-improvement. Mental or physical.
♕ The Weird – Appearances can be deceiving. Even though he does not look the part, Lance is weird. Or at least, alternative. From his hobbies to his sense of humor. Thus, he is attracted to weird himself. Be it people, stories or whatever. Anything that isn’t mundane or banal piques his interest.
Dislikes:
♕ The Fool – Being taken advantage of. Getting taken for granted. Treated like a fool. Underestimated. Lance is kind and loyal. A great friend to have, but those traits of his being confused as weakness or taken advantage of is enough to bring out his rarely showing ire.
♕ The Clueless – Lance likes to be in the know. Consequently, he dislikes the opposite. Being excluded from inside jokes or lacking context of a conversation is enough to make him want no part in it. He also rarely ever casually discusses topics he knows nothing about, instead preferring to open conversations he has enough knowledge on to form a view about.
♕ The Loud – Both literal and figurative. Apropos the former, Lance is of the opinion that shouting or screeching have no part in a conversation. Civilized beings should act so. As for the latter, he displays a dislike for loudmouthed people. Words can hurt just as much as actions after all.
Motivations:
♕ The Cured – His principal, long-term goal is to be cured of the curse that plagues him. Not cleansed of it, as that would remove it entirely. No. He rather likes the benefits it gifts him, but he would do almost anything to dispel the drawbacks. So far, he has somewhat managed to curb it, but stalling isn’t a win. Essentially, he wants to turn the curse into a proper blessing.
♕ The Able – Closely related to his main goal is the amassing of power and knowledge. Breaking an enigmatic, ancient curse requires both and Lance isn’t above using means others would view as underhanded to get to the top. The ends don’t necessarily justify the means, but in this journey of his he cares not for justifying his actions to others.
♕ The Happy – Not so much a motivation as a dream. From a young age, whenever Lance was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, he would answer with one word; happy. But happiness is an abstract concept, and its entails are different depending on who you ask. As such, finding true happiness is easier said than done. However, Lance isn’t one to back down from a challenge. Especially one as significant as that.
Fears:
♕ The Mad – Amongst Lance’s greatest fears is the Flame winning. Him losing the battle. Losing control and eventually, completely losing his mind. The odds are stacked against him as countless others have fallen into madness and despair due to the curse of the All-Consuming Flame. And the prospect of that happening to him terrifies him.
♕ The Lonely – Despite enjoying spending time with himself, Lance hates, fears actually, being completely and truly lonely. One can be alone without being lonely, but the line between these two can be more than blurry. Even more so for someone who suffers from mental health issues.
♕ The Helpless – Leading a life mentally tormented by a semi-sentient cursed Flame can take a toll on a person. A toll that often leads them to not being able to do anything at all. To being helpless. Lance has been through that roller coaster enough times already and even the thought of being in a similar situation can make him freeze from fear.
General Appearance
Height: 190cm / 6'3ft
Weight: 86kg / 189lb
Hair Color: Violet
Eye Color: Grey
Skin Tone: White
Appearance:
Lance is a tall, lean and muscled young man. He has sharp facial features, grey eyes and violet hair that can, for some unknown reason -speculated by some to be an aftereffect of the Ever-Vigil Flame-, change its length at Lance's will. Outside of battle Lance tends to prefer formal wear; suits, dress shirts and ties. Mostly in hues of black, grey, white, violet or dark blue. Whilst in the comfort of his own home, be that an actual building or amongst those close to him, he occasionally also dresses casualy. During combat, missions or any other scenario that requires it, Lance dons armor. Most often either an alabaster suit with gold details, or a deep violet one with the same accents.
Guild: Plumed Serpent
Tattoo: Back of his left hand
Tattoo Color: Slate Blue