Cerce Tentones

User: Cerce Tentones

General Information
Character Name: Cerce Eugene (Evangelina Maria Danielson) Tentones

Gender: Male

Age: Approximately 27 - exact age unknown due to parental death and early childhood enslavement, as well as inter-dimensional travel and time travel.

Physical Description
Cerce Tentones is a relatively fit man, however he is not overly muscular. He bears multiple scars from many different battles, and a burn mark in the shape of the letters 'E.V.A.'. His hair is a fiery red, unnaturally so, and cut flat-top style. His eyes are grey with a hint of blue. He usually appears innocently happy, if not content; however, it is obvious that he is more informed and calculating than he lets on.

Changes since Iron Hearts
Cerce is now devoid of the majority of his scars, and the burn mark of 'E.V.A.' is also gone, supposedly due to a regenetative surgery undertaken after he recieved wounds during a battle with rebels. Although still generally appearing innocently happy and content, his expression is that of a world-weary veteran with regrets when cought off guard.

Attitude
Personality type of INFJ - Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging. For more information, please visit: http://typelogic.com/infj.html. He is a devout follower of a god known as the ‘One’, sometimes referred to by Cerce simply as ‘my God’. Although generally gravitating to a more Lawful Good approach, he seems much more Chaotic Good within the Iron Hearts lore, due to the laws of The Dominion of Rhineland not aligning with Cerce’s morals

He is generally in favor of equal treatment between humanity and the Xeno races, although he is not against slavery if there is a way for the slave to be freed through their own work, be it for working a certain number of years or by paying a certain ammount of money. It should be noted that he was initially against slavery during his time in Calradia, but eventually came to recant his stance. Slavery as a punishment has always been acceptable to him. Respectfullness is prominent in Cerce, and is something he values greatly, displaying it even to those in power that he does not agree with - and even those he hates.

Cerce used to have a problem with stuttering, yet now simply has awkward pauses, such as "I.... seem to have lost my..." or "That's... not really usual". He often fidgets during conversations or events that he deems awkward, or when nervous. When under pressure where his own life is at risk, he generally stands defiant and ready; yet when his close friends or family, or those he considers 'innocent', are threatened with their lives, he becomes strained to the point that he can sometimes not hold his weapon correctly, shaking in fear that someone else may die or be harmed for his actions (or inactions).

He does not generally fear the 'godly', supernatural, otherworldy, or otherwise 'weird and crazy occurrences', as they are commonplace in his life. He is generally polite, does not enjoy conflict, and is slow to truly trust someone, although a feeling or show of trust may be put forth as a front so as to not offend someone.

Changes since Iron Hearts
Cerce seems to be a lot more detatched while in uniform due to events within Iron Hearts. He has limitted his friendships to a very small, close circle of people. To cover up his nervousness, and to alleviate tension in an otherwise serious event in the grim, dark environment of Rhineland, he often resorts to humor, usually irony, sarcasm, or puns, with occasional crude humor and sexual inuendo usage. Forgetfullness and headaches seem to make him annoyed, and he has on occasion taken his annoyance out on others as a result. During one specific instance within roleplay, he displayed a paranoid mind, seeming insane and rocking back in forth, talking in a low whisper to himself, and even not recognising a close friend. This insanity has not displayed itself since undergoing surgery.

(Out of Character notice: My viewpoints in no way are reflected in Cerce's viewpoints, and Cerce's viewpoints are in no way reflected in mine. Cerce Tentones is a fluid and persistent character, carried over from many platforms, roleplays, and forum stories. He is molded by the people he is around, the situations he is put in, and the choices he is presented, as well as his history that he has learned from.)

Tools and Equipment
He favors wearing an old fashioned kettle hat as a sort of ceremonial armor, as well as a politician's clothing of a red and black suit. When dressed casually, he adorns a simple attire of loose-fitting and comfortable clothes, usually black or red. He is often seen wearing a red cloak. Other equipment usually carried by Cerce is a thick, black leather-bound book with strange, silver-like lettering; a black box that cannot be opened except by the use of Cerce's left hand; a worn 18th century musket that looks as if it has seen extensive use, which is also equipped with a bayonet; a simple short sword; and a bedroll.

Changes since Iron Hearts
Cerce has since lost his bedroll due to circumstances unknown to him. He has not used his musket in any instance to date within Iron Hearts, and has begun to use a confiscated Colt and standard military issue rifle. His simple short sword is still used.

Abilities
Cerce has no known inborn traits or abilities that exceed beyond normal ranges. He is generally a good public speaker, and knowledgeable in many fields. There is notable experience in his ability to draft theoretical government structures, and twist words and patterns of thought to his point of view. He is a very good shot with a crossbow and musket. Although able, he does not find horseback riding to be enjoyable. Canon firing also seems to be a natural ability for him, after he learns how to fire a given artilary piece.

Changes since Iron Hearts
Cerce can now properly drive and operate modern weaponry, although he finds modern rifles to be too sensitive, and often fires prematurely or to the right of the intended target.

Birth and Early Life
A vast number of years ago, on a secluded archipelago far from civilized lands, men roamed. This particular collection of islands, named the Barbarian Isles by most outside of them, followed the set pattern of most early and barbaric civilizations, where the strong ruled over the weak. Eventually, tribes and nations were established, which in turn led to great wars, strife, and tribulations. In particular, the nation of Sarkom was the greatest in causing said wars.

Now; Sarkom was established some time before recorded history, and somehow managed to last into the age of history that we now find ourselves in. It was founded by a man named Sarkora, a great warrior and clan leader of the Blackrock clan, which controlled the major supply of coal in the region, and were great miners and smiths. Sarkora set up this nation based on the strong minority ruling over the weak majority, using slave labor to fuel his forges and expand his kingdom.

To the south of Sarkom, on another nearby island, lay the nation of Televahn, which was comprised of demon-worshiping bands of brigands. Events occured where Sarkom and Teevahna eventually began to wage an endless war on each other; however, as time and war waged forever onward, both sides began to dwindle in number. As a result, both nations attempted to counteract this problem with slave soldiers fighting for their cause.

Maria Merkenly was one such slave for Sarkom. This woman was a rather attractive maid for the Blackrock clan of Sarkom that I mentioned earlier. She had become betrothed to a soldier in Teevahna before she was taken prisoner, and was with child. The soldier in question, Daniel Tentones, attempted to free her in one of the great many raids of the ongoing war... but died in the process. Eventually, Maria gave birth to a child whom she named Cerce Tentones, and then later died due to the childbirth. Cerce was taken in by the higher class of Blackrock and, while still considered a slave, was taught and treated like a son of the aristocracy - if indeed a high-class barbarian can be considered as such.

Destiny Revealed
Years passed, and Cerce was well educated in the matters of politics, sciences, language, and some forms of architectural design. One day, however, something quite sinister happened. A man by the name of Nickolaus Carver had, within the past months, achieved the status of adviser to the King Sarkora. As Cerce was performing his house laboring duties, he heard a loud 'thump' from the King's chambers. As he was just about to open the door, he overheard strange mutterings from inside the room, and he thought better of checking in on the King.

The event was forgotten of for a matter of weeks, but it soon became clear that the King had changed. Cerce eventually decided that something was wrong, and returned that night to the hallway outside the King's chambers. The same thump and incantation was heard for a second time. The next night, Cerce alerted the royal guards and laid in wait for sounds. Once he heard them; the guards broke in through the door. The site that met them was as follows.

The King lay on the floor, blood coming out of his mouth. Nomanic stood above him, reading from a scroll. A strange symbol had been drawn on the ground around Sarkora. Immediately, Nomanic shouted something, and the guards held their heads, screaming. Cerce quickly picked up a bow that one of the guards had dropped and promptly shot Nomanic in the skull; however, he fell strangely, and looked far too white to be normal upon his death. Cerce later concurred that this was a Necromancer, and that he most likely had not see the last of him. As a result, he cut Nickolaus's heart out, placing it in the King's personal box of holding.

A dear friend of Cerce woke him up in the middle of the night - his name was Boarus Merkenly, a fellow slave and nephew to his mother. Boarus informed Cerce that he had been branded a trator to the King for some reason, and that he needed to leave that night. And so Cerce took his friend's advice and left by boat, not quite sure as to where he was going.

A New Kingdom
A great storm took him and the little ship into itself, tossing and turning him about until he was unsure of which way he had come. By the end of the fourth day of such a storm, he found himself upon a great new land, called Calradia. It was here that he attemted to established the Kingdom of Cerantia, trying to create a land where all would be free from slavery and war.

This was not to be. A number of other kingdoms that had already been put in place for quite some time rose up in opposition. Cerce was forced to abandon his cause temporarily, and returned to work at the field. Eventually, he had enough money to afford some decent weapons and armor, and enlisted in the local mercenary band, specifically, the Guild of Sword. There, he earned sizable amounts of gold by bolstering other kingdom’s armies when they needed it. Although he loathed killing, he knew that manual labor did not pay nearly as much, and he needed all the money he could get in as short a time span as he could get it if he wished to buy enough land for others to live peacefully on.

As events would have it, the Desert Imperium, a local band of nomadic tribes that had recently invaded the continent, attacked the Guild of Sword, and overpowered the main base. Cerce and a ragtag assembly of others survived the assault, and Cerce was named the leader, as the former leader was killed in the assault. He again attempted to establish Cerantia, and was successful to some extent. He reclaimed the main base of the Guild, and dubbed it Osvirklif Castle. From thence forth, Cerce expanded Cerantia as best he could, while simultaneously avoiding becoming the force of oppression he dreaded so severely.

Cerantia's power and influence was soon world-renown. Although one of the smallest nations in the world, it was the source of great political debate. Money was abundant, as Osvirklif was located on top of a gold mine. Former slaves flocked to Cerantia, enlisting as volunteer armies. The ties of alliances that Cerce had formed with multiple other nations gave Cerantia the backing it needed to influence all of Calradia. Cerce was even elected King of the High Nobles, a select number of rulers that served as a governing body over the various united kingdoms and empires that had joined the organization.

Downfall of the Kingdom
Yet even this united power was not to be. A group of Blood God worshipers, known as Daemonites, joined together in the far northwestern corners of civilization, and formed the Domain of the Blood God. They began to mercilessly strike out against Cerantia and the gathered High Nobles. A long and bloody war continued for years on end. Every single High Noble, save that of Le Fox of Tidwell and Cerce Tentones himself, had been captured, killed in battle, assassinated, or had turned to the enemy's side. Finally, at the Battle of Hellsgate, the High Noble army was defeated, leaving Cerce and his army of former slaves secluded in Osvirklif.

During the Great Battle of Osvirklif, it was recorded that over seventeen thousand out of the twenty three thousand combatants had died. All but the Osvirklif keep had been decimated, and the surrounding countryside was littered with bodies and marks of war. The siege of the keep carried on for months on end. Finally, Cerce, in an attempt to save what was left of his people, gave himself up to the Domain forces, under the promise that the remaining Cerantians would be spared. Cerce was killed on the spot, and the siege of the keep continued.

Return of the King
Yet Cerce still prevailed. He awoke, upon his death, to the sight of Nickolaus Carver sitting across from him at a tea table in the middle of nothingness. Nickolaus gave Cerce a choice: Die with the knowledge that his people would also die, and that the realm would be destroyed by the Blood God, along with Sarkom, or live under Nickolaus's rule, yet still be able to save his people and do good for the downtrodden. When Cerce stated that Nickolaus was insane, he simply responded; "No. Manic." Thus, the name Nomanic was used to describe the Eternal Being, as Nomanic later told Cerce that he did not truly have a name. Nomanic reminded Cerce that he still had a choice to make. Cerce reluctantly agreed to aid Nomanic, and he awoke in the keep of House Tidwell. Apparently, although the High Noble of the House had died, the fighting had continued on.

Cerce took control of what forces remained of House Tidwell, and flanked the Domain forces. Sven the One Eyed, leader and Blood King of the Domain, was killed in the attack, and the remaining Domain forces retreated in fear of the 'undead' Cerce. The siege was lifted, and the people rejoiced.

Only to see Cerce disappear before their very eyes.

A City on a Mount
Cerce then awoke outside of Bamboo City, in the realm of Kiwike. What he was to do, he did not know; so he did what he had done before. He began to establish his kingdom once more, with the same principles in mind. Upon the tallest mountain that he could find, he established the town of Blackrock, based off of the clan name of Cerce's former king. Peace was had, and others joined him. Sir Suba of Eyvind, Geckosquid of Imagia, Andy, and many more. The Roadbuilders established the town as their base of opperations, and even began building means of transportation to many locations, as well as walls to protect it.

The Plague of Great Grief
Yet soon the peace ceased. A dark plague had begun in Bamboo, and was quickly spreading to Blackrock. Tristo, a new member to Blackrock, had decided to investigate, yet had never returned. Cerce, Andy, and Geckosquid went to see what had happened, but realised all too late that Tristo had become a carrier of the plague, turning evil. A battle was fought between the group and Tristo, only to have Geckosquid become a carrier as well. Yet Geckosquid overcame the plague and drove Tristo back.

The Great Viking War
As a response to the plague, all of the surviving members of Blackrock and Bamboo City, as well as various others, moved to the distant city of Mavenholm. There, Cerce began to establish the Empire of Cerantia, with the help of the Roadbuilders. However, opposition arose from Sir Suba of Eyvind, who himself wished to establish a great nation of Vikings. As a result, Sir Suba had sent an assassin known as N. Lewis to kill and rob Cerce, so as to bolster the treasury of the Vikings of Eyvind. The attempted assassination failed, yet all of Cerce's belongings were taken. In response, Cerce called a longtime friend and former resident of Bamboo City, known only as Android, to help. As it turns out, Android had begun to establish a new nation as well. Comprised mainly of former Bamboo residents, the Helventhar Republic declared war on the Vikings of Eyvind for attacking Cerce, a noted supporter of the movement of Helventhar. The resulting war was long and bloody. Yet Helventhar triumphed, and the Vikings had disbanded within two weeks of their uprising.

Old Friends Made New
Cerce then went on to join the Roadbuilders for a brief time, helping them clear out a lake for their new Quarry. With the material gathered from the Quarry, Cerce began laying the foundations of small castle, dubbing it Castle Tentones after his namesake. Months into the preparation, it was discovered that Tristo, still a plague carrier, had traveled to this new land as well. A confrontation arose between Tristo, Cerce, and Geckosquid arose.

Eventually, however, Tristo attempted to infect a young dragonoid by the name of Saera. Yet his attempt backfired upon him and, through some trick of magick, was himself cured of the plague. Construction resumed on the castle until finished. During this time, Tristo and Saera grew close, until Tristo proposed marriage to Saera. Within a week of Castle Tentones's completion, a wedding was held in the throne room.

Events continued as normal around the castle, the Empire of Cerantia becoming more solidified and independant. The Republic of Helvanthar was considered a close friend, and a new nation, simply known as The Grand, was founded and left to grow on its own. New cities were planned and established, and peace was had for some time, until war again erupted within Kiwike.

For reasons still unknown to Cerce, Helventhar and The Grand began attacking each other. Cerce, and the rest of the populace of the Empire of Cerantia, stayed out of the war until the final days of fighting, where Cerantia sided with Helventhar due to their old friendship. Victory was had against The Grand, and Cerce creditted the majority of the effort to Android and his people.

Adventure Takes Flight
Shortly after the war, the miracle of flight was discovered. Part magical, part helium, new airships began to fill the skies. Most notable among them were ships created by Saera the Shipbuilder. Due to reasons still made unknown, Saera divorced Tristo shortly after the advent of shipbuilding.

Plans were made between Cerce and Geckosquid to create a new town within the Empire, named Plunge, which would model Helventhar's republican format, having the citizens elect a Senator to represent themselves within the Empire. Construction began, with workers tunneling deep into the earth and building houses within the man-made crevice. Cerce even ordered a ship made by Saera, the "Cerantian Honor", and another, the "Cerantian Power". On top of the castle, docking stations were made to accomodate the new flying mechanisms.

Diplomatic happenings began to take place between other new nations and city-states. Cerantia preferred to keep alliances loose, even with Helventhar, until one occurrence with the city-state of Nova.

Nova, a town comprised mainly of former members of The Grand, had begun militarizing the general area around their city-state. Raids had been conducted between themselves and an outlying city-state. Diplomatic sanctions were placed against Nova, as the Empire of Cerantia viewed them as the perpetrators. Eventually, Cerantia began sending troops to partake in a policing action, attempting to stop the violence and reach a peaceful resolution.

An Empire Disgraced
Novan troops responded with agression to the policing action, and began attacking Cerantian civilians without remorse. The Cerantian Honor was captured, and the Cerantian Power was destroyed. The Empire fell back, concentrating on defence, and held the line until peace was negotiated. Nova later disbanded due to diplomatic pressure from Helventhar.

It was found shortly after the war that the living dead were emerging from the caves under the castle. Upon inspection by Cerantian forces, it was found that Nomanic Carver's box was among a long-lost crypt. Cerce had no recolection of moving the box, believing it still to be in his posession. The box was recovered, and placed under heavy guard.

During this time, Plunge construction had finished, and a Senatorial Election was taking place. Hoping to recover from the blow that Nova had placed upon the Empire of Cerantia's image, Cerce advertised the election everywhere he went, hoping to show the world that the Empire was still a place of Honor and Glory, if not Power. Yet not a single citizen voted, and the town disbanded shortly thereafter.

Due to the political implosion from the Senatorial Election, and coupled with the near-defeat of the Novan War, and added to by the fears of the living dead, Cerce was left with no choice but to disband the Empire of Cerantia. He resided within the walls of Castle Tentones until the day of Kiwike's demise.