Profile
If I fail, my life is forfeit.
Should such a thing come to pass, I would rather die knowing the time I spent in this world meant something than to look upon corpses born of my negligence marking the path towards my grave.
Design Notes
Eric's appearence is considered somewhat androgynous. Although he generally dresses in a more masculine manner, his face is considered quite "pretty" and he has noticeably long eyelashes. As such he has occasionally been misgendered by people who don't know him.
Although he has taken less care of his hair in recent years due to seeing it as a lower priority for now, it always looks silky and is quite soft to the touch.
Eric's eyes are a piercing red, and it's usually the first thing people will notice about his appearence. They can somewhat intimidate people before they get to know him. He has no issue with this, as it's important he is able to maintain an aura of authority.
His body is quite slender, and he bruises quite easily. He has little to no scarring thus far in his life.
Story
In order for an heir of Ignatius to ascend to the throne, they must complete a series of trials set out by the Goddess of Flames; Providence. Should one fail to prove themselves to the Goddess in this time, the trial-goer's family line perishes, and a new heir will be sought for the throne. Eric, having very little experience with combat training at the time of his father's death, was filled with a sense of despair as he grieved, believing his situation to be hopeless.
Thankfully, Eric's mother successfully negotiated with Providence, asking for Eric to be given a few more years before he undergoes the trial. Although Eric will still be the youngest to undertake the Trial, he now at least had 4 years to prepare for it. With this knowledge in mind, Eric has dedicated himself completely to his training. He is slowly becoming more irritable and emotional due to the stress, the fact he has not given himself sufficient time to grieve, and that time is quickly running out.
In his 19th summer, knowing his time to face the Trial of Providence is nigh, and still feeling unprepared for it, Eric has made a decision to travel in order to further hone his skills before his 21st birthday. He asks his mother, the Queen of Ignatius, for permission to travel with his Retainer, Sir Nathan Laidn, as a form of protection. To this, he is denied, and is instead permitted to travel if he accepts the Queen's personal choices as his travel companions, as she believed Nathan may only hinder Eric's progress due to his own favoritism and unwillingness to push Eric as far as she could tell. Additionally, Nathan, while having the status of a knight, was very young for the role due to the early promotion, and she felt he was not most suited for the role of his main protector during travel.
It is then that Eric meets Nayu Kai, a young woman from the water kingdom of Isharrige. She was hired by the Queen to serve as a healer during his travels. He is also appointed Sir Raven Laidn, Nathan's older brother, as his main protector for his journey. With this group established, and permission granted, Eric dons an alias of "Leofric Neofern", and sets out on his journey, saying goodbye to his closest friends and family, hoping to become strong enough to face Providence by his return.
Unbeknownst to him at the time, however, was an assailant waiting to strike.
Personality
When first encountered, Eric can give the impression of being an irritable, unapproachable and maybe even spoiled person due to his frank demeanour alongside his wealthy background and resting scowl. While he is indeed irritable and rarely smiles, he is, in reality, a genuinely compassionate person with a strong sense of justice and desire to protect, who has been nothing but a diligent, reliable and caring leader to his citizens. He takes his duty seriously and continuously makes efforts to better himself, particularly in regards to his political knowledge and knowledge on the world around him. Though he can be ignorant at times due to his somewhat sheltered upbringing, he sincerely tries to learn from his mistakes and correct his misconceptions when they are brought to his attention. His hard work does not go unnoticed, and as a result the people of the Kingdom of Ignatius understand he means well and are naturally drawn to him. They find him a charismatic person despite his seemingly prickley exterior.
This suseptibility to frustration, however, can often cause him to be argumentative and impatient. Paired with his strong sense of justice, when Eric believes he is in the right, he is prone to stubbornly holding onto his ideals in the heat of the moment. Once he is given time to cool off, he will then attempt to think on things more calmly and rationally and try to learn and understand the other’s viewpoint. Unfortunately, if not given time to collect himself, Eric may act rashly without thinking all of the consequences through. He tries to be a reasonable person, however, as when it is a decision that involves many people outside of himself, he shows more restraint and will force himself to think things through regardless of how he feels; the people he cares about, which includes the citizens of Ignatius, come first. (Though it is unlikely stop him from voicing his displeasure, as he can be sincere to a fault.)
An unspoken side effect of his upbringing is that Eric can be somewhat poor in regards to accurately expressing himself in more casual social environment. He is far more academically and politically minded, which means he will miss a lot of common social cues. As a result, he can often get embarrassed or defensive when being teased about things he has misunderstood or does not know. One of the most obvious manifestations of this is he is astonishingly oblivious to others’ romantic/sexual feelings and/or advances towards him, no matter how seemingly obvious they are to even the most untrained eye. It's so bad that even when the signs are pointed out to him, he either doesn't pick it up or is quick to dismiss it/offer an alternative explaination.
Additionally, although Eric is an honest person, the massive weight on his shoulders (he and his family’s lives, due to the Trial) and his duty to his people makes him mask his emotional problems from the general populace and his family. He is incapable of remaining completely bottled up, however, and he will confide in his best friend, Nathan, at the earliest opportuinity. Being able to speak with Nathan about his true, deeper emotions has led him to be emotionally dependant on the knight to a degree- though he continues as Nathan has reassured him on several occasions that he likes that Eric can depend on him and wants to be there for him.
Trivia
Eric's body functions at a higher temperature than other humans/humanoid creatures, due to his draconian blood. While the normal core temperature for humans for homeostasis is approximately 36°C-37.9°C, Eric's is 40°C-41.9°C. This means he is generally quite warm to the touch when well. Additionally, he can withstand exposure to higher temperatures for longer than the average person. A draw back to this, however, is he is far more suseptible to illnesses/etc caused by lower temperatures and far less tolerant of it. As a result, he almost always gets sick after a snow/frosty day unless he manages to keep himself sufficiantly warm.
Eric tries to keep a professional front as the heir to the throne, and rarely indulges in his pet, Pyre, in public. That being said, she is usually seen resting on his shoulder or flying alongside him. Behind closed doors or in the company of trusted friends, he'll spoil her endlessly and coo over her.
Besides Pyre, who this urge is strongest around, Eric is also prone to losing his composure around other cute animals. He, quite simply, loves cute things and cute creatures most of all.
Ignatius is a mostly combat orientated Kingdom, yet Eric has a great distain for battle and warfare. This is considered quite unusual, especially for an Ignatian royal.
Eric's family is not a particularly affectionate one. Most of his time with his parents are in more formal, or at the very least public, settings and as such, they would keep a respectful distance from one another. This is a long winded way of saying Eric is incredibly touch starved (outside of Pyre cuddling into him), to the point that, if given the opportuinity, he would be very unsure of how to proceed and would be quite awkward. That being said, Eric is the kind of person to feel reguvinated and thrive with affection, so he would be a clingy and affectionate person with those he cares about if they gave him that chance.
Reading - Eric's books vary from political scriptures to fictional tales of adventure. In recent years, he has focused more on political, historical and biographical writings in an effort to improve himself.
Glass blowing - Glass blowing, glass art and blacksmithing/forging are the main trades of the Kingdom of Ignatius. With most citizens having some control of fire, it makes the process come somewhat easier to them as a whole. Eric initially tried glass blowing as a means of understanding his Kingdom's strengths, but came to enjoy it more than he expected. He has rarely indulged in it in recent years due to his anxiety surrounding the approaching trial.
Singing/Violin - Although Ignatius is generally a combat orientated Kingdom, as a royal, Eric has been trained in a variety of arts and skills. Included among these was music, which he came to enjoy more so than some of his other lessons. The older he gets, the less importance has been placed upon such a thing, but even so he persisted in this hobby until recent years.
Leadership - Eric is a capable leader whenever the need calls for it. He cares about those he is charged with and will do whatever he can to ensure the best outcome. People have confidence in him because of this and his sincerity shines through.
Blunt - Eric is not shy about expressing his mind or approaching others as he feels as necessary. He rarely gets embarassed when in a formal setting and could be considered quite confident in such events. Eric tends to say things as they are and can often stop someone from overthinking a situation by breaking it down to its simpliest points. He does not understand why people hesitate to commuinicate, and he sees it as an easy thing to do when you know it needs to be done.
Outside the Box thinking - Eric is used to adapting to all kinds of situations, and as a result, can often bring unconventional or unexpected solutions to problems. When someone consides in him, he will do all he can to both listen and offer whatever words or advice he can conjure. Despite being prone to missing social cues, he has a knack for hitting the core problem directly, even unintentionally.
Magic - Through both training and the enhancements gifted to him through his draconian blood, Eric is quite adept at magic and has a near effortless control of it.
Anger/Impatience - Despite all of Eric's strengths, a number of them can be rendered null and void if he gets carried away by his emotions. When frustrated, he is prone to acting more rashly and at times irrationally.
Social Cues - With his upbringing being somewhat sheltered and focused on expectations of high society, Eric finds himself lacking when it comes to normal day to day commuinication. Despite his intelligence, sometimes things will just go completely over his head. He can get quite embarassed and even pouty when he is teased in this setting.
Oblivious - His poor ability to pick up on common social cues is most clearly seen in regards to romance. He is completely blind signs of one's affection towards him or the intention behind romantic advances no matter how obvious they are. It's genuinely baffling to any who notice it how oblivious he can be. Even if one's affection was stated plainly, he is still likely to misinterpret it in some manner.
Cold Weather - Eric's body works at a higher temperature than most, and as a result is particularly suseptible to illnesses/etc caused by low temperatures.
Dark - Since his father's death, Eric becomes intensely unnerved when left in a dark environment for an extended period of time. If left there for too long, he is prone to panic attacks.
Close Range Combat - Although he used to be skilled with a sword, since witnessing his Father's death, close range combat makes him extremely uncomfortable and it will trigger the memory if forced into parttaking in it.
Glass Blowing/Glass Art
Singing
Violin
Scheduling
Management
Adapting
Eric has reoccuring nightmares about the day of his Father's death. He only confides in Nathan about these, as he does not want to cause his Mother or sister to remember those traumatic events.
Similarly to above, although Eric is a mostly honest person, he hides his fears and insecurities from the general populace and his family. Being the Crown Prince, he does not want to seem like someone the people can't depend on, and as the heir to undertake the trial, he does not want to cause his family undue anxiety. As a result, he only opens up to Nathan about these deeper fears.
Hoarding - A lesser known habit of Eric's is his tendency to hoard things he likes. This can range from pictures of Pyre to large collections of books he should have returned to the castle library by now. He finds it difficult to let anything go if it has memories attached to it.
Humming - Eric is mostly unaware of it, but he tends to hum when engaged in idle tasks outside of reading.
Scheduling Journal - Eric likes to use a journal to help him keep track of his scheduele despite having advisors who could do that for him.
Personal Journal - For reflecting at the end of the day or to document memories to look back on in the future. Eric has regularly journaled from a young age and has one for each year since he started.
Letter Paper and Envelopes - When journeying, Eric likes to write letters home to Isana, Eidra and Nathan. (Isana's letter is seperate, while Eidra and Nathan's letter is shared.)
Potions/Bandages - Although he set out on his journey with a hired healer, Eric figured it would do no harm to bring backup materials.
Relationships
King Wilfred Ignatius ( Late Father )
Eric's father, Wilfred was both a strong figurehead and a (verbally, but not physically) affectionate father. He would frequently encourage Eric when given the chance, and when Isana may have seemed unintentionally harsh, would do his best to smooth things over. Unfortunately, due to his duties, he and Eric were often apart. As a result, Eric formed an ideal image of his father in his absense that became the object of his admiration. Since his passing, this legacy has only increased in Eric's mind, which has unintentionally put pressure on the young Prince from the unattainable ideal he has created.
Queen Isana Ignatius ( Mother )
Her Majesty, Isana Ignatius, is a dilligiant, dutiful, and tenacious light of the kingdom. Though Eric's fair hair brings to mind his father, none can deny the similarity between he and his mother, from their eyes down to their personalitys and viewpoints. Due to his Father often being occupied by duty, Eric spent more time with Isana growing up. Isana believes that helping shape her son into the most capable monarch she can is both her duty and her means of showing her love as his mother, but as a result she can unintentionally come off as cold or overbearing. When Eric sees families out and about, he finds himself wishing they were more like an ordinary mother and son. As things are now, they are unintentionally emotionally distant with one another despite caring deeply for one another and can often misunderstand eachother despite their similarities.
Princess Eidra Ignatius ( Younger Sister )
Princess Eidra Ignatius is Eric's younger sister who he cherishes and is very protective of. When he was warned that his duties may keep them apart prior to her birth, he instead promised to work even harder so he could spend more time with her- a promise that he upheld. As Eidra is generally a more timid person, Eric is ruthless and unforgiving to anyone and everyone who express any level of cruelty or malice towards her. He sees her safety and happiness as a part of his responsibility both as a Crown Prince and as an older brother. Eidra, in turn, is someone in a unique position in his life who is able to defuse his frustrations easily and reminds him to take it easy every once in a while. They often bond over books they have read and is an enjoyed shared activity between the two of them. Knowing Eidra's life is in his hands is one of his main motivators to succeed in the trial.
Sir Nathan Laidn ( Retainer, Knight, Best Friend )
Close from a young age, Nathan is like Eric's right hand. When Eric is down, he finds solace in Nathan's company and is the only person he feels he can be completely true to himself around, to the point one could consider him quite emotionally dependant on the young Knight, who expresses nothing but willingness to help Eric shoulder his burdens. Nathan's tendency to forego his own safety in exchange for Eric's fills the Prince with endless frustration, however. He wants Nathan to value himself more. Additionally, though the knight thinks he hasn't noticed, Eric can tell he hides some degree (though Eric is unsure to WHAT degree) of his worries from him and wishes Nathan would at least trust him with them. He wants to be closer to Nathan and for Nathan to confide in him more.
Pyre ( Pet )
When Eric was 10 years old, he happened upon a damaged wyvern egg in the courtyard, believed to have been dropped by its mother flying overhead. Eric could not turn away and took it to the Queen for advice. She cautioned him to steel his emotions as the unborn hatchling may have perished, but even so allowed him to attempt to care for it. Eric took her words to heart and for several weeks following, Eric would always be seen with the egg kept close to his body. Though Pyre was born without legs due to the cracks affecting her development, Eric shed tears of joy and relief to know she had made it. The two are currently inseperable and she is almost always seen perched upon his shoulder or flying alongside him. She brings him great joy and he can't help but want to spoil her. He often trusts her with letters to deliever.
Sir Raven Laidn ( Knight )
Sir Raven Laidn is Nathan's elder brother of 7 years, and as such, Eric had a passing awareness of him for years prior to meeting Nathan. Due to them both being headstrong, stubborn and duty driven individuals, they can often butt heads and get frustrated by one another. Eric feels Raven is unnecessarily harsh with him and finds his presence and continuously critical eye to be stressful and anxiety inducing. Raven, meanwhile, believes the Prince is incapable and doubts his abilities, and thus puts him through stricter training to try and whip him into shape. These two are not particularly fond of one another.
Sir Reuben Lillium ( Knight )
Eric mostly knows Sir Reuben Lilium through Nathan's occasional account of him and does not know him on a personal level. He sometimes wonders if Nathan is more open with Reuben due to them sharing an occupation and, as a result, a lot more time together, and it fills him with a slight envy. This envy, however, is not one that causes him to dislike Reuben in any capacity, but rather makes him wish he could learn more about him because if he is someone Nathan seems to be close enough to to mention quite regularly, then perhaps they might get along too. Reuben, on the other hand, holds Eric with high respect and does not know Eric's body language at all. He gets quite nervous and inimidated whenever Eric is present, feeling like he's going to get in trouble if he performs poorly in front of the Crown Prince.
Dame Claire (Surname pending) ( Knight )
Dame Claire is one of the most accomplished Knights in the order, and Eric has been present to a number of her reward ceremonies. For this reason, he holds her, professionally, to a high degree of respect and feels secure in her presense. Conversely, he can also feel quite baffled by how such a highly esteemed knight has such a boisterous personality and is never quite sure how to handle her. Claire, meanwhile, thinks the Prince is an amusing but capable young man and enjoys watching him develop over time. She sincerely believes in him and wants to encourage him like an elder sibling would.
Nayu Kai ( Hired Healer )
Nayu is the healer Queen Isana hired to accompany Eric on his journey. Much to Eric's dismay, she is rude, passive agressive and openly expresses her distain for him at any given opportuinity. He truly feels she is incapable of thinking in a positive manner and she frustrates him to no end. She often avoids talking to him, but when they do talk it almost always turns into some kind of argument. He strongly dislikes her and being in her presense just makes him feel worse about the duty ahead. He has no idea why Nayu is so antagonistic towards him.
June ( ??? )
A mysterious, reserved, yet authoritive young woman, Eric finds himself wary of June's presense and determined to uncover what her goals are.
Tia ( ??? )
A strange, flirtatious and chaotic young woman who Eric finds himself at odds with. He has no idea what to make of her and is not particularly fond of her lack of respect for personal space.
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