TBOS OCT - Character Draft

"I am Regis, the King of Heroes. None have journeyed longer or fought harder than I have. None stand in my path, for who can bar a king's way? I do not tolerate obstacles and crush anyone or anything who becomes one. This world is mine and all who are in it. And by my hand, to prove it is mine, I will destroy it. But do not judge me until you have heard my story."

"My name used to be one without power. Jenks. A minor hero who followed his path, gained many allies and enemies, lost so much and gained much more, and whose failure was tempered into a resolve that would lose to no one."

"My story was painful and prolonged. I was to be one of several heroes who would challenge a great evil and strike it down. We would save the world from its doom. That was our destiny given to us from heaven itself."

"My path was followed. I gained allies, others like me, and we knew our purpose. With the blessing of heaven we strode into that pivotal event, knowing we would emerge victorious. Our blades gleamed bright as our burning will. By day's end we would stand triumphant."

"But we failed. We were captured, tortured, and imprisoned without light for the longest time. Time itself became nothing to us. Agony was our existence. One by one we gave up the will to live and perished."

"I was a minor hero who followed his path. Jenks was my name. I gained many allies and enemies, I lost much and gained more, and each time I failed to save a friend or defeat an enemy I learned from my failure. We all did."

"My story was one of sorrow and hope. Our world was one of darkness, and only by following the path heaven had set us would we bring back light to its people. We would be the saviors of our world, hailed as true heroes at last."

"The day came. We clung to our resolve and sharpened our blades. With confidence in the fruits of our journey we struck at the heart of the darkness, intent on banishing it forevermore. Prophecy told us we would not fail."

"It was wrong. Captured, tortured, suspended in eternal pain. We remained, minds broken, in darkness for centuries. And one by one we gave up our lives to escape that hell."

"I was a hero of lesser renown, and my path seemed oddly familiar. Jenks. That was my name. I gained allies who I greeted as long-lost friends even when they were perfect strangers. Enemies arose who stirred a flame in my heart as incredible rivals even when they proved to be weaker than I thought, but still formidable. I failed many times, but succeeded many times more. We all did."

"My story was bound by sadness and the desire to bring hope back to the people. But something weighed heavy on our hearts, even though heaven itself had given us the grand destiny to bring back the light. Prophecy was our guide, but strangely enough we felt as though it couldn't be completely trusted. What was wrong with us?"

"The end of our journey came. The final battle that would end our stories as either heroes or martyrs. Victory was in our grasp, mere feet away after a long and grueling battle. But defeat came in the end."

"Imprisoned for countless centuries in the dark. We had only ourselves to converse with to stave off the never-ending pain. And one by one, we talked about how familiar our journey had seemed. That at crucial moments, we had suddenly had the urge to make a completely different decision than what we had been thinking. But this didn't last long, and we perished shortly."

"I was the greatest of heroes. Though none knew my name, I knew my story. Jenks was my name, a name I had carried many times before. I gained allies and greeted them with familiarity. How could I not know who they were after our countless journeys? Enemies fell before me with ease like they had many times before. I did not fail. We succeeded in everything we did. We were revered less as heroes and more as gods.

"Our story was bound by fury and determination. The people were nothing to us. We had died many times for them, and had long since thrown off any obligation we had to the vermin. Our blood had been spilled in great oceans worth, staining the world red. Heaven's messenger was slain mercilessly and the prophecy cast to the fire."

"The day came and we were not there. The great armies of darkness met no opponents. They were cautious and waited. For another day. Two days. A week. A month. A year..."

"One hundred years passed. The armies had long dispersed and the vermin of our world had forgotten the prophecy as blasphemy. They spoke of us as cowards unwilling to face our destiny. The darkness mocked us as such and took every opportunity to remind the vermin that they had no hope."

"We descended without warning. Our passage was obstructed not by an army, but by scattered groups of soldiers who had never known a true fight in their lives. Their black blood filled their capital and within the hour the light returned to our world as we immolated the heart of the darkness. We had saved the world at last."

"But we did not become their saviors. We had not saved the world out of the goodness of our hearts. We had done it to break the cycle of rebirth. And for such a great deed, we agreed that a great reward was in order. We declared that we owned the world. And then we destroyed it so no one could ever threaten it again. Isn't that nice how we allowed those vermin to die with smiles on their faces? They would never known sadness or grief again. Truly we were merciful."

"With the world destroyed we stormed the gates of heaven. They were our true targets. They were the ones who had forced destiny upon us and made us repeat our failures over and over again without a choice. They had lied to us. Tricked us. Betrayed us. And so we fought, falling one by one. And with my last ounce of strength I shattered my sword and cleaved the whole of heaven in twain, obliterating it completely."

"And now I find myself here, drawn by a power beyond heaven. I know not what I am here for, but I do know some things for certain."

"I am Regis, the King of Heroes. I have lived for thousands upon thousands of years. Pain is my friend and Death my comfort. By my hands I saved the world and broke it. By my blade I shattered heaven and cast down its ruler to oblivion. All who submit to me shall serve. All who stand before me will be cut down. I am Regis, and my story is my own."