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 Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 11:03 pm
"A brilliant mind, such gifted hands, a master of his art..."
Here one may read of Arden Saint-Just, a foppish scientist hailing from the Western Continent. Wealthy, narcissistic, and assured of his superiority, the fellow wishes to truly begin his life. With your permission, of course.
Likewise, a description of the Plague Villefort, a dainty pair of spectacles, can be found below. This cold, rigid being sees what most do not, arguably at the exclusion of all else. A shared trait between the two, though the degree varies.
Read, enjoy, critique. I welcome all comments, and will endeavor to correct any overly noticeable imperfections.
"...and yet he still can't understand the workings of the heart."
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Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 11:59 am
Character
General Information ~
Name: Arden Montewalz Saint-Just
Nickname: Saint-Just
Age: 21
Sex: Male
Place of Origin: Durant, Western Continent
Current residence: Gadu, Imisus
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Marital Status: Single
Socioeconomic Level: Exceedingly wealthy
Occupation: Patron of the sciences
Appearance ~
Being a prime example of the Western Nobility, by which one is of course referring to the fashionable, affluent lordlings of the Western Continent, Arden Saint-Just is deeply interested in the upkeep of his appearance. The superior genes of his father, largely unaffected by the inbreeding inevitable in particularly old and prominent families, once more produced a naturally superior specimen of aristocratic beauty. That is to say, pale skin, clear complexion, high brow, and soft, dainty features. Gifted with an almost superhuman knowledge of managing one’s toilette, Arden is rarely seen as anything less than immaculate.
Considering himself a trendsetter, Arden has shunned the short hairstyle popular amongst the upper class in favor of feathered hair terminating just above his feminine shoulders, covering the ears and, most importantly, featuring perfectly arranged bangs delicately brushed to the left. Working in splendid conjunction with his gold-tinged brown hair are Arden’s radiant cobalt eyes. Of an almond shape, the windows through which the young nabob views the world gaze lazily through luxurious lashes, resting upon subtle cheekbones. His well-formed nose and exquisite pink lips are the very picture of perfection, the latter being perpetually contorted in a disarmingly cynical smirk.
Accepting that, by merit of his girlish, elegant shape, he would never be seen as traditionally handsome, Arden has willingly embraced the lifestyle of the dandy, of the vainglorious fop. He is typically garbed in frilly, opulent outfits, consisting of a waistcoat worn over a fine blouse, a jacket of irreproachable cut, breeches shifting abruptly to stockings, and buckled shoes. A charming piece of headwear is dependent upon the weather, of course. Lace is featured in abundance, most especially in the extravagant cuffs that cascade over Arden’s long, thin fingers. An impeccably tied ascot is not negotiable, present from morning until night around the lordling’s neck. He prefers a combination of grey cloth with crimson accents, though he is quite open to pastels and, if the situation so calls for it, a creamy off-white.
Personality ~
As one may have gathered from the physical description of Arden, his personality is rather more egocentric than one may hope to find in a companion. However, it is a rather subtle egotism the man practices, often realized through seemingly selfless acts in the pursuit of his long-term goals. In short, Arden is at all times focused on his personal aims, his fingers ever playing across the threads that make up the web of his machinations. This is a deceptively negative description, for it would be folly to assume that Arden’s ends are any less agreeable than his beneficent means.
Diverging from this line of thought, Arden is a generally charismatic individual, his appearance supplemented by sparkling conversation. Though his flattering words are admittedly less than sincere in most situations, it is rather difficult to uncover them as such, and even if one does, they somehow remain fulfilling to hear. His speech is as extravagant as his clothing, running the gamut from flowery to downright poetic. Yet it can be understood, through extended observation of the man, that his florid prose is a mask, intended to disguise his disinterest and his true opinions.
While it has been suggested that Arden is in fact quite brilliant, it is a daunting task indeed to convince him to put forth the smallest amount of effort toward any particular task. In fact, he has a habit of ending all endeavors halfway through. His study is littered with preemptively abandoned works of literature, potential masterpieces of painting surrendered to oblivion, and engineering marvels eternally in their inchoate stage. The two gentlemanly pursuits in which Arden actively engages and excels are the schools of fencing and chemistry. Talented with a rapier, the young noble has triumphed time and time again against similarly affluent opponents, yet the general consensus is that, faced with a brigand intending to take his life, the unfortunate gent would be quite defenseless. On the other hand, Arden’s superior knowledge of the sciences deemed worthwhile and modern, predominately the mixing of medicines, is applicable in a wide range of situations.
It should be noted that no small amount of arrogance is present in Arden's character. Even in his homeland he did not for a moment doubt his superiority, a sentiment all the more justified in the "barbaric" land of Panymium. This hauteur has shaped a man that sees all while understanding little, who hears yet fails to truly listen. One must wonder if his knowledge is applicable in the real world, or if it is merely theoretical and pedantic.
History ~
As the child of an aristocratic family of Durant, a particularly wealthy city of the Western Continent, Arden Saint-Just has been raised in a reality quite apart from that of most others. His father, Count Erick Arden Saint-Just, had inherited his vast fortune from his father, who had acquired it from his father, he from his father, and so on well into the past. Unlike many of the previous Saint-Just patriarchs, Erick had expended a fair portion of the funds in the establishment of the Durantian Academy of Science, devoted to the advancement of the scientific arts. This had predictably brought the family into contact with the matter of the plague, to which the continent was anything but immune. It was not long before the Academy became something of a sanitarium, home to the plague-ridden and mentally unstable, along with not a few political prisoners sent to Saint-Just by the continent’s ruling party. Though initially distraught at the ill turn things had taken, Erick soon acquiesced entirely.
It was at this point that Arden was born to Ellisia Saint-Just, shortly before the plague supposedly seized his unfortunate mother. While too young to understand that the woman had been incarcerated within his father’s institution, he was aware that something was horribly amiss in her absence. However, his concern was easily alleviated by his father’s habit of showering him with gifts. What began with gem-studded toy swords soon became fine clothing, horses, mountains of gold and jewels, even a yacht of the highest quality. Unable to directly accuse his sole benefactor of impropriety in the disposal of Ellisia Saint-Just, Arden had to bite back his bitterness and quietly better himself.
As his twentieth year passed, the plague struck Durant particularly harshly. The majority of the aristocracy, accustomed to spending time in large groups, was decimated, leaving only Erick and Arden Saint-Just, the widowed matriarch of the Duvernois family, and the d’Marque family in its entirety. Unable to explain the sudden spike in plague-related deaths, the government politely pointed its finger at Saint-Just academy, suggesting that Erick’s experiments had brought catastrophe upon them all. In their grief, the people responded predictably, burning the academy to the ground and lynching Erick Saint-Just. Arden, having been advised by the eldest child of the d’Marque family to flee, had long since quit the continent with a convoy of carriages bearing the family’s vast fortune in pure gold, unflinchingly reestablishing himself in Imisus of Panymium. His scientific acumen and background, in addition to his wealth, assured him a comfortable life amongst the elites of Gadu.
Having purchased an estate, making his presence known, and investing his funds appropriately, Arden turned his attention to the Council of Sciences. Well aware of them, having observed their work with the plague from afar while in Durant, he felt himself both terrified and intrigued at the thought of such an organization. Fixating more on the latter, Arden began to direct funds to the council while putting off officially joining himself. He had no intention of buying his way in, yet did not have enough confidence in his own abilities to justify attempting to gain membership traditionally. Yet as the plague grew worse and rumors of sentient beings seemingly made of the plague itself reached his ears, Arden’s impatience began to take precedence over his prudence, and his direction finally became undeniably clear.
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Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 2:07 pm
Desired Semi-Custom Plague
General Information ~
Plague Name: Villefort
Gender: Male
Tainted Item: Gentleman’s Pince-nez
Personality ~
Stoic, contemplative, and immovable, Villefort is distasteful of remaining in the company of others for extended periods of time unless able to comfortably remain in the background. Despite his inhuman guile and perception, Villefort is content to keep observations to himself, waiting until he has fully articulated his thoughts before whispering in the ears of those he feels may benefit most from the knowledge. Though this is typically Arden, he has been known to deviate with his companion’s permission. With the exception of these rare moments, Villefort refrains from speaking unless spoken to, and limits his responses to a few curt syllables. He strictly abides by aristocratic conventions, considering himself above any who do not. For that matter, it can be gathered that Villefort fancies himself well above humanity in general. His interest in the human race is purely scientific, observing without feeling the trials and tribulation of the "lesser beings".
Item History ~
As was generally the habit at the time of the item’s crafting, well-to-do gentlemen of the Western Continent were expected to possess a favored hard bridge pince-nez for the purposes of reading archaic texts, looking down upon the poor, observing art with a healthy amount of distaste, and looking exceptionally pompous in mixed company. A certain Mister Hilbert was no exception, commissioning the crafting of a particularly handsome pair of spectacles of tasteful silver, elegant round lenses affixed to a long, thin chain. Mister Hilbert had acquired the piece shortly before he joined Erick Saint-Just at the Durantian Academy of Science as the Overseer of Internal Aberrations. This, of course, was simply an elaborate title for the individual in charge researching the men driven mad by the plague. Mister Hilbert relished the role, taking great pleasure in playing god within the lamentable lives of these men, subjecting them to all manner of fell games. It was through the lenses of his favorite pince-nez that he observed their suffering.
When the academy finally fell to the wrath of the public and the madmen were liberated, it was to their mercy that Mister Hilbert was left. Predictably, they reacted as any caged animal might, rending their former captor limb from limb with a collective fanaticism profoundly terrible to behold. They then turned upon each other, spilling their plagued blood upon the cursed ground. Within the sea of gore was found the pince-nez, the lenses covered in dried blood. All attempts at cleaning the accessory proved fruitless, the lenses remaining black with the plague’s taint. Valeforth d’Marque, heir to the d’Marque fortune and close friend of Arden Saint-Just, mistook the spectacles for one of Erick Saint-Just’s belongings, and promptly sent the item by courier in a show of brotherly kindness.
Though understandably confused by the gift, assuming it to be some eccentric whim of his friend, Arden nonetheless adopted the habit of carrying the item within the breast pocket of his waistcoat, occasionally wearing it as a humorous conversation starter. Though it seemed largely useless for practical purposes, there are times when Arden could swear that its marred lenses are looking right back into his eyes.
Concrete Aspects ~
- Conservative Victorian clothing.
- Always wearing simple pince-nez.
- Black and white color scheme.
- Appears in thirties or forties. Gaunt.
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Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 12:53 pm
I am somewhat concerned about the modernity of the character in relation to the medieval atmosphere in which this story unfolds. However, being from the Western Continent, which is described as "Victorian with magic-science infused technology", I feel like Arden is about right for that region. If not, do inform me.
Regarding the spectacles in particular, my research regarding glasses has revealed that functional specimens had begun to appear no later than 1300, and as such would likely be present even in medieval Panymium, making them undoubtedly common in the Western Continent.
My primary concern is with the Plague. I do not believe he has been thoroughly fleshed out. The item, perhaps, but not the plague himself. I imagine that would come once the being was in a more sentient stage, and that the arguably vague description will suffice for the time being. Assuming he is ever accepted, of course. To be quite honest, I would thoroughly enjoy any Plague if Villefort doesn't make the cut.
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