Balthazar Tenebris

[veritas]

Balthazar Edric Tenebris




My smile was taken long ago
If I can change I hope I never know

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full name, Balthazar Edric Tenebris
nicknames, Aaimir
age, Twenty-four
class/profession, Sword for hire
marital status, Single
race, Man
alliance, Neutral; his loyalty lies with whoever pays him

hair, His hair is wavy, medium brown, and it falls to just above his shoulders. It's usually messy.
eyes, His eyes are large, deep set, oval, and are forest green in colour.
build and body, He stands at about 6'2'' and weighs roughly 185lbs. He has a lean, but reasonably toned build.
anything else, He has many scars all over his body and several tattoos including an abstract design that covers his right arm, writing on his left shoulder and a dragon on his back.
face claim, Ben Barnes

likes,

• Quiet- Balthazar may not seem like it, but he is actually quite a contemplative person. He likes to spend his time alone with his thoughts, and the quiet allows him to do just that. He has no objections to noise, but usually he prefers silence.
  
• Exploring- The world is a large place, and Balthazar wants to see as much of it as he can. He loves finding new places and learning about them, though often his interest wanes quite quickly.
  
• Crowds- Though crowds tend to be very loud and hectic, Balthazar has always loved them. This love most likely stems from his days as a pickpocket, when areas with crowds were ideal places for him to steal.
  
• Animals- Balthazar has always had quite a way with animals; in fact, he probably get along better with animals than he does with humans. He believes that all living creatures deserve love and respect, though this belief often does not carry over to humans.
  
• Dueling- He loves to test his skills with a sword against others, even if he knows they aren't any match for him. Usually he prefers not to fight to the death, but he will make exceptions for some.
  
• Leto- Leto is Balthazar's dog, his loyal companion. He's had Leto for about five years after he found her abandoned as a puppy.
  
• Drinking- Balthazar has quite a fondness for alcohol. Due to his travels, he doesn't get to drink often, but he always makes sure to visit the local tavern whenever he arrives in a new town or city.
  

dislikes,

• Being told what to do- Balthazar is defiant by nature so the thought of having to do what he's told is almost unbearable to him. He may listen if someone asks him nicely, but it would be very rare for him to follow an order.
  
• Staying still- He has spent much of his life either running or traveling; staying still isn't something that comes naturally to him.
  
• War- Though death and chaos don't bother him, war is certainly not something he enjoys. He does get bored when he goes too long without a fight, but he never desires something as horrid as war.
  
• Darkness- Balthazar has quite an active imagination, so it's often quite difficult for him to be alone in the dark. In the dark everything is unknown and your mind has to fill in the blanks. Unfortunately, his mind often fills them in with less than pleasant things.
  
• Soldiers- Soldiers, especially those from Gondor, are the people Balthazar has the most difficulty getting along with. Not only because of the bounty on his head, but also because his home land and Gondor have a turbulent history, and he was raised to despise all men who came from that land.
  
• Hunting- His love of animals makes that thought of killing any of them difficult; it is something he will only do if absolutely necessary.
  
• Water- Balthazar is from Near Harad, a land that is primarily desert. His tribe usually stayed near water, but he never learned how to swim as the strange liquid just didn't appeal to him.
  

strengths,

• Bravery- Balthazar has never been one to let his fears stop him from doing what he wants. Once he decideds what he is going to do, he won't stop, no matter how scared he is.
  
• Language- Balthazar is capable of speaking several languages including the common speech and two languages from his home land.
  
• Intelligence- Though he may act like one, Balthazar is no fool. He is well read for his age and quite skilled as reasoning and problem solving.
  
• Independent- Balthazar has no difficulty surviving on his own and he has no difficulty being alone. He is self-reliant and likes to take care of himself.
  
• Resilient- Years of traveling and combat training have made him strong and have given him a great deal of endurance. Uusually, only difficult battles or long days of wandering can truly tire him out.
  

weaknesses,

• Distrustful- Balthazar is usually very suspicious of the people around him, and often feels like people are out to get him. Due to this, he refuses to trust anyone and almost never lets his guard down.
  
• Proud- He has a tendency to think very highly of himself and has difficulty asking for help. Often, even when he does truly need assistance, he will keep going on hiw own rather than asking for help.
  
• Pessimistic- Balthazar usually has a very negative outlook on the future and often expects the worst to happen.
  
• Can't connect with others- Balthazar keeps people at arm's length, he never lets them get close. He has built walls up around his heart and it is almost impossible to get past them.
  
• Irritable- Balthazar gets annoyed easily and is quite quick to anger. This isn't always noticeable however, as he is often either implosive or passive aggressive.
  

fears, Dying alone; heights; losing everything he cares about.
dreams, Balthazar's dream is to get the bounty of his head and find his place in the world. Though he never wants to completely settle down, he longs to have a place to call home again.

personality, Balthazar's father had a substantial influence on his son's personality. He raised him to be tough, emotionless, strong; he raised him to be a warrior, just like him, and Balthazar complied, or at least he tried to. He could never be the man his father wanted him to be; he was too sensitive, too thoughtful, too much of a dreamer. His father did what he could and in time these characteristics did begin to fade, but they never left completely.

Even though his sensitive nature isn't completely gone, for the most part Balthazar acts like his father's son. He tends to be quite aloof around others and likes to make people think that he doesn't care about them or their opinions. When he is dealing with people he usually acts very cold. Over the years, he has taught himself how to turn off his emotions, a skill he finds useful when hunting down his targets. Often, he is selfish and he typically prefers just to look out for himself. He can be very distrustful of others and is very protective of the things he cares about. Due to his poor people skills, he is almost always alone. His difficulty with others really shows when he is trying to be nice, as he tends to come across as rather awkward or shy.

Though he may be considered a terrible person by many people's standards, Balthazar does have redeeming qualities. He has a strong sense of humour and often makes jokes when he thinks a situation is too serious. He can find beauty in almost anything and he has quite an artistic soul, although he rarely lets this show. He is far more intelligent than he lets on, and is usually capable of learning new things rather quickly. Also, Balthazar is deeply spiritual, though he isn't religious. He believes that we all have a destiny and that there are many things in the universe no race of Middle Earth could ever understand.

father, Safir Vane, estranged
mother, Delphine Tenebris, deceased
siblings, Rafe Vane, brother, deceased
other figures, Leto, pet dog
lineage, Near Harad
history, Balthazar's father, Safir Vane, was the leader of the Haradrim tribe in which he was born. His mother, Delphine Tenebris, was a Gondorian woman who had been captured by the tribe while traveling with a group of friends. She was the only one of the group that wasn't immediately killed as her bravery during the attack impressed Safir enough for him to spare her life. Instead he decided to take her back with them to the tribe, he would decide her fate later. If she proved useful, she would be allowed to live among them, but if she didn't she would suffer the same fate as her friends. Once they were back his fondness for her grew quite quickly; Delphine had many qualities about her that he admired. Knowing that her only hope of surviving in this land was to please Safir, she pretended to have feelings for him too. It wasn't long before she bore him a son, Rafe Vane, and a second son two years later.

Balthazar was born on March 26th, 2997 of the third age in Near Harad. At birth he was given the name Aamir Vane, a name which he has long since given up. Balthazar's Gondorian blood created a rift between him and the rest of his tribe early on in his life. He had few friends, and typically spoke only to his immediate family. He was close to his mother in particular as his personality and temperament were much more similar to hers than to any other member of the tribe. They spoke often about a great many things; it was from these talks that his interest to head north was first sparked. But, even with the support of his mother, he had difficulty accepting the fact that he was different. It wouldn't be until he began his training that he would gain any acceptance in the tribe.

Males in Balthazar's tribe were trained to be warriors; the day they could stand and hold a sword steadily was the day they began combat training. He, along with the other boys in the tribe, were taught archery, sword fighting, and horseback riding. He and a few of the more talented students were even taught some skills in hand-to-hand combat. The training lasted from dawn til dusk and was designed to push the boys to their limits. While most boys were able to meet the challenges put on them by their elders, there were a few who could not. While he he was learning, three of his peers did not meet the expectations of their teachers; they were taken away and never heard from again. This way of life continued until he was thirteen, the age when a boy in his tribe is no longer considered a child, and therefore no longer in need of being taught.

Not long after he finished his training, Balthazar's mother grew ill. The sickness was slow to take over her body, but it was impossible to cure. Soon after his fourteenth birthday, his mother passed away. A few days before she died, she called Balthazar into her room and told him all about Gondor, the land she came from. She told him not to be ashamed of the blood that flew through his veins, that he should be proud because it meant that he wasn't like all the others. "They may be barbarians," she told him, "But I know you aren't. It may be too late for your brother, but please don't let them turn you." She went on to tell him about her family, in particular her father, Balthazar. She told him how she had promised her father that she would name her firstborn son after him. "I guess I didn't get to keep that promise after all." Those words were the last she said to him; she fell unconscious soon after and never awoke.

These words haunted Balthazar, and made his desire to see the north all the more potent. After his brother was killed in a feud with a neighbouring tribe, Balthazar decided the best thing for him to do was leave. He set out just before his sixteenth birthday with just his clothes, weapons, and a few scraps of food. His father caught him leaving and told him that if he left he couldn't come back, he would be dead to the tribe. But Balthazar went anyway, leaving behind his Haradrim name and taking the name Balthazar Tenebris in honour of his mother and grandfather.

Reality hit him quickly; his food quickly ran out and he had no money to buy any more. It wasn't long before he had to stoop to stealing to survive. He took any food he could get and often pick pocketed people in crowds. But, soon he began to grow tired of the life of thievery and travel. He was used to battle and bloodshed; this life was just too mundane. So, due to boredom and his need for money, he became a sword for hire. He was good at his job; many areas of Middle Earth actually started offering rewards for his capture. He still lives this life to this day, forgetting his dying mother's wish for him.

alias, Veritas {or Veri}
age, Sixteen
experience, Almost six years
other characters, None yet

rp sample,

Balthazar trudged through the garden, indignant at the gall of those who dared to summon him like some faithful canine. "Humans and their ignorance." he muttered. As he walked he thought about why he was here; he supposed that he didn't truly have to come, as he doubted they would be strong enough to capture him, but yet he still answered their call. I suppose it's because I have nothing left anywhere else.

The school seems nice enough, he thought as he approached. Looks a bit like a mad scientist's lair, but it'll do. He began to glance around at his surroundings, having ignored them to focus on his thoughts up until now. The garden was reasonably nice, he saw quite a few students gawking some feature or another, but he wasn't all that impressed. I've seen far better. As far as schools went, this one seemed relatively good. It was clean, well-kept, and it had a curious air about it that Balthazar had never felt before. This place may be more interesting than I initially thought.

A slight wind blew and he pulled his black blazer tighter around himself, mimicking the action of the humans nearby. Hot or cold made no difference to him, no matter his surroundings, his body temperature would not change; he always remained comfortable. Due to this, he often dressed lightly; right now he was just wearing a light, black t-shirt under his blazer. It had always amused him to see the confused glances given to him by humans when he wandered out in the cold, looking like he was in the tropics. Humans are such stupid creatures sometimes.

He paused briefly as a redheaded girl placed a badge on his chest. A badge, not a pin? he thought as he glanced at the pin that had been placed on the boy in front of him. I guess they're sorting us. He quickly studied the other students around him, checking what they had been given. Humans and non-humans would be my guess. He glanced back at the girl handing out the badges and pins. He didn't even need to to look at her chest, one glance at her eyes was all it took. His dark eyes narrowed. Definitely not a human.

It was then when he finally gave in to the push of the children behind him. Let's just get this over with. He walked quickly through the doors and into the auditorium. Many of the seats were already taken, it hardly seemed like there could be enough to fit everyone still filing through the doors. "Great," he murmured, sarcasm staining his voice, "I just love crowds." He wandered until he found a open seat, scaring off a boy getting ready to sit there. He let out a soft sigh and sat, waiting for the speech to begin.

credit to phips, don't steal!
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[admin phips]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this Veri! I loved the attention to detail and you really described this character so that I feel like he could have been incorporated into the series. Welcome to the site!