Antimony

"You think I wasn't aware of myself? Of course I wanted to use that strength... to stop them. To stop you. I just... I didn't know how to reach it.
And now I've got to live with that."

Antimony was a steel man of Aelayeron and served under the major deity Calenvo. He was the main protagonist of (This article contains major spoilers for Sunrise Serenade. and Shine a Little Love)
Like all third-generation steel men, Antimony would be born shortly after the Second Roar of the 800s. Although he held love for all his family, he was particularly close to his “older brother” Bismuth. Their shared experience of the Roaring Silence forged a bond like iron, yet just like the metal: rather than bend, it would break.

APPEARANCE

Utterly average in both height and weight, Antimony would have been the perfect metric to base all other steel men on if not for the metalloid growths on his body. Much like the natural substance of his namesake, these growths were a glossy silver and softer than other metals. Although not posing any real harm, these bumps were said to be painful whenever Antimony channeled his aura for any use of magic such as miracles.
As all steel men would, Antimony forged most of his armor himself, choosing to adopt a simplet helmet with a beak-like visor. Rather than plates of metal, he instead coated himself in chainmail and wore a tabbard over which displayed both the symbol of the Asporaso and more-specifically iconography of Lord Calenvo due to serving under the major deity, specifically.

Leitmotif: "I've Got a Name" by Jim Croce

Species

The Steel Men of Aelayeron

Age

610

Height

182cm/5’11

Weight

180kg/396lbs.

PERSONALITY

Antimony didn't find speaking of himself all that interesting. He was a steel man, yes, but there were hundreds of thousands of his kind. He fought against demons, yes, but so did the near-entirety of Aelayeron. He was, for lack of a better term: absolutely ordinary when placed against his contemporaries. This didn't bother him much, as he was happier listening. Antimony enjoyed the smaller pleasures of life and would spend hours merely studying the world around him: how leaves blew in the wind or how even animals held their own sort of social circles. Although his nature made him easy to be around, it would also make asserting himself difficult.
By no means could one label him as weak-willed, however. Once Antimony drew his line, it would never be crossed. It simply took a great deal to get him there.

HISTORY & NOTABLE RELATIONSHIPS

The Roaring Silence would leave Antimony and his brother stationed at Lucenda, a marvelous city built directly into the High Wall of Aelayeron. With the demons vanquished, he and his family enjoyed centuries of peace, pursuing mastery in a number of skills. In particular, Antimony enjoyed botany and studying the foliage of the world. However, a fateful visit by Lord Enri's daughter would cause an outburst in Bismuth that would leave the two transferred to a much smaller location far away into the river lands: a city only dubbed as "Little Lucenda" due to having been constructed with the materials cleared from Lucenda Proper during the latter's building.
Although Antimony made the most of it, spending time with Little Lucenda's people, such as a family called "De'Wildflowers" which lived near their post, Bismuth couldn't help but stew upon his disgrace at being in such a location. It was there in which Bismuth would stumble upon the machinations of the traitors in progress and declare his allegiance to their cause. Although not disagreeing with his brother, Antimony felt out of ease with what he now saw as war looming on the horizon. But if he had no better answer, who was he to object to Pence's ideals?

The Soft Defiance

---

It didn’t matter any more. The arcana, the gods, Bismuth, even the High Wall. In one of Antimony’s hands was the hand of another, a charcoal-skinned xoti girl named Lya, while the other had a stick with a salmon-pink bindle. Behind them was the small town of Lucenda, Lya’s home and Antimony’s protectorate, as assigned by beings not long for the world. Ahead was nothing but forest; with any luck, the land would provide what the gods and the arcana never could.

Antimony would align himself with the traitorous steel men who sought to vanquish the Aelish Divinity and all those loyal to it. Having actually been present when Pence took the head of minor deity Pollyanna, he was granted a direct perspective of the ensuing events of the war. After the traitors' opening attack had ended, he and Bismuth would be tasked with the garrisoning of Little Lucenda as it sat on a strategic point joining many of the rivers of Chion.
With the battle which would later be dubbed the "Iron River" approaching, Antimony found his doubts could no longer be subsided as the conflict erupted even within what the traitors thought was a population understanding to their cause. Growing contention in Little Lucenda led to Bismuth commanding the slaughter of every normal human in the city. Antimony would tragically find that this was his breaking point; what it finally took for him to stand against his brother and those who followed him.
Taking the child he'd befriended in his time at the city, the two would make for the wilderness if only to get away from the fighting.

Notable Relationships

---

"...and all you did was stand there. You could've stopped Pence from killing the princess. You could've killed him, you could've batted my hand away, you could've— You could've done anything! [The power] was in you the whole time! I DIDN'T HAVE TO KILL GLINT! You act like you're weak, like you're at peace with everything, but I know you doubt them! And I know you doubt me...
So why couldn't you just do anything? Anything but nothing?"

Bismuth: Antimony held his brother in a regard higher than all others, seeing him as the greatest warrior of their family. Given Bismuth was one of few steel men to slay a greater demon by himself, the feeling wasn't unfounded. However, their deep trust in one-another could not withstand the strain that the Soft Defiance brought on.

Lya De'Wildflowers: A xoti child living in the city of Little Lucenda, Lya and her family would frequently make conversation with Antimony and his brother, though the latter not much caring for it. Lya would find Antimony not only fascinating, as children tended to do with steel men in those days, but also someone to be trusted. When her home city found itself in flames, she followed Antimony even against her desire to find her parents.

"Tim— Tim'ny, where're we going?"
"I... I don't know."

by Nincho | Ayonerra

Tarnish: Acting as almost a mirror to Antimony, Tarnish was the younger brother of Pence. Yet Tarnish basked in attention given to him by both normal civilians as well as those of the Asporaso Church. When Princess Pollyanna visited Lucenda, Tarnish specifically asked to bake her a cake, much to her delight. Whether his time doing such activities under the guise of a loyalist was at all fake remains unknown, but Tarnish himself seemed to be the sort to enjoy games and those who played them.

"I cannot say I fully trust you, cousin."
"Perfect! If you could, you wouldn't be on this side, would you?"

ABILITIES & EQUIPMENT

Enchanted Bardiche: Antimony kept a handful of miracles etched into his bardiche since the Roaring Silence. Although most were used offensively, Saint Salvador's Gateway was on the tail-end of the weapon in the case of emergency's needing swift movement.
Etched into its hilt is the phrase "I've Got a Name," and although Antimony does remember that Bismuth is why he wrote it, neither can remember for what reason.
Summer Rain Talisman: A white cloth talisman fashioned in the shape of Calenvo's lost daughter. Just as the girl it was modeled after, so too did this item bear a fragility belying the unshakable power within.