Motto: “When push comes to shove, king Joko will send a fully armed battalion to remind you of his love.”

Appearance:

The most noticeable part of Daeva’s physique is his enormous size. He is both tall and muscular, casting a long shadow which manages to intimidate lesser men into submission. His skin is dark due to his heritage, his eyes a bright amber that seem to absorb all the light around them, making them gleam in the dark. Scars are plentiful across his arms and body, though most are faded and old. He has a tattoo on his right thigh, a cobra in an attack position – his family crest – yet it is hidden under his clothing.

Personality:

Always confident and collected even after a difficult job, Daeva gives the impression of being a stern, arrogant and cold man who goes about his business undisturbed. He is notable in particular for his overbearing nature and grim sense of humour.

Daeva is an opportunist and will ally himself with anyone who can help him further his own goals, though he is self-reliant and rarely needs (or desires) the help of others in achieving his goals, taking great pride in his own talents. But though maverick and meager in friends, Daeva has a lot of acquaintances all over Elona, including notorious corsairs and Hamaseen.

Many hateful words can be said of Daeva, but the fact that he strongly believes in loyalty and honoring his debts proves that he is not entirely rotten at heart. He has personal codes of honor which guide him in everything he does. On the other hand however, he also believes in vendetta (more specifically, the “eye-for-an-eye-mindset”) and in the past he has murdered both his enemies and their family members in the name of vengeance. This unfortunately also means that Daeva’s hands are tainted in the blood of the innocent.

Being a noble, Daeva is eloquent and well-educated. He enjoys nothing more than singing, reciting his favourite poems and quotations to a well-selected audience… Especially as he closes in on his targets or performs an execution.

Daeva always seems to know what’s going on, being quite comprehensive and perceptive when talking to other travelers and adventurers. He has traveled all over Elona and the Crystal desert but he often stops by the small fort of Tihark Orchard, where he served during his first years in the king’s army.

He is very practical and usually keeps as few worldly possessions on his person as possible, seeing them as a burden on his travels.

Though only a few people know this, Daeva is devoted to his family and those that he cares for. Being the head of his house – and the leader of his squad – Daeva easily takes responsibility, carrying the weight of both of his titles with surprising ease, existing as a beacon of hope for those that need him.

Skills/Attributes:

Daeva’s mind is the deadliest weapon in his arsenal, though he doesn’t shy away from using physical force or his dark magic against those foolish enough to oppose him. The dead and dying easily become unwilling allies in his hands but he prefers to use his sand shades instead to torment his enemies to death. He specializes in curses, torment and punishment spells. To do all of this however, Daeva practices patience and self discipline, reading and practicing magic to train himself further.

Daeva is well-versed in armed combat, his expertise’s in wielding axes, daggers and sometimes even a greatsword. He is also known to set traps and then lure his enemies into stepping on them with deadly consequences.

Daeva rides a jackal to cross over the desert regions quickly and to descend upon his unsuspecting victims like a sandstorm. Saphir also assists his master in difficult kills, using teeth and claw to rip apart their enemies. Daeva also possesses a family heirloom, a golden cobra bracelet which he sometimes carries around with him. A fire djinn – Kahdaz – is bound to the bracelet, and to its owner, thus protecting Daeva from harm, unleashing a fiery torrent on anyone looking for Daeva’s demise.

Background:

Daeva has a dark past full of blood spilling and death. He was born in Vabbi, as the firstborn son of a Mordant Crescent general, Najir Rahal – The Black Sun.

When Daeva was old enough to hold a weapon, his father pushed a sword into his hands and began to train him into becoming a soldier like himself – like all the firstborn sons in the family – hoping he would one day serve king Joko as a Mordant Crescent. His father quickly realised that Daeva was more skilled with axes than swords, and so his weapon of choice was changed. Later the boy was introduced to daggers and greatswords as well.

Daeva killed his first man at the age of ten (guided by his father), and made his first solo kill when he was twelve. This was enough to attract the attention of several members of the Mordant Crescent, and the boy was promised a position in the king’s army, as soon as he was of age. And eventually, he entered the war academy of Vabbi.

After graduation, Daeva first served in the king’s army as a common footsoldier. During his service, he faced mainly traitors and rebels, and sometimes, rarely, nomadic members of the Order of Sunspears. Over the years though, Daeva’s reputation grew, and eventually he was accepted into the Mordant Crescent, following in his father’s footsteps. But instead of becoming a highly respected general like his father, Daeva became a hunter. He quickly rose into the position of a captain with his own squad of hunters, fittingly named the King’s Justice Division.

Despite his appearances, Daeva used to be a mess of contradictions. Viewing himself as the central pillar of the KJD (the King’s Justice Division), he was just as brutally violent as any other Crescent, but viewed himself as a bureaucrat and his squad as his administration. He believed his actions were entirely justified, yet sometimes his thoughts were a constant stream of self-denigration. Daeva worked hard to run a tight ship but on the other hand, for all his thoughts of sophistication and control, he could go from affable to life-threatening at the least provocation. Though he try and might convince himself otherwise, Daeva was truly a sociopathic murderer. But ultimately, whether Daeva was a monster or not is irrelevant. He believed his actions were entirely justified – up until he met Accipiter Aches.

Getting to know Accipiter and eventually falling in love with him changed Daeva fundamentally. His ideals – the ideals of the Mordant Crescent – and his king were suddenly questioned, the very essence of Daeva’s existance ripped away, proven as false and sinister. While Accipiter did not push his own ideals on Daeva, the Elonian could appreciate them for what they were, seeing value in the dissent instead of a crime. While Daeva did not entirely give up on his Mordant Crescent ways, he was less inclined to perform his duties. Love seemed to prevail over duty, and nowadays Daeva supports Accipiter and his cause, providing the young Sunspear supporter with information – information that would otherwise be out of his reach. Despite being selective in what information he shares with his young lover, Daeva seems to truly cherish and embrace Accipiter and his goals, while slowly being steered away from his old ways. Though conflicted as he may be, even Daeva can see that Joko must be stopped.