Lothric, the Twinned Paladin of Envy
| Lothric, the Twinned Paladin of Envy | |
|---|---|
 The Banished King. | |
| Born | Lothric Wulfgar of Allant |
| Nationality | Ostravan |
| Occupation | Jointly held captive by Lydoneian and P.I.B forces in the Banished Cathedral. |
| Known for | Heir to the Kingdom of Ostrava |
| Height | 8'4" |
Lothric, the Twinned Paladin of Envy, is a humanoid exile located at the Banished Cathedral, an isolated prison-keep found in the Republic Of Lydoneia. Once an honorable Paladin of the Order of Ostrava and heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Ostrava, Lothric attempted to overthrow his father in a coup d'état with his twin brother, Boarir.
After his attempt to overthrow his father failed, and after the execution of his twin brother, Lothric and a group of fellow conspiring Paladins were exiled to Alathra. After his arrival in Alathra, he stumbled upon the Kingdom of God settlement after the Ashina-Kingdom of God War, met a young Aurelius and his family, and quickly realized the potential of the child.
In order to restore himself to his former glory of heir to the throne, he authorized his Paladins to neutralize Aurelius and his family, failing miserably, and began Aurelius' lifelong quest to avenge his family. He was tracked down by Lydoneian forces, with the assistance of the Pact of the Immortal Blood, and was sent to the Banished Cathedral for eternity.
Birth and Origin
Life in Allant
Birth
Lothric Wulfgar was born under a full moon in Allant, the bustling capital city of Ostrava. His mother, Fina, and father, Allanti, both royals, struggled for years to bare children. They prayed to the Gods of Ostrava in order to give them hope and a divine blessing. Their prayers were answered when Lothric's mother began to show signs of pregnancy. Much to their surprise, they were blessed with two boys, which they then named Lothric and Boarir.
Early Childhood
Being born into the Ostravan Royal Family, Lothric enjoyed many privileges early in life. He was exposed to the finest education in all of Ostrava, learning combat from the Highest Paladin of Ostrava, Bramd of Ostengard, and magic from the Highest Mage of Ostrava, Urbain the Wise Priest. It became clear to Allanti very quickly that in a short time, Lothric would be capable of joining the Order of Ostrava as a novice Paladin. Boarir struggled to keep up with Lothric's intense mastery of combat and magic, and attempted to keep up with him. Much to his dismay, he would continue to be bested by Lothric in all forms of combat. While he loved his brother dearly, a life of envy began.
As Lothric rapidly approached the age of eighteen, his training intensified more. While not officially a member of the Order of Ostrava, he accompanied his father and Bramd on many crusades across the outside lands of Ostrava. Lothric experienced many instances of combat, overseen by his father. Lothric quickly proved himself on the battlefield as both a reliable member of the Order, but also as a worthy heir to the throne. Allanti was pleased.
Appointment to the Order of Ostrava
The Ceremony
On Lothric's eighteenth birthday, he was called to the inner chambers of the Order by Bramd and his father. In attendance were the major figures of the Order, including the High Paladins and Mages. The traditional appointment ceremony began in which Lothric had to prove his might in front of his peers. The Order released Lothric into the Valley of Kharrth, home to the vicious species of demon spawn that plagued the region with atrocities since the settlement of Allant.
Lothric's Triumph
Lothric was tasked with finding and eliminating the Soul of Kharrth, a demon that was responsible for reproduction of the hordes that attempt to breach the outer walls of the city. He explored the Valley, met a number of banished civilians, and organized them to fight with him towards the Soul's Chambers. Upon arrival, the banished abandoned him, as they did their Kingdom, and left him to fend for himself against the Soul.
Even with the immense amount of training and preparation, Lothric struggled throughout the battle. What seemed like days passed within the chamber as he was bombarded with abyssal fluids, magma, and brutal attacks that nearly rendered him stunned. It was at this time he began to see how he could intertwine the two disciplines he learnt from Bramd and Urbain.
He charged his greatsword with a combination of lightning and blood, which began to swirl around the blade. Slamming the blade tip into the solid ground below him generated a storm that the Soul had not yet encountered before; even the strongest potential Paladins could not reach these heights of power. The Soul quickly succumbed to Lothric's strength, leaving Lothric to sever its head and return to the Order.
Upon his return, Lothric was granted a position as High Paladin of Ostrava by Bramd and his father. Boarrir and Fina watched on with pride, but Boarrir's contempt grew even more.
Rise to Power
Paladinship
War Hero Status
As a High Paladin, Lothric led the Order into battle against armies of trolls and the Defiled. His dexterity and newfound powers proved most beneficial to the Order, quickly earning the respect of those below him and above him. Civilians heralded him a hero after the Battle of Troth, in which he single handedly bested an entire unit of Defiled troops. Not even Bramd could be capable of such feat, regardless of his skill with a blade. Lothric became a symbol of pride for Ostravan citizens, and some even called for him to be promoted to position of Highest Paladin. He, of course, declined.
Appointing Boarrir to the Order
After such a tremendous amount of political favor was tipped in his direction, Lothric made a controversial decision amongst the Order and Royal family alike to appoint Boarrir as a Low Paladin of Ostrava. His technical skills were lacking, but his discipline and pride for his Kingdom shown strong. He was not required to partake in the traditional ceremony that all Paladins must complete in order to be appointed. However, Boarrir quickly proved useful on the battlefield, and assisted his brother in much of the planning for the Conquest of Mrvak. Despite this, the decision made by Lothric angered his father. In his old age, Allanti still was a strong ruler, capable of protecting his citizens and family from the outer threats of the region. At the reception for Boarrir's appointment, Allanti made Lothric aware of his grievances and threatened demotion from the Order. Lothric, enraged by his father's threats, started to become envious of his power.
Internal Conflicts
Establishment of the Secret Order
Lothric and Boarrir, unbeknownst to the Bramd and Allanti, created an offshoot group called the Secret Order. Both of them, envious of their father and his power, wished to one by one remove those in his inner circle. The recruitment process began in the shadows, scooping up members of the Order who were dissatisfied with Allanti and Bramd's leadership. They trained in relative secrecy in the dungeons below Allant, with the ultimate goal of beginning to stage assassinations of prominent Ostravan figures.
First Assassinations
Lothric instructed the Secret Order to carry out an assassination of the Highest Mage, Urbain. Their attempt was successful, and his murder sent a shockwave throughout the capital city as they now began to question the leadership and protection offered by Allanti and Bramd. Shortly thereafter, the Secret Order murdered the entirety of the Scribes, a group tasked with managing the archivation and distribution of knowledge and current events in all of the Kingdom. The Secret Order's attempts to silence Allanti and Bramd became successful. They launched a propaganda campaign against the Royal Family, going so far as to discredit Queen Fina. The assassinations continued, and with the propaganda campaign now running rampant across the capital city, Allanti was weaker than he had ever been since his birth.
The Ostravan Coup D'état
The First Strike
Planning
Lothric and Boarrir, backed by the now powerful Secret Order, began to stage their plans for a coup. The goal was to remove both Allanti and Bramd from their positions of power, and appoint Lothric as King and Boarrir as Highest Paladin. The Secret Order would follow suit by taking up positions of power within the ranks of government, whether by assassination or resignation. While the plan seemed concrete and fail proof, Boarrir and the Fallen Paladins still had their doubts. Lothric would hold many meetings in the Underground to calm the spirits of those seeking his approval and some of his power. With the propaganda campaign and assassinations reaching new heights, Lothric knew it was time to strike.
Capital Invasion
Lothric marched the Secret Order to the capitol building, led by himself and Boarrir. The loyal guards of the Order began to form a blockade at the outer gates, attempting to block the Secret Order from entering. Fighting ensued for many hours, with both sides experiencing massive losses. Lothric, still adamant that the plan would work and guided only by his envious nature, continued to fight his way into the capitol building. When he reached the top of the steps, he turned around to see his forces being pushed back by the Order. Boarrir, at the frontlines, was fighting fiercely, but his strength was no match for the sheer number of Paladins defending the King.
Lothric's Capture and the Death of Boarrir
Secret Order forces began to retreat and surrender, while Lothric stood alone at the top of the capitol steps fighting tool and nail with High Paladins of the Order. He was quickly surrounded and beaten to the ground. The High Paladins dragged him, weak and covered in blood that was not his own, into the inner chambers of the capitol building. After being confronted and interrogated by Bramd, he was left in the middle of the Rotunda to verbally face his father.
Allanti was furious with his two sons. Lothric was now in the custody of the Order, as was Boarrir. Both were subjected to intense interrogation. Boarrir, being weaker than his brother, ultimately confessed to the foundation of the Secret Order and the killings of high ranking officials. The plans were revealed. Lothric refused to cooperate with the Order, and engaged in a shouting match with Bramd, accusing him of corruption. This, of course, was not true.
Boarrir, adamant that his brother would avenge the Secret Order's failing and bring a better tomorrow to Ostrava, confessed to leading the order. This both shocked and surprised Allanti and Bramd, who were convinced that Lothric had been the mastermind behind the plan. In accordance with the Ostravan Doctrine, Boarrir was sentenced to death in the capital square. Lothric was forced to watch.
Alathra
Arrival
Discovery of the Kingdom of God
Lothric was found guilty of conspiring against the Order, as well as the King. In an effort to thwart future activities and escape attempts from Allantian prisons, Lothric was blindfolded, drugged, and tossed onto a boat headed west across the Great Oceans to Alathra. Within a few weeks, the boat arrived on the continent of Gaushan. Lothric, along with other Fallen Paladins, exited the craft and headed west to find shelter. It was there that they discovered the recently war torn Kingdom of God.
Meeting Aurelius
Lothric and the Fallen Paladins approached the crumbling outer rims of the settlement, only to be met by a young man named Aurelius. The young boy offered the group shelter and food, but only after meeting his family. Aurelius' parents welcomed the travellers with open arms, not knowing their story and why they had just arrived. Lothric lied to the family and said they were travellers from another land.
Throughout the new few days, Lothric spent much time with Aurelius, teaching the boy and his brother to hunt, fish, build, and even fight. One evening, Lothric took Athena and Romulus aside and spoke to them about his great potential, as he had discovered that Aurelius had great untapped power within him. He spoke of wishes to bring Aurelius back to his lands to train him in combat and leadership, but this was a lie. Lothric quickly realized soon after meeting the boy that he possessed powers of the Arcane. Most who received training early on, with the right mentor, could easily become some of the most powerful beings known to man. Lothric, seeing an opportunity to create a new Kingdom of his own in these lands, saw the boy as a threat to his power. He wanted him dead.
Both fortunately and unfortunately, Aurelius' parents declined the training, as he was undergoing education in the ruined settlement to learn how to repair the city. Filled with great envy of Aurelius and his potential for Fury, he began to devise a plan.
The Ostravan Bandits
Lothric and the Fallen Paladins left the settlement and ventured out to set up a camp of their own and plan Aurelius' assassination. Without weapons, they were useless in the potential slaughter. Stealing a boat from the shores of Gaushan, they travelled north to the ruins of Xenoarcadia. After their arrival, they quickly found supplies and equipment, including hoods that would mask themselves from Aurelius' family. It was here they squatted for some time, training and preparing themselves for the upcoming assassination. While they had been skilled at it back in their homeland, this was new territory, and Lothric was weary of attracting outsiders after such a short time in Alathra.
Failed Assassination of Aurelius
The group once again departed, this time south, back to Gaushan. They set up camp far enough away from the settlement such that they would not attract attention from them and prepared to strike. Lothric told the Fallen Paladins that when they were successful in their plot, he would venture east to find a new home for the group. This was to be the start of the Kingdom of Lothric, and the Paladins rejoiced. After the celebrations concluded, the group ventured north to the settlement.
The group arrived at the settlement in the dead of night. All was silent except the light footsteps of the group. Lothric lead the pack through every building, ruined or not, murdering all inside. Aurelius was woken by his brother Morganus, and the two heard shouting outside while the guards attempted to fight off the invaders. They quickly drew arms and ran outside to help their father fend off the attack. As the group started to make their way deeper into the settlement, Aurelius and Morganus were commanded by their father to return home. When they got there, Lothric stood inside with Aurelius' mother on the floor in front of him, gravely wounded. Aurelius and Morganus charged him, but were quickly knocked to their feet by the massive humanoid in front of them.
Wounded and unable to fight back, Aurelius and Morganus watched in horror as their mother was bludgeoned to death by Lothric. Their father ran inside, only to be stopped dead in his tracks by Lothric's greatsword lightning strike. Lothric looked Aurelius dead in the eyes, nodded, and squeezed out the front door while shouting for the group to burn it. Lothric watched as the building burned with Aurelius and Morganus trapped inside. With that, they exited the settlement.
What Lothric did not know at the time, however, was that Aurelius and Morganus escaped out the cellar door of the house.
Arrival on Koganon
Discovery of Writhing Corruption
The Fallen Paladins stayed behind while, true to his word, Lothric headed east to find a potential home for the Kingdom. He settled just west of modern day Haven, in a small shack. It was in this shack he began experimenting with new powers. A small creature nearby his shack was writhing around, almost uncontrollably. He decided to take in this creature and treat it. It was during this treatment, however, that the creature began to contort and expand into a horrific beast. Lothric slayed the beast, but took pieces of it with him back inside the shack for further analysis.
This analysis led to his discovery of Writhing Corruption. A magical virus, it gives its host tremendous strength and, if afflicted with tremendous amounts of wounds, begins to deform the host and turn it into a horrific abomination. Lothric studied for months on end, mastering the ability to harness this power. He was successful.
Creation of the Bramdbane Shield
Due to his innate ability to sense the state of his homeland, it came as no surprise when Lothric was awoken in the middle of the night to phantom sounds of Bramd's final breaths. After all, this was what he wanted. Lothric tried to reminisce back to his time studying with Urbain and remembered lessons of inanimate possession. Urbain taught Lothric a rather lengthy spell to trap beings, alive or dead, inside an inanimate object. Lothric quickly rose to his feet and ran to his anvil, crafting a reinforced shield of netherite and amethyst. A fine layer of water was poured over the bulk of the shield, and left flat to create a small pool within the shield's dimensions.
Reciting the spell from memory, Lothric successfully locked Bramd's spirit within the shield. It was in this shield that Bramd would suffer the blows of Lothric's attackers for eternity. A constant banging could be heard, and a reflection of Bramd's afterlife reality could be seen in the laminar flow of water between the top and bottom of the shield. Lothric enjoyed hearing Bramd's suffering.
Discovery of the Fallen Paladins
He gave word to the Paladins before his departure to search for him on Koganon. Nearly two years had passed and his Paladins did not find him. He decided it would be best to venture back to Gaushan in hopes of finding them in a thriving settlement where they had initially set up camp.
Lothric arrived at the settlement, almost two years after his departure, now littered with the skeletal bodies of his Fallen Paladins. He ventured out on Gaushan, looking for someone who could potentially lead him in the right direction to find who was responsible. An innkeeper in Taffasan told him to look for Aurelius on Koganon. He was filled with rage and envy, first realizing that Aurelius was alive, as well as begun to reach his full potential. The Fallen Paladins were some of Ostrava's most powerful sword wielders, and they were bested by a mere adolescent.
Aurelius travelled far across the Great Oceans to Ostrava after his successful attempt to kill the Fallen Paladins to learn more about the history of his attackers. After arriving in Allant, he met Allanti and Bramd, and discovered the identity of Lothric. With their help, and Aurelius' knowledge of the Writhing Corruption, Aurelius and expert architects from Allant built the Cathedral, in hopes of detaining Lothric for good.
The Realization
The Haven Realization
Lothric ventured back home, only to find his shack destroyed. Inside, he saw his notes for Writhing Corruption were missing. These were confiscated by Aurelius for his research. He quickly sought the nearest city, Haven, to obtain some answers. When he arrived there, the city was bustling with activity, similar to how Allant was full of joy before the rise of the Secret Order. Making his way into the town square, he saw a large group of people gathered outside the Lupanar, stumbling out from their nightly bar crawl. Lothric questioned the citizens in front of the bar about the whereabouts of a man named Aurelius. The citizens laughed in his face, telling him they were in his city.
Lothric's eyes went black, scaring the citizens around him. He demanded to know where Aurelius was, and they pointed toward the villa on the high hill. Lothric began to sprint toward the villa, where he was quickly stopped by guards. It was then his eyes went back to normal. After being confronted by the guards, and knowing that he would be quickly outnumbered, he told the guards, "I am Lothric, the Twinned Paladin of Envy. Do send Aurelius my way." before exiting the city.
When word of this reached Aurelius, he immediately grabbed the Fury of Aurelius and hopped on his horse. He instructed his guards to follow him. The headed to the far western territory of Lydoneia to reach Noelstan, the western port of the nation. They quickly boarded a ship of the Lydoneian fleet and headed to Gaushan. Arriving in Gaushan, they headed southwest towards P.I.B. territory in hopes of meeting with them.
Capture
Capture by Lydoneian Guards and the Pact of the Immortal Blood
Arriving at P.I.B, Aurelius dismounted his horse and requested to be let inside. He spoke to Twyst about the weight of the situation, and being as good of friends as they were, Twyst accepted the request.
Aurelius stood at the head of the internal chamber explaining to P.I.B. members what needed to be done, and a deal was arranged. Not soon after, P.I.B. members followed Aurelius and the Lydoneian Guard back to Koganon to search for Lothric. It was here they went from town to town, asking if they had seen the large humanoid speaking to civilians or interacting with high profile members of government. It was not until they reached Jotunstan where they were quickly notified by Syzmo that Lothric was squatting in the woods just south of the city.
The group raced to the woods to find Lothric, armed to the teeth, ready for combat. Lothric quickly realized, once again, he was outnumbered. Members of P.I.B. quickly ambushed him and began to fight him. While he was not able to best any of the fighters, he was clearly a force to be reckoned with. Lydoneian fighters quickly approached from the front, and Lothric realized that resistance against the two groups was futile.
The satisfaction of seeing Aurelius in such a vulnerable position brought him great joy, so he surrendered himself to the authorities.
Detainment
Lothric was brought to a newly constructed prison-keep north of Fort Roberts, soon to be named the Banished Cathedral. It is here that he is detained in a customized cell, deep beneath the surface, under constant supervision by both Lydoneian and P.I.B. forces.
Abilities and Weapons
Known Abilities
Writhing Corruption
The ability to transform at will into an abomination made of black abyssal ooze. After discovering it, Lothric mastered the art of infecting himself with a particular strain of it that would grant him superhuman abilities, and allows him to transform when the Corruption detects potential death of the host. After transformation, Lothric sprouts many abyssal claws from his chest, back, and arms, allowing him to quickly attack and infect any in his reach.
Weapons and Equipment
Lothric's Greatsword
Crafted in the massive pits of fire in the Valley of Khrrath, Lothric's Greatsword is made up of unknown materials. What is known about it, however, is that its blade emits bolts of lightning and spurts tainted blood in the direction of an attacker. It is incredibly heavy, and can only be used in combat by Lothric, due to his mastery of the weapon.
Bramdbane Shield
Crafted in Lothric's shack after the death of Highest Paladin Bramd of Ostengard. The shield is currently possessed by Bramd's spirit, trapped in eternal limbo and suffering at the blows of Lothric's attackers.
Armor of Lothric
Heavily modified netherite armor. Buffed to a reflective shine, stamped with the seal of the Secret Order, and donned with smithed heads of Allanti and Bramd on either shoulder. Immune to weapons not crafted out of netherite. Grafted to Lothric's body due to Corruption.
Helm of Lothric
Heavily modified netherite helmet. Buffed to a reflective shine. Outfitted with netherite and barbed iron spikes on top to thwart attacks from above. Smithed to accentuate the facial profile of Lothric. While his face is disfigured due to the Writhing Corruption, and his body being grafted to the armor on the inside due to the Corruption's living properties, it preserves the image of what once was a young man with tremendous potential.
Leggings of Lothric
Heavily modified netherite leggings. Buffed to a reflective shine. Outfitted with barbed iron spikes, meant to deter smaller attackers from approaching. Grafted to Lothric's body due to Corruption.
Boots of Corruption
Heavily modified netherite boots. Buffed to a reflective shine. Outfitted with barbed iron spikes. Leaves a footprint oozing with Corruption, meant to infect a new host and kill them before granting them the benefits of Corruption. Grafted to Lothric's body due to Corruption.
Escape
Unknown.