Lysanthir- or Lys from an affectionate few- is the young, heavily burdened elven king of the corrupt and iron-fisted Tamnaeth Empire. He's new to this role, having forcibly taken it up after his father's shocking public assassination, and he's doing the best he can... though not without the assistance of his advisors and the Queen-Mother. Under threat from all sides and despised by a good portion of his people, it's difficult to find time to simply be a person, let alone one with any true balance in their life. Conditioned from a young age to take on this role, he was nevertheless not ready for it, though he does well not to show any vulnerability.

Lysanthir is serious, attentive, and laser-focused on his work. He performs his role to the best of his ability, making all the required appearances and not stepping a foot out of line. Does he have any other choice? Sheltered from the world, he knows little other than what his family has presented to him. He carries with him their prejudices, their reputation, and their cruelty, along with a deeply entrenched sense of entitlement. It's all he knows. His exterior is very kingly, despite his young age, thanks to a lifetime of preparation. That being said, beneath the surface, perhaps not everything is so meticulously put-together.

--- appearance ---
At a height of 6'4", Lysanthir is certainly on the taller side by human standards, though his height is common among elves. With long, fair hair down to his tailbone and pale skin, he takes on the common traits of his family. He has a somewhat narrow, long face. A contrast is found with his gaze: though he has an almost sleepy, heavy-lidded look with prominent eyelids, his irises are the alert, incisive blue of a glacier. Having the king gaze upon you can be particularly intense given this feature, though perhaps that is in part due to his elevated stature... and the dangerous reputation of his family. In spite of it all, his features have a delicate look to them that lies in opposition to the power he wields. He's rarely seen smiling, and when he is it's often for appearances- courtly pleasantries, and the like.

Lys has had a very active fitness regimen from a young age, and so he is quite toned, though in shape he is slender rather than bulky. It makes sense, then, that his preferred physical activities tend to require agility and precision rather than throwing one's weight around indiscriminately.

Whether for the sake of appearances or out of genuine interest, the king pays significant attention to his fashion, often leaning toward cool tones that draw out the color of his eyes. He is typically clothed in luxurious garments and fabrics from all over the world, jeweled and embroidered with care by the finest clothiers. Only his closest individuals- family, for the most part- have the privilege of seeing him without his crown, a delicate golden piece of art that is pleasing in its aureate simplicity. He frequently wears other gold jewelry to match, particularly on his ears- the typical long and pointed sort of his race.

--- personality ---
Lysanthir is sedate and highly disciplined, a result of his upbringing in the confines of royalty. His demeanor is attentive, always keenly observant of his surroundings and the people he interacts with. Lys approaches his responsibilities with strict determination. His sense of duty, instilled from birth, compels him to adhere strictly to the rules of his station. He is not personally cruel, nor is he harsh or sadistic, though the punishments he dispenses may be seen as such- he does not shy from execution, stamping down uprisings with brute force, or long imprisonments, among other things. After all, what has he been taught? That a ruler must be feared as much as they are loved.

When it comes to humans and commoners alike, his outlook is fairly similar between them. He has a distinct prejudice against both along with a sense of supremacy as his birthright, and has little exposure to either group, save for scarce interactions with human nobles for the sake of diplomacy. He does not look down on them in a deliberate manner, nor does he wish them ill: they are simply inferior, and that is the end of the discussion. That being said, on some level he feels a twinge of envy. He does not know what it is like to be a 'normal person,' though he often wishes he did. He has the strange sense that there is something very crucial he is missing... but at the same time, who would not desire his status? Perhaps he has envy of humanity's perceived simplicity. Regardless: he is at the pinnacle of the world, he tells himself, and so he must dismiss these ungrateful and bizarre ideas.

Having been entitled to the servitude of others from a young age, Lys has no qualms in ordering others around. He doesn't do it with malice, but with the air of expectation that one would afford to objects or animals: they are there to serve his needs. Far from an angry person, Lys feels more confusion and surprise when he is defied, not rage, and he is not easily driven by emotion in his decision-making.

Though Lysanthir's facade of kingly perfection is meticulously crafted, it is not without his cracks. He has a fundamental loneliness and a lack of trust in others that is frankly warranted considering his surroundings, and this leaves him yearning for genuine connection. That being said, he isn't informed enough to be sure what he's looking for. He simply feels a hollow void, and conjures fanciful ideas of what this or that experience must be like from what he's read in books. He is occasionally known to have strange interactions with servants and others lower in stature than himself, requesting that they play board games with him or otherwise share his company in similarly trivial pursuits. This is universally awkward. Yet it is a sign that Lys is capable of being playful, and even gentle- it is just that he must construct his own outlet for these feelings rather than having one in his day-to-day life as a king.

Thanks to his strict upbringing, Lys is very harsh on himself, though he doesn't often show it externally. He is deeply affected by doing anything that isn't perfect, and he tends to avoid anything he knows he isn't already skilled at. It's both a fear of embarrassing himself and a fear of confronting his own failure... though what he considers 'failure' is simply anything short of being a paragon at whatever he's trying.

--- backstory --- 
From a young age, it was instilled in Lys that he must attain perfection in all things- but fate would smile on him, for his family's belief was that he was destined to do so as well. After all, how could the first-born son of such an illustrious king be anything other than a paragon of society, the best the empire had to offer? Thus he was trained from birth to be the best he could be... and cruelly punished when he fell short.

That being said, despite his occasional faults Lysanthir was every part the golden boy his parents dreamt of. Attentive, studious, and poised, he took to his lessons as a fish to water, yearning to impress his notoriously strict and uncompromising parents. His younger brother and only sibling, Ylyndar, was more rebellious and erratic, and this only cemented Lysanthir's favored status as his foil. Notably, Lys was frequently exposed to the intricacies of kingly duties, his father bringing him to various meetings and (boring) events even when he seemed too young to be present. Though this was no doubt taxing on an easily disinterested young mind, it was nevertheless illuminating- and, at times, desensitized Lys to cruelty and violence.

Over the course of Lys's life, the influence and size of his family's empire grew drastically, though it was unstable and ever-shifting. In particular, many strides were taken to subsume human civilization into a place under elven rule. The empire is and was greatly unpopular among humans, particularly those who were forced into subservience after their own leaders were defeated, but many were left with no choice other than accept their new king. And Lys's father was, indeed, quite unpopular: cruel, cold, and iron-fisted, he was nevertheless shrewd and fearfully competent with both diplomacy and warfare alike.

It was during a feast that Lysanthir's father was assassinated by an irate human noble, who sought to make himself a sacrifice in order to liberate his people of this harsh rulership. The noble was promptly executed by Lys, his first act after his coronation... and so the former prince was forced into the spotlight, taking on innumerable responsibilities far before he was ready. Though he is not nearly as sadistic as his father, he is still unpopular by association, and his proficiency at following in his father's footsteps certainly doesn't help matters.

He is very close with his mother, and it is plain as day to most that she is the one pulling all of the strings and influencing Lys. As for whether he sees it or not... well, he might, but if anything he values the guidance of such an experienced diplomat. Besides, maybe it's nice not to have to make all of the decisions...

--- abilities ---
Like other elves of his sort, Lysanthir has control over nature magic. He is capable of communicating with animals and even with plants to an extent, and in his presence nature has a certain malleability- for example, he can coax plants to grow in certain forms, overriding their biology. However, usage of magic by the empire has atrophied due to their increased distance from the natural world, and so most of what he knows about nature magic would classify more as a party trick or ornamentation rather than anything useful in combat. That being said, animals and plants still have a kinship with Lysanthir and his ilk. They are easier to control and more likely to have positive will.

He has enhanced vision in the dark and particularly honed senses of sight and hearing. He ages at a significantly slower rate than humans, with an estimated lifespan of 300 years, and is not prone to many of the sorts of infirmity that plague humans as they age.

In terms of more mundane abilities, Lysanthir is fluent in multiple languages. He is skilled with horses as well as with swordplay, and can play the harp expertly, along with other instruments at varying levels of proficiency. He is trained in moving with a particular grace along with general courtly mannerisms, these being so ingrained into him from a young age that he can't 'turn them off.'