|
|
Background
Lord Anton Tracano was the first cousin of King Lucas Tracano, who had served with considerable success as the Lord-Marshal of Rivana in the closing years of the Thirty Years' War. When King Lucas died without designating an heir, Lord Anton became one of the two major claimants to the Throne of Rivana. Despite enjoying a distinct military advantage for most of The Succession War Anton was effectively defeated when Duke Darren Haldis turned on him, crushing his military forces and sending Anton on the run. He was captured and executed in 1863 IE, and his name is now a black stain upon Rivana's history, spoken in the same breath as many of the greatest villains of legend.
NOTE: Much of this is OOC knowledge only, particularly the bits about the Stone and Anton's dark deeds in paving the way for his ascension.
Lord Anton Alphonse Tracano got his start in the autumn of 1817, and his earliest years were certainly no indication of the infamy that would one day accompany his name. He was the son of the youngest brother of King Stephan Tracano, Prince Roger, and Princess Anita Tracano (nee Haldis). His childhood, despite taking place in the early years of the Thirty Years War, was reasonably healthy and happy. He was an adventuresome child who took to the duties of a Page well, and showed much promise when he was squired to his own father. He did show a tendency towards being a bit of a bully as a child, but he was a son of the Royal House…a little lording it over people was probably to be expected. He spent a fair bit of time with his Haldis kinsman, and while Bryar and Anton were never extremely close, Anton forged a bond of brotherhood with Alphard Haldis that would last until the end of their days.
His period as a squire gave him much more battlefield experience than many men his age, as his father was one of Stephan III's commanders in the field during the Thirty Years War. Anton grew quickly in tactical and strategic knowledge assisting his father in the camps and sitting in on his planning sessions. Roger was pleased with Anton's progress and saw him knighted at the age of 19, in the spring of 1837. He quickly had opportunity to distinguish himself, as his father fell in battle in the province of Carsonne but Anton quickly rallied the men, and with the aid of the Archduke Bryar Haldis and his brother Alphard, led a swift and masterful campaign that finally brought the long-embattled segment of Couviere fully into Rivanan occupation, concluding the Third Siege of Carsonne. For these events, Anton would be named Lord-Marshal of Rivana, to much acclaim and renewed hope for victory in the War.
Unfortunately, it was also this campaign that planted the seeds of Anton's eventual corruption, as during the occupation, a strange peddler sold him a most peculiar stone. Anton had never been a particularly religious man, and while at first he found the peddler's promises that the stone would bring him strength so much hogwash, he did immediately notice that he felt better wearing it. It served him well in his next few battles, and Anton also began to notice that his wounds were healing more quickly, and that he felt even more vigorous than a young man of his age should.
His strength was not without a price though…he found himself growing more violent in battle, and indulging his appetites more. He quickly gained a reputation for lechery and enjoying his drink, but his battlefield successes made such things…tolerable if not acceptable. His personality grew more abrasive and he made few friends among the war councils. Beginning to get some inkling that his strange stone was affecting him, Anton set it aside…but he could not bring himself to destroy it, instead believing he could use it as a weapon "when needed" to protect Rivana. His strategy remained nakedly aggressive, and it was Anton who unleashed House Haldis upon Couviere, giving the Archduke Bryar his leave to earn glory in his grand march to the North. While Bryar earned glory and honor for his victories, Anton too shared in the prestige for having permitted it, and while friendship was not forthcoming for the forbidding Anton and the Archduke Bryar, at least a mutual respect appeared.
In 1840 IE, opportunity came to forge an alliance with Venderos, and the hand of the Princess Talia Callidus was the prize that many men competed for, but ultimately it came down to only two: Anton and his cousin, Lord Arturo Tracano. Anton strived diligently to win Talia's hand. He surrendered womanizing and drink. He behaved the perfect gentleman. He carried himself with honor and made many of those around him truly wonder if he was a changed man, for Talia was an enchanting creature, and Anton convinced himself that he loved her, and that she could love him if he would be the kind of man she seemed to want. Sadly…Lord Arturo had already been that man, and the handsome, charming younger cousin wed Talia shortly thereafter. Anton was bitter and heartbroken, and the seed of enmity between himself and Arturo was planted, though it did not start to bear fruit until 1842, when Talia died giving birth to a daughter, Alysande. Blaming Arturo for the tragedy, Anton openly became his rival, often arguing with him in the King's Councils and again slipping into his debauched ways, at least where women were concerned.
He also started wearing the stone again….only a little at a time. He used it on the battlefield, scoring more victories and earning more glory, even if the battles ultimately resulted in little gain. He was infuriated when Carsonne was lost in the treaty that created Pacitta, and took to wearing the stone more frequently still, for it began to become a source of comfort. For a time he managed to be civil with Lord Arturo, at least publicly, as they were forced to work together as Lord-Marshal and Royal Steward. However as time passed, Anton became concerned about Rivana's future after the war.
It was then that a peculiar idea struck Anton after one of King Lucas Tracano's sons perished of an illness. Suddenly Anton saw a path that could make him King of Rivana. It seemed so reasonable at first. Rivana needed a strong king, and Lucas Tracano was not proving to be that king. He needed Anton to run his armies and Arturo to run his kingdom. Anton didn't even think twice when he personally slipped the poison in the cup of Lucas Tracano's eldest son…a slow poison that gave the look of illness. He only felt it proper when Lucas' middle son "accidentally" ended up at the front lines of a fierce battle, falling to many Couviereian arrows. One-by-one…month-by-month…year-by-year…many of those that could have opposed Anton's eventual rule began to die off, and with each death, Anton Tracano's soul grew blacker. He didn't even notice when the Stone started whispering to him…but he heeded its' words, and in so doing, started to gain followers who seemed drawn to his power.
But one problem remained: Lord Arturo. Arturo had been a necessary inconvenience during the Thirty Years War, as Anton knew he could not run both Kingdom and the entirety of the War effectively. With the war's end, Anton and Arturo were clearly the most favored of Lucas' cousins, but Arturo was canny and cautious, and Anton's subtle attempts to assassinate him remained unfulfilled. Eventually, though, Anton's ambition outstripped his patience, and when Lucas Tracano finally perished as a broken and bitter man, Anton moved swiftly to try to seize the throne of Rivana. Once again, Lord Arturo proved his only obstacle.
Anton thought his victory a foregone conclusion when Bryar Haldis fell under his sway. Duchess Eleanor Greycen's swift support of Arturo proved a surprise, though, and though a minor house, the Cassomirs joining with Arturo gave The Rose, as he came to be known, a fighting chance, especially as it insured that a large chunk of the Royal Lancers joined Arturo, making him nigh-impossible to assassinate through subterfuge. Anton was further frustrated by Raymund Durante's neutrality, and even an in-person meeting proved unable to sway the Old Knight. With each setback, no matter how minor, Anton grew more and more incensed, and yet thanks to his "lucky charm" none around him seemed to notice him dipping further and further towards irrationality.
As he did in the Thirty Years War, Anton pursued an aggressive strategy against the Rose. The Rose, however, proved a highly mobile and elusive opponent, ever evading the decisive engagement that would allow Anton's numerically superior forces to crush him. Arturo's "siege feints" provided several humiliating setbacks for Anton's forces, for even though they ultimately did not significantly damage his numbers, they did damage morale. And through it all, the people of Rivana began to fear him, as he fed his peasant levies to the meat grinder, almost gleeful in sacrificing them in distractions and delaying actions that usually proved futile.
Oh, and he started drinking blood too.
As with the murders of other members of his kin, the blood drinking just seemed…natural by that point. And it tasted so good…made him feel comfortable and strong. If there were any part of Anton left that railed against the beast he had become…it was buried too deeply to ever be seen again. That beast was fully unleashed in 1860, when Anton finally met Arturo on the battlefield, and not only nearly cleaved him in twain, but also paraded his corpse before his army for several days afterwards…an act that revolted several of his subordinates, not least of which being the young Darren Haldis. Darren also ended up stumbling into the knowledge of Anton's Chaos Stone, and had attempted to share that knowledge with his father, Bryar. Anton was forced to kill Bryar to keep his secrets (in truth he scarcely gave it a second thought) and installed Alphard as the Duke of Eastfield while Darren went on the run. Anton was confident that Darren had been cowed into submission and could be found and killed later, but Darren secretly made contact with the Church of the One Faith, and through them the Archbishop Sirrah Lancella of the Order of the Vigil.
When the battle that turned the tide came, Anton was caught completely unawares. He barely had time to don his armor before he was beset by Darren Haldis and several Knights of the Vigil. In the brutal melee that followed, Vigilants fell, but eventually the chaos stone was cut from Anton's neck. Despite this, Anton's strength did not immediately flag, and he overpowered his attackers and escaped…but his army was broken, and the source of his supernatural power was now gone, burned into destruction by the Order of the Vigil. While Anton steadfastly refused to accept it, his campaign to win the Throne of Rivana was effectively over. Even when the force he sent under Lord Gerrol Stallworth to invade Ironhold enjoyed initial success, it was eventually crushed. It was now Anton that found himself on the run, being herded from hiding place to hiding place by his still-loyal followers, even while those followers found themselves being cut down pocket-by-pocket as the forces of the Rose searched for him.
Eventually, he ran out of places to run, and on the Seventh day of Marse of 1863 IE, Anton was discovered and taken into custody by forces led by Duke Darren Haldis and Baron Jaren Cassomir. He briefly crossed blades with Darren Haldis, but half-starved, half-mad, and exhausted from months on the run, he was easily defeated. While he initially ranted and raved and railed against his captors, by the time he went to the headsman's block seven days later, he had fallen into a disbelieving stupor. The daughter of Arturo looked into his eyes, and for a moment he saw her mother instead. No curses or angry last words escaped Anton's lips before the Young Rose nodded and the ax fell, only the whisper of a lost love's name and a look of horrified realization that was frozen on his face when his head was separated from his body. Whether it was the knowledge of his impending death that terrified him or the last spark of the man he had once been asserting itself a final time, none would ever know….
In death, Anton become as reviled a figure as Rivana has ever known…at least in most circles. The newly-crowned Rose Queen made considerable efforts to vilify him, and to dismantle the power base of those followers he had remaining. He was posthumously stripped of his title and his family name, and his body was burned and the ashes poured into a refuse pit. Not all of his followers were eliminated however…some continued to operate in secret, while others fled to Pacitta and Venderos and even Couviere (for some of the non-noble ones). While not powerful enough to challenge the popular young Queen immediately, these elements were patient…and a few years later they found themselves with a very powerful patron…and Rivana would again find itself on the verge of chaos.
On the Grid
Every Rose Has One…
Lean and sharp-featured with striking blue eyes, Anton Tracano was considered reasonably fair to look upon, and carried himself with a swagger that spoke of boundless confidence. He wore his armor near-constantly in public, and on those occasions where it would not be appropriate always presented himself in the most "militaristic" ensembles he could manage, which made him a somewhat imposing figure. He was graceful and athletic, with the carriage of a skilled, veteran warrior.
Anton tended to keep himself clean-shaven and his reddish-brown hair was always well-groomed when at all possible. His weapons and armor were all perfectly-maintained and surprisingly he eschewed ornamentation and extravagance, preferring unadorned, pragmatic arms and armor. He did frequently wear the colors of House Tracano, as well as the White Griffon, especially in his younger days.
Personality
It would be a surprise to many that Lord Anton Tracano's tale is actually a tragic one, for the man that nearly destroyed Rivana was not the man he truly was. The true Anton Tracano may have been ambitious, aggressive, and pragmatic, but he did truly care about the Kingdom of Rivana beyond simply seeing it as a pathway to power, and he was loyal to the Tracano family. He could be outwardly charming when it was needed, was supremely cunning, and he was a notoriously determined military commander with no small talent for tactics even if his strategies relied heavily on aggressive pursuit of his foes. While not nearly so charismatic as his kinsman and rival Arturo he did have redeeming qualities and a gift for leadership. He may not have been strictly heroic and honorable…but he was not pure evil. In his younger days Anton had a reputation for drunkenness and lechery, but the drunkenness faded as his adult years wore on, even if the lechery did not.
The corrupted creature Anton Tracano became amplified many of his negative qualities. Ambition became megalomania, aggression became blood-thirst, and pragmatism became ruthlessness and cruelty. His powerful personal magnetism was supernaturally-endowed, and any person not under that thrall who spent much time in his presence would have likely found him frighteningly irrational, paranoid, and sadistic. He retained a degree of his cunning, but anger towards his foes often overrided his decision-making capabilities. This ultimately cost him the war, because even with an overwhelming military advantage, he became far too obsessed with a quick and absolute victory over Arturo that he failed to take advantage of several opportunities he could have seized to bleed Arturo's forces slowly. Even with all that working against him, he still nearly won, though that could be credited to Bryar Haldis as much as anyone.
Even in his corrupt state, Anton could turn on the charm when it suited him. He was a notorious womanizer all the way through to his defeat at the Battle of the Ascendant Rose (Indeed he had been "entertaining" a peasant maiden in his tent when the attack came). He was given to great appetites, and even more so in his corrupt state. Sinful wouldn't even begin to describe him, and that's not even getting into the blood-drinking…. At the end, Anton was quite self-deluded…he still believed that he was the best king for Rivana, and that all he had done was to secure its' strong future, even as nearly every action served purely to feed his own ego and gratification and further tore the land of his birth apart.
Quirks
Personality Quirks
Charismatic: Anton was charismatic in the typical Tracano fashion. While not so immensely likeable as Lord Arturo, he still managed to attract a considerable following of supporters and allies even without supernatural influence. In his corrupt state this was magnified immensely, to the point of actually exerting unnatural influence upon his followers.
Shrewd: Anton was a cunning battlefield commander who was very much willing to step outside the strict bounds of honor in order to achieve victory. In his younger days he kept this tendency somewhat in check, but in the latter days, when corruption had taken him, he became so cruel and bloodthirsty that even the pragmatic Darren Haldis was taken aback by some of the things Anton suggested, and often had to temper his more bloodthirsty impulses, lest he draw the attention of forces outside of Rivana down upon their heads, or cause a full scale peasant revolt against him and his followers (which basically occurred anyway).
Forward Thinking: In his younger days, Anton very much thought of the future of Rivana first and foremost. In his later, corrupt state, however, he tended to think only of his own glory and power, even if he deluded himself into believing his actions were for the good of Rivana.
Skill Quirks
Natural Leader: Anton had a real knack for rallying the men under his command. His zeal for battle was contagious, and his men, at least in his younger days, loved him for it.
Born in the Saddle: Perhaps a gift from his Haldis heritage, Anton was known as a superb rider, and was never once unhorsed in battle or Tourney (though that didn't mean he couldn't be outscored on points).
Social Quirks
Chaos-Touched: Anton was corrupted by the Chaos Stone he carried, becoming a creature that was both more and less than human. See "The Stone" tab for more details.
Bad Reputation: Prior to the Succession War Anton was a notorious womanizer who was rumored to have a multitude of bastards spread throughout the Edge. Rumors of his conquests were nigh-legendary, and he had indeed fought many duels against jilted husbands and lovers. Moreover, he seemed utterly unrepentant about his adultery.
Privileged Position: Anton was the Lord-Marshal of Rivana prior to becoming King-Claimant. Even before the Succession War he was unquestionably one of the most politically powerful men in the Kingdom.
OOC Knowledge for all but a select few characters:
The stone Lord Anton wore around his neck was a Chaos Stone of unusual potency. More troubling, it almost seemed to be "tailored" to achieve the effects it did, which was previously unheard of (and thankfully has not been seen since). The stone was destroyed immediately following the Battle of the Betrayer in late 1860 IE.
Abilities:
The stone imparted several abilities to the wearer. It actually took several years for them to gain full potency, and Anton's progression was halted for several years where he left the stone alone. It imparted upon the wearer the ability to heal from wounds nigh-instantaneously unless they were inflicted by Sidhe-Steel. It also imparted a degree of superhuman strength, immunity to disease and poison, and halted aging.
Finally, and perhaps most dangerously, the stone gave the wearer supernatural influence over those around him. His words, no matter how insane, seemed reasonable and proper. His manner and behavior seemed acceptable even when it was outright offensive and hostile. He seemed to have an absolutely captivating presence to nearly all around him…very few could resist, and even some very strong-willed individuals succumbed to the stone's power (though a select few…including Arturo Tracano himself and Sir Raymund Durante unknowingly managed to resist). It was not, however, absolute control, and could eventually be fought off (as it was by Darren Haldis), especially if the victim was presented with evidence of the unnatural source of Anton's powers of persuasion. This power alone was responsible for most of the Succession War…as Anton was not terribly popular when the War started, yet within days garnered a large amount of support.
Drawbacks:
The stone amplified the negative personality traits of the one who wore it, leading them to megalomania, bloodlust, and cruelty as the years passed by. The stone also gave the wearer a literal blood-thirst, driving them to consume the blood of the living much as a mythical vampire might. It was this drawback that led to Anton's eventual downfall when Duke Darren Haldis discovered him supping upon some poor maiden.
Logs and Sundry
Relationships
NOTE: Opinions reflect Anton's views at the time of his death.