04-28-2017, 08:11 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-25-2017, 02:05 PM by Dane Regan.)
Past History (pre-Omniverse)
Dane is mostly a future driven person and doesn't dwell on the past. He's not naive enough to think he should forget it however, so knows there are lessons to be learned. That said, he will very rarely discuss much besides general lore about his world. Therefore, the following does contain some information Dane wouldn't tell anyone. Though anything he would try to actually keep secret is omitted.
Dane grew up through the transition of two periods. The domain of the demon king, and the demon's demise. In the former, mankind and the majority of races were united against the threat of the demon king and his army. A strong and powerful being in raw strength, skill, and magic.
He was born into this bloody war shortly after his twin brother. However, he drew the short straw in the family hierarchy. While his brother showed magical aptitude from a very young age, Dane did not. Trying to compete for his parent's attention, Dane focused on academics. A choice that had a large impact on his personality today. However, even from the age of nine, he knew his parents would not be able to invest in his education due to them putting everything into his brothers magic. He also knew that any family with at least two boys as children were guaranteed to have at least one conscripted. Usually is was the oldest, but the parents did get a say for births reasonably close together. And Dane knew they would choose him.
So, rather than wait until he turned fourteen, when mandatory training would begin, he prompted his father to send him to the castle. Where he would train earlier in life than others, and possibly get on to an officer track to secure his survival in the war. From the age of ten, he began training. Most of it consisted of drills and general fitness, primarily endurance rather than raw strength. However, Dane detested the repetitive and monotonous motions. They were predictable. So, he devised his own techniques. While weak, his practice sparring opponents did not know how to deal with the alien-like attacks, making Dane the most successful fighter in the group.
In his limited spare time, Dane worked as an assistant to a Wizard on the castle to earn a small amount of coin. However, his main focus was learning. Even a small amount of magic can be used to great benefit. Using the castle library and the Wizard to further his academic progress, Dane eventually became proficient at using magic to enhance his attacks. While mentally draining, it gave him a further edge in combat.
Growing up in a dormitory full of other, more immature, boys turned Dane into a reclusive. He could act as needed when required, and even falsify his side of a friendship with them, but he didn't see them as worth his time. Instead, he could learn much more by talking to himself. Fights were common, and Dane was involved in many. Some he even provoked, just to get the satisfaction of beating his undesirable roommates into the ground. Though he doesn't talk about that now.
Eventually, after learning how to fight both officially and unofficially, as well as the basic "rules" for winning battles and fights, Dane was moved to protect a boarder village under threat. Being 17 at the time, he was too young to be eligible for a commanding position. Despite not being in charge, or anywhere on the command chain for that matter, he managed to coordinate a defense against a much larger force of demons. Though he doesn't talk about the details or methods, no civilians died, and only 8 or the 40 men stationed were lost.
Shortly after that, the war ended. The demon king was slain. And Dane was dismissed, though he (somewhat illegally) kept his issued weapons. Peace, however, wasn't much different from being at war. Not that it really lasted long. Kingdoms turned on each other and Lords began to dispute the distribution of the spoils of war. People were divided into an impromptu cold war of sorts.
Returning home, Dane met his parents. He had seen them occasionally throughout his training, bit it was rare. They talked, and caught up. Dane's brother had blown his chance at magic. Flunked the classes, not tried. And acted as if he was special just for being able to levitate spoons. So had thus also returned home to help run the woodcutters. Dane, who had been envious of him in the past, scoffed. He was beneath him now. And so, Dane then left for the capital in hopes of putting his academic talents to use. To benefit the realm, or at least someone. At this point, however, it was a desperate move to salvage something from his life. His military experience was wasted and never put to good use or recognized. And upon reaching the capital, he was scoffed upon as a pretender. The elite horded knowledge, only publishing as they died of old age. Even farming techniques or water purification methods.
So out of spite Dane put his skills to use. He no longer cared about making lives better. He just wanted to make something of himself and defy his bad luck. He wanted to ruin the lives of those who refused to share information. He published books. He travelled. And he went from village to village sharing techniques. And sharing knowledge. He experimented, derived, and deduced his own information. Some of which was considered controversial or even blasphemous. A hero to the people, an enemy to the elite and the church. Knights, even highly skilled ones, were sent to kill him. Using his wits and skills, he survived. He understood how to fight and how to win. And didn't just repeat training. He didn't see himself as smart, just a better thinker.
The hate from the church did wonders for him. Who knew saying that magic was a completed logical and natural phenomenon in humans, and that there was no evidence it was bestowed onto people by "God" would get so much attention? The thing is, the more illegal the information, the more people know it and the more attention the writer gets. So, while his books on agriculture, science, mathematics, and magic struggled to get attention before, they were quickly spread alongside his "heretical" works.
Relishing in his fame, Dane was able to feel like he succeeded somewhere. At least somewhat. Even if, in the long term, he would eventually die and nothing would change. At least, he told himself the former. And more firmly believed the latter. Especially upon visiting towns and those who supported his ideas. They didn't understand them. They just parroted everything he said simply because some things he said, such as common herbs that can be used to treat different symptoms, had helped them.
And so, they were still ignorant. Blindly trusting him because he had been right in other cases. Even though he tried to encourage skepticism, logic, and a scientific approach. So he stopped publishing, and moved on to fighting. Just clearing the roads of bandits, particularly those who were former soldiers with a lost source of income. The Kingdoms maybe have broken alliances, and have been in disarray, but none wanted war. It was too soon for that.
And so, Dane changed into a folk hero. The protector of the roads and bringer of truth. Despite him blatantly lying about spiders having 6 legs in his last book (multiple times) just to see if anyone would call him out on it. Still, it wasn't a bad life so far, just an unfulfilling one.
Dane is mostly a future driven person and doesn't dwell on the past. He's not naive enough to think he should forget it however, so knows there are lessons to be learned. That said, he will very rarely discuss much besides general lore about his world. Therefore, the following does contain some information Dane wouldn't tell anyone. Though anything he would try to actually keep secret is omitted.
Dane grew up through the transition of two periods. The domain of the demon king, and the demon's demise. In the former, mankind and the majority of races were united against the threat of the demon king and his army. A strong and powerful being in raw strength, skill, and magic.
He was born into this bloody war shortly after his twin brother. However, he drew the short straw in the family hierarchy. While his brother showed magical aptitude from a very young age, Dane did not. Trying to compete for his parent's attention, Dane focused on academics. A choice that had a large impact on his personality today. However, even from the age of nine, he knew his parents would not be able to invest in his education due to them putting everything into his brothers magic. He also knew that any family with at least two boys as children were guaranteed to have at least one conscripted. Usually is was the oldest, but the parents did get a say for births reasonably close together. And Dane knew they would choose him.
So, rather than wait until he turned fourteen, when mandatory training would begin, he prompted his father to send him to the castle. Where he would train earlier in life than others, and possibly get on to an officer track to secure his survival in the war. From the age of ten, he began training. Most of it consisted of drills and general fitness, primarily endurance rather than raw strength. However, Dane detested the repetitive and monotonous motions. They were predictable. So, he devised his own techniques. While weak, his practice sparring opponents did not know how to deal with the alien-like attacks, making Dane the most successful fighter in the group.
In his limited spare time, Dane worked as an assistant to a Wizard on the castle to earn a small amount of coin. However, his main focus was learning. Even a small amount of magic can be used to great benefit. Using the castle library and the Wizard to further his academic progress, Dane eventually became proficient at using magic to enhance his attacks. While mentally draining, it gave him a further edge in combat.
Growing up in a dormitory full of other, more immature, boys turned Dane into a reclusive. He could act as needed when required, and even falsify his side of a friendship with them, but he didn't see them as worth his time. Instead, he could learn much more by talking to himself. Fights were common, and Dane was involved in many. Some he even provoked, just to get the satisfaction of beating his undesirable roommates into the ground. Though he doesn't talk about that now.
Eventually, after learning how to fight both officially and unofficially, as well as the basic "rules" for winning battles and fights, Dane was moved to protect a boarder village under threat. Being 17 at the time, he was too young to be eligible for a commanding position. Despite not being in charge, or anywhere on the command chain for that matter, he managed to coordinate a defense against a much larger force of demons. Though he doesn't talk about the details or methods, no civilians died, and only 8 or the 40 men stationed were lost.
Shortly after that, the war ended. The demon king was slain. And Dane was dismissed, though he (somewhat illegally) kept his issued weapons. Peace, however, wasn't much different from being at war. Not that it really lasted long. Kingdoms turned on each other and Lords began to dispute the distribution of the spoils of war. People were divided into an impromptu cold war of sorts.
Returning home, Dane met his parents. He had seen them occasionally throughout his training, bit it was rare. They talked, and caught up. Dane's brother had blown his chance at magic. Flunked the classes, not tried. And acted as if he was special just for being able to levitate spoons. So had thus also returned home to help run the woodcutters. Dane, who had been envious of him in the past, scoffed. He was beneath him now. And so, Dane then left for the capital in hopes of putting his academic talents to use. To benefit the realm, or at least someone. At this point, however, it was a desperate move to salvage something from his life. His military experience was wasted and never put to good use or recognized. And upon reaching the capital, he was scoffed upon as a pretender. The elite horded knowledge, only publishing as they died of old age. Even farming techniques or water purification methods.
So out of spite Dane put his skills to use. He no longer cared about making lives better. He just wanted to make something of himself and defy his bad luck. He wanted to ruin the lives of those who refused to share information. He published books. He travelled. And he went from village to village sharing techniques. And sharing knowledge. He experimented, derived, and deduced his own information. Some of which was considered controversial or even blasphemous. A hero to the people, an enemy to the elite and the church. Knights, even highly skilled ones, were sent to kill him. Using his wits and skills, he survived. He understood how to fight and how to win. And didn't just repeat training. He didn't see himself as smart, just a better thinker.
The hate from the church did wonders for him. Who knew saying that magic was a completed logical and natural phenomenon in humans, and that there was no evidence it was bestowed onto people by "God" would get so much attention? The thing is, the more illegal the information, the more people know it and the more attention the writer gets. So, while his books on agriculture, science, mathematics, and magic struggled to get attention before, they were quickly spread alongside his "heretical" works.
Relishing in his fame, Dane was able to feel like he succeeded somewhere. At least somewhat. Even if, in the long term, he would eventually die and nothing would change. At least, he told himself the former. And more firmly believed the latter. Especially upon visiting towns and those who supported his ideas. They didn't understand them. They just parroted everything he said simply because some things he said, such as common herbs that can be used to treat different symptoms, had helped them.
And so, they were still ignorant. Blindly trusting him because he had been right in other cases. Even though he tried to encourage skepticism, logic, and a scientific approach. So he stopped publishing, and moved on to fighting. Just clearing the roads of bandits, particularly those who were former soldiers with a lost source of income. The Kingdoms maybe have broken alliances, and have been in disarray, but none wanted war. It was too soon for that.
And so, Dane changed into a folk hero. The protector of the roads and bringer of truth. Despite him blatantly lying about spiders having 6 legs in his last book (multiple times) just to see if anyone would call him out on it. Still, it wasn't a bad life so far, just an unfulfilling one.