Sion Astal is first and foremost the beloved King of Roland. Having had a first-hand experience of how much misery can be caused by war and incompetent rulers, Sion works hard and diligently to make of his Kingdom – and ultimately the world – a happy and peaceful place. For that, Sion will employ any means necessary: from sound policies and natural charisma to foul play and the most brutal violence. Always moving forward for the well-being of his people, Sion’s tough decisions and less than ideal Faustian pacts are progressively taking a toll on his sanity, health and soul. With his destiny-bound friends Ryner Lute and Ferris Eris, he is part of a convolved plot that has already given birth to four soft novel series (almost 40 published books and a 24 episode anime). It involves past lives, possession by godly selves, many versions of a puzzling creation myth and the (recurrent) end of their world.
As a price and a requirement to become the King of Roland, Sion is also possessed by his original self, so to speak. The Fallen Black Hero, or the Mad Hero Asruld Roland, as he is also known, is described as a god, a monster and as Destruction itself. The Hero has lived multiple incarnations as "Sion" and has been attempting to destroy/save the world and save himself and his best friend (the uber author god/demon/alien/thing Ryner Eris Reed) over and over and over, in a world that is destroyed every 1.000 years by Lovecraftian goddesses. The Mad Hero consumes Sion from the inside and merges with him, causing the kind of uninterrupted pain that makes one wish they were dead and giving him what could be described as a split personality. The struggle between Sion and the Hero is rendered even more hopeless by the fact that the two are essentially the same person and, these days, the merging is almost complete.
Personality: Sion is a pragmatist dreamer - a kind, selfless man with "a slight flaw in his character". The fact that he does whatever it takes to achieve the greater good - even trampling on his personal beliefs - is both an impressive skill and an inescapable curse, for he never loses sight or morally justifies what he is doing. Pragmatism X idealism, individual interests X collective needs, mature common sense X compulsive behavior, reason X emotions are permanent tensions in his characterization. Sion is always regretting his most morally questionable decisions even when cold reason tells him his choices were sound, and thus the friend is always at odds with the king and the legendary hero can’t agree with the flesh and blood young man. In other words, Sion is a walking allegory about the constraints of power and personal sacrifices made by remarkable rulers.
Sion has a terrible tendency to shoulder emotional burdens on his own. As a king of millions, he has been conditioned to believe - sometimes quite correctly - that EVERYTHING is his responsibility. His protectiveness of his people turns him into an impossible workaholic, who frequently decides against eating and sleeping. Most people don’t notice his internal conflicts, for the King has always a genuine pleasant smile, confident words and a slightly twisted, trollish sense of humor to share with his subjects. Under it all, there is still a boy who is afraid of ending up abandoned and unloved, a sensitive man burdened by terrifying doubts and a very low self-esteem, and that’s where his friends – and particularly Ryner - play a major role.
Sion is a people's person, and it is in people's love that he finds his real strength (canon will prove that this affirmation is quite literal). Sion pretty much thrives on positive CR and harmonious groups, while conflict makes him depressed and even ruthless if the occasion demands. The darker the scenario, the more likely he is to present a confident, aloof facade and take the tow of difficult choices. Usually he is friendly, warm and sometimes deliberately silly around people, but being a keeper of dark secrets, he is less likely to talk about himself and open up completely. Sion is an honest faker to not be taken at face value.
Since he is pretty much merged with his godly self and is no longer human, he is also more prone to adopt the Hero's mannerisms and way of speaking under stress. In his body and soul, the Hero carries the curse of the pain, hope and screams of entire populations of vanished worlds. It is implied that this is the reason behind Sion's depth of emotions and strong empathy. Also related: SION IS ALWAYS IN PERMANENT AND EXCRUCIATING PAIN, but conceals it from those around him.
Writing Sample:
01. If given a choice, what would you like to be called? Sion. 02. Do you require socks to be part of your uniform? It is my strong belief that life is more pleasant with warm feet. 03. Not including mandatory periods of silence, what is the longest you have gone without talking? Sometimes I talk to myself. 04. Are you plagued by suspicions that other people, including coworkers and relatives, may be doing things behind your back that will hurt you? That has already been dealt with. 05. Other than a large egret, what wild animal would you like to domesticate? A puppy or a horse. Though those are usually already domesticated, aren’t they? Well, perhaps a fox or a wolf, if I am allowed to ride the wolf. 06. Are you functionally incapacitated by witnessing other people's misery? I do my best to help those who need it. 07. What is your favorite flatware for, purely as an example, eating cake? A spoon. Purely as an example, I prefer cake batter. 08. Do you trust yourself? Well, they say the Hero King cannot be wrong... 09. Please list a crime that only you would know that you have committed. I once told my friend I was stuck in my robes to persuade him to undress me. Is that a crime, I wonder? 10. If you disappeared tomorrow would anyone miss you? I happen to be a public figure.
Re: Sion Astal | The Legend of Legendary Heroes
Canon: The Legend of Legendary Heroes
Reference Link:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_the_Legendary_Heroes
Character History:
Sion Astal is first and foremost the beloved King of Roland. Having had a first-hand experience of how much misery can be caused by war and incompetent rulers, Sion works hard and diligently to make of his Kingdom – and ultimately the world – a happy and peaceful place. For that, Sion will employ any means necessary: from sound policies and natural charisma to foul play and the most brutal violence. Always moving forward for the well-being of his people, Sion’s tough decisions and less than ideal Faustian pacts are progressively taking a toll on his sanity, health and soul. With his destiny-bound friends Ryner Lute and Ferris Eris, he is part of a convolved plot that has already given birth to four soft novel series (almost 40 published books and a 24 episode anime). It involves past lives, possession by godly selves, many versions of a puzzling creation myth and the (recurrent) end of their world.
As a price and a requirement to become the King of Roland, Sion is also possessed by his original self, so to speak. The Fallen Black Hero, or the Mad Hero Asruld Roland, as he is also known, is described as a god, a monster and as Destruction itself. The Hero has lived multiple incarnations as "Sion" and has been attempting to destroy/save the world and save himself and his best friend (the uber author god/demon/alien/thing Ryner Eris Reed) over and over and over, in a world that is destroyed every 1.000 years by Lovecraftian goddesses. The Mad Hero consumes Sion from the inside and merges with him, causing the kind of uninterrupted pain that makes one wish they were dead and giving him what could be described as a split personality. The struggle between Sion and the Hero is rendered even more hopeless by the fact that the two are essentially the same person and, these days, the merging is almost complete.
Personality: Sion is a pragmatist dreamer - a kind, selfless man with "a slight flaw in his character". The fact that he does whatever it takes to achieve the greater good - even trampling on his personal beliefs - is both an impressive skill and an inescapable curse, for he never loses sight or morally justifies what he is doing. Pragmatism X idealism, individual interests X collective needs, mature common sense X compulsive behavior, reason X emotions are permanent tensions in his characterization. Sion is always regretting his most morally questionable decisions even when cold reason tells him his choices were sound, and thus the friend is always at odds with the king and the legendary hero can’t agree with the flesh and blood young man. In other words, Sion is a walking allegory about the constraints of power and personal sacrifices made by remarkable rulers.
Sion has a terrible tendency to shoulder emotional burdens on his own. As a king of millions, he has been conditioned to believe - sometimes quite correctly - that EVERYTHING is his responsibility. His protectiveness of his people turns him into an impossible workaholic, who frequently decides against eating and sleeping. Most people don’t notice his internal conflicts, for the King has always a genuine pleasant smile, confident words and a slightly twisted, trollish sense of humor to share with his subjects. Under it all, there is still a boy who is afraid of ending up abandoned and unloved, a sensitive man burdened by terrifying doubts and a very low self-esteem, and that’s where his friends – and particularly Ryner - play a major role.
Sion is a people's person, and it is in people's love that he finds his real strength (canon will prove that this affirmation is quite literal). Sion pretty much thrives on positive CR and harmonious groups, while conflict makes him depressed and even ruthless if the occasion demands. The darker the scenario, the more likely he is to present a confident, aloof facade and take the tow of difficult choices. Usually he is friendly, warm and sometimes deliberately silly around people, but being a keeper of dark secrets, he is less likely to talk about himself and open up completely. Sion is an honest faker to not be taken at face value.
Since he is pretty much merged with his godly self and is no longer human, he is also more prone to adopt the Hero's mannerisms and way of speaking under stress. In his body and soul, the Hero carries the curse of the pain, hope and screams of entire populations of vanished worlds. It is implied that this is the reason behind Sion's depth of emotions and strong empathy. Also related: SION IS ALWAYS IN PERMANENT AND EXCRUCIATING PAIN, but conceals it from those around him.
Writing Sample:
01. If given a choice, what would you like to be called?
Sion.
02. Do you require socks to be part of your uniform?
It is my strong belief that life is more pleasant with warm feet.
03. Not including mandatory periods of silence, what is the longest you have gone without talking?
Sometimes I talk to myself.
04. Are you plagued by suspicions that other people, including coworkers and relatives, may be doing things behind your back that will hurt you?
That has already been dealt with.
05. Other than a large egret, what wild animal would you like to domesticate?
A puppy or a horse. Though those are usually already domesticated, aren’t they? Well, perhaps a fox or a wolf, if I am allowed to ride the wolf.
06. Are you functionally incapacitated by witnessing other people's misery?
I do my best to help those who need it.
07. What is your favorite flatware for, purely as an example, eating cake?
A spoon. Purely as an example, I prefer cake batter.
08. Do you trust yourself?
Well, they say the Hero King cannot be wrong...
09. Please list a crime that only you would know that you have committed.
I once told my friend I was stuck in my robes to persuade him to undress me. Is that a crime, I wonder?
10. If you disappeared tomorrow would anyone miss you?
I happen to be a public figure.