Desmonthenes "Dez" Oracion
Appearance
"He had no guile nor threat about his person. A picture of well-mannered naivete, good-intentioned unimportance. Handsome, though not strikingly so; strong and healthy, though not of impressive stature.
His voice glowed like the dawn when he spoke, shone like the noon-day sun when he laughed, and blazed like a sunset when he sang.
About him could be said nearly any good thing, and yet no great thing. A picture of that youthful innocence that lingers in the souls of the truly good when they are grown.
And yet, from the moment I saw him, I was frightened of him."
His voice glowed like the dawn when he spoke, shone like the noon-day sun when he laughed, and blazed like a sunset when he sang.
About him could be said nearly any good thing, and yet no great thing. A picture of that youthful innocence that lingers in the souls of the truly good when they are grown.
And yet, from the moment I saw him, I was frightened of him."
Skills and Abilities
Can read and write in the common tongue. Plays the lute and sings, is a practiced and experienced performer.
Former member of the Allirian Guard, served two years. Dez is well-versed in the use and care of leather, half, and plate armors. He is adept with spear, pike, and halberd, though his first love is the longsword.
Dez is well-conditioned and strong, capable of prolonged activity wearing half-plate and carrying weapons without tiring much. This has proven useful in his one-man war against the kingpin Radis the Gold.
Former member of the Allirian Guard, served two years. Dez is well-versed in the use and care of leather, half, and plate armors. He is adept with spear, pike, and halberd, though his first love is the longsword.
Dez is well-conditioned and strong, capable of prolonged activity wearing half-plate and carrying weapons without tiring much. This has proven useful in his one-man war against the kingpin Radis the Gold.
Personality
An entertainer, always looking to get a reaction, a laugh, a smile. His jokes and banter are comfortable to him, give him a sense of control. This is all just a show, and it must go on. It does better to dwell on today's distraction than past pain.
Biography & Lore
Desmonthenes Oracion was raised in the riverside town of Grayshore by his aunt and uncle. Shortly after his birth, his father perished fighting off bandits with the local militia, and grief, along with complications after childbirth, took his mother not too long after.
From his aunt he learned of his parents' love for him, for each other, and for adventure. From his uncle, a farmer, he learned good work ethic. But Dez had many music teachers. Grayshore sits on the River Sayve, and so barges would sometimes bring travelling musicians, who would perform in the town square or local inn. There, Dez would trade what little coin he'd made working odd jobs for a short music lesson.
Practicing constantly on his own, Dez grew to love music greatly, and when he grew older, even bought and repaired a damaged lute, for him to play while he sang. He became a favorite in the local tavern, but always dreamed of more.
At 18, Dez left Grayshore, and the countryside of the Allir Reach, to seek his fortune in the big city; Alliria itself. Enlisting in the Allirian Guard, the lad, now a young man, became stronger. He learned to wield a sword, to take a hit, and to keep the peace. He never quite learned to follow orders, however. About two years into his service, Desmonthenes arrived at the scene of a disaster: two master mages, dueling to the death. Completely disregarding his instructions, Dez put himself into harms way to try to mediate the fighting and save civilian lives. Despite his best efforts, he managed to do neither.
The threat of dismissal hanging over his head, the young man took his armor and sword and left the city of Alliria for a time, working as a travelling minstrel in a number of taverns across the Reach. When he finally found himself back in the big city, he kept his head down working in the kitchen of the Dragon's Den, a famous tavern in the lower city levels, owned and operated by the Mistfall sisters. These two living legends were fantastic employers, right up until everything burned down. Literally.
The Dragon's Den tavern was burned down by an old enemy of the sisters' old Red Company: a crime boss called Radis the Gold. With the sisters' missing and presumed to have fled, Dez was left to watch his quaint neighborhood fall under the sway of a slimy crook and his small army of extortionist goons.
Realizing that Radis had support from stooges within the Allirian Guard, the young man decided to take justice into his own hands. He gave a quiet blacksmith every last coin from his savings to have his Allirian Guard armor altered. Improved. Painted. Radis thought the Red Company was dead and gone? Dez would become the man's greatest fear. A soldier in red plate, harrying the criminal empire at every turn. A spectre of vengeance.
Because Dez was a lone man and not a combat god, he developed a hit-and-run style of vigilante justice. He always attacked by surprise, never fought a fair fight, and always left at least one alive to tell the story. He stole, destroyed property, set fires, did whatever it took to cause Radis the Gold as much misery as possible. And slowly, the story spread.
Despite Radis trying to keep his private criminal war against one lone man a secret, the Allirian Guard eventually posted a bounty. The dastardly rogue clad in scarlet plate was a public menace, and would be arrested on sight. Since his identity was a mystery, he needed a menacing name.
So it was that Alliria first began to whisper the tales of The Scarlet Dastard.
From his aunt he learned of his parents' love for him, for each other, and for adventure. From his uncle, a farmer, he learned good work ethic. But Dez had many music teachers. Grayshore sits on the River Sayve, and so barges would sometimes bring travelling musicians, who would perform in the town square or local inn. There, Dez would trade what little coin he'd made working odd jobs for a short music lesson.
Practicing constantly on his own, Dez grew to love music greatly, and when he grew older, even bought and repaired a damaged lute, for him to play while he sang. He became a favorite in the local tavern, but always dreamed of more.
At 18, Dez left Grayshore, and the countryside of the Allir Reach, to seek his fortune in the big city; Alliria itself. Enlisting in the Allirian Guard, the lad, now a young man, became stronger. He learned to wield a sword, to take a hit, and to keep the peace. He never quite learned to follow orders, however. About two years into his service, Desmonthenes arrived at the scene of a disaster: two master mages, dueling to the death. Completely disregarding his instructions, Dez put himself into harms way to try to mediate the fighting and save civilian lives. Despite his best efforts, he managed to do neither.
The threat of dismissal hanging over his head, the young man took his armor and sword and left the city of Alliria for a time, working as a travelling minstrel in a number of taverns across the Reach. When he finally found himself back in the big city, he kept his head down working in the kitchen of the Dragon's Den, a famous tavern in the lower city levels, owned and operated by the Mistfall sisters. These two living legends were fantastic employers, right up until everything burned down. Literally.
The Dragon's Den tavern was burned down by an old enemy of the sisters' old Red Company: a crime boss called Radis the Gold. With the sisters' missing and presumed to have fled, Dez was left to watch his quaint neighborhood fall under the sway of a slimy crook and his small army of extortionist goons.
Realizing that Radis had support from stooges within the Allirian Guard, the young man decided to take justice into his own hands. He gave a quiet blacksmith every last coin from his savings to have his Allirian Guard armor altered. Improved. Painted. Radis thought the Red Company was dead and gone? Dez would become the man's greatest fear. A soldier in red plate, harrying the criminal empire at every turn. A spectre of vengeance.
Because Dez was a lone man and not a combat god, he developed a hit-and-run style of vigilante justice. He always attacked by surprise, never fought a fair fight, and always left at least one alive to tell the story. He stole, destroyed property, set fires, did whatever it took to cause Radis the Gold as much misery as possible. And slowly, the story spread.
Despite Radis trying to keep his private criminal war against one lone man a secret, the Allirian Guard eventually posted a bounty. The dastardly rogue clad in scarlet plate was a public menace, and would be arrested on sight. Since his identity was a mystery, he needed a menacing name.
So it was that Alliria first began to whisper the tales of The Scarlet Dastard.