Some info on Baldur (under construction)

[cursed_prince]

Name Title: His Imperial Highness, Prince Baldur
Age: 18
Height: 5'6" | 165 cm (Yes, he's short)

Background

The Yggdrasil Project and the Titan's Curse.

Long ago, mankind had so choked the planet with pollution that it became uninhabitable. The land turned into a wasteland, the air and water had turned toxic, and everything that grew in the poisoned land was similarly poisoned. The remaining humans were left with the burden of attempting to save themselves from extinction. They would either have to adapt themselves, or their surroundings. They chose the latter, and thus the Yggdrasil Project was put into motion.

Their numbers were few and their food supply low, so to complete the project, they created two races that could resist the toxic environment. First were the Sentinels. These were created by combining the genes of humans with those of the local fauna. These creatures were strong and sturdy, helped with physical labour, and most importantly, could consume the poisoned food of the world outside the shelter. The second race were Vessels. These creatures were sharp of mind and swift of foot, highly gifted in the magical arts. However, the Vessels were frail of body, and thus became planners and overseers.

A third race were also created. This race was wholly unlike the other two, in that they lacked any sort of free will. They were of one mind, as insects, controlled by their queen, and could only communicate between one another. This third race were unstable, considered failures, and their production halted. They were the Hollows.

The Yggdrasil Project was a success... to a degree. The humans created the Titan, which, while revitalizing the land as intended, went berserk, and attacked its creators. Differing stories tell of what exactly happened then, but what's certain is that the Titan was subdued, and its body fell into a deep slumber, metamorphosing into the Great Tree Yggdrasil.

The revival of the land was not without its consequences, however. A side effect of rejuvenating the land was a disease called the Titan's Curse. Those who came into contact with it slowly turned into plants.

Personality

Baldur, as the only child of the emperor, had immense pressure placed upon him from a very young age. He was forced to grow up far faster than any child should ever have to, in preparation for when he would one day have to take his father's place. Even faster still, when the emperor vanished after taking a retinue of his closest and most trusted knights beyond the barrier separating the lands of the Empire from the rest of the world, for the land of the empire was dying, unable to sustain the crops needed to support its population.

The young prince was still just a child at the time, so nine years, the Empire was run by a council. For nearly a decade he waited, until one fateful day it was discovered that the prince had contracted the Titan's Curse. Unable to wait any longer, he seized control of the government, proving himself far more competent than anyone had foreseen. His first act that cemented his position in power was to remove everyone from the court working solely for themselves. At seventeen, the prince had effectively purged the court of corruption, and he immediately moved on to govern the empire in his father's stead. He noticeably improved the living conditions of the people of the Empire, and the people, in turn, loved him.

Emperor Alfodr, while he had considered the idea of reactivating the Titan who slept within Yggdrasil to once again restore the land as it had in ages past, ultimately decided against such a drastic decision. Doing so would set the Titan's Curse (a fatal disease that slowly turns the afflicted into plants) upon those closest to Yggdrasil and destroy the nonhuman races that cared for it, and thus was repugnant to the kindhearted Emperor. The attempt to find a solution without loosing the Titan's Curse upon the world was what lead Alfodr to take his expedition south of the barrier.

As the years went on with no sign of the Emperor, Baldur slowly became more manic. He was the only one left who still believed that his father and his party would return, and became increasingly agitated whenever the topic arose. He knew that his people's problems weren't just going to get better on their own, and the longer it took for Alfodr to return, the more dire the situation became, for the prince had contracted the Titan's Curse.

Well aware of what this meant for him, the young prince could no longer wait for his missing father to return. He had to make a decision and save his people before the curse could rob him of his life, for if he couldn't, then his people would truly be doomed.

As his fear grew and the curse progressed, the prince's mind suffered. He hardened his heart against even those closest to him until no one had the courage to speak against him for fear of what he might do to them. Eventually, for lack of time and other options, Baldur made the decision that his father had forbade. He would reactivate the Titan and restore the lands of the Empire, regardless of the casualties among the Vessels and Sentinels who cared for it. None in the Empire were brave enough to argue. Not even when he had a young girl, the Medium to Yggdrasil itself, kidnapped.

Logre, the only person to return from Alfodr's expedition, and the prince's most trusted knight and friend, was shocked by what Baldur had become. When he spoke out in protest to the insane plan, Baldur was crushed, his trust shattered. Still, nothing would stop him at this point, and he continued on despite Logre's urging.

Baldur did not, however, succeed in his plans. He came close, but was cut down by Logre, the man he trusted the most, and as he lay dying in despair at the bottom of the pit where he'd fallen into, the Medium reached out to him. Her prayers had healed his curse, and with it, saved his life. Among the rescue party were the Vessels and sentinels, both of which had forgiven him. Touched (and no longer blinded by the fear of his own imminent death), Baldur gained a new determination to find another way to save his people without sacrificing others to do so.

After recuperating from his injuries, he actively worked with the city of Tharsis to better the lives of both their people and the people of the Empire.

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Baldur is, first and foremost, a king (well, emperor, but semantics). He loves his people, and cares for them above even his own life, which he would readily sacrifice if it meant the safety of his people. He tries to be involved in every aspect of his peoples' lives, and mingles with them regularly, both rich and poor.

Despite his selflessness, he is still young, and though he does try to hide it, that sometimes comes through. He has his moments of naiveté, and his biggest fault is hubris. He firmly believes that he can succeed in everything he tries, to the point of recklessness. When Wyrm, a great fire dragon, attacked Imperial refugees traveling to the nearby city of Tharsis, Baldur set out to slay the beast alone. He likely would have perished in the attempt if not for the aid of the guild from Tharsis. He was immensely grateful for the help, and acknowledged that his recklessness could have gotten himself killed.

Because he never really had much of a childhood to speak of, he has a difficult time grasping the concept of doing something just because it's 'fun.' He can come across as stuffy and overly serious at times, but doesn't easily anger.