The Scarlet King

The Scarlet King, Lachtna Scolaighe

"I am no King. I am no savior. I am simply a man that understands the measures to protect his family. His people."

Lord of the Scarlet Circle, Lachtna was a former healer that was forced to endure the horrors wrought upon his people by Wendigo Sickness. These terrifying events drove him to find the infamous Scarlet Circle, an organization dedicated to hunting, purging, and destroying anything and anyone that may have something to do with the Blood Curse. While to some it might come off as a noble cause, the circle's extreme methods have caused the circle to fall out of favor among the different Elafi circles. They seek to burn away anything and anyone that happens to have anything to do with the curse; should the vile taint touch your home, be blessed that they don't leave you as bones among ash when they burn it to the ground.

Physical Description

Body Features

Lachtna is a very tall and imposing man. He stands at 6'5 feet in height, with a relatively muscular body build. His body is covered in dark brown fur, and he possesses the overall upper body of a man, with the hoofed legs of a ram.
Lachtna's Wild Scars are bright orange and flare up whenever angered, infuriated, or casting magic.

Facial Features

Lachtna's expression is always caught in a stern and dour look. His squared jawline is often set, while his cheekbones are somewhat high and pronounced. His eyes are a deep-set grey; almost like dirty chips of ice that contrast from the flames he commands. 

Lachtna's ears are cervine, and atop his head is a pair of prominent antlers just above them. His hair is often kept in thick braids that are groomed to fall between both antlers. The braids are very frequently tied up behind his head.

Special abilities

Pyromancy: Lachtna is an exceptional pyromancer; he's capable of shaping and controlling fire at a whim, and has invented several spells that are taught to the Scarlet Circle for the sake fighting off those afflicted by the Curse.

Healing: Lachtna is still a capable magical healer; he has not forgotten how to fix and rejuvenate wounds.

Apparel & Accessories

Flamespire: A two-handed mace that Lachtna wields into battle, often jokingly referred to as 'the King's Scepter'. The the bludgeoning top is relatively small and rounded off, but what makes it dangerous is its ability to set itself ablaze at Lachtna's command. Flamespire is also capable of turning fire tangible; allowing him to create grasping hands or limbs from the fire he commands.

Cloak: Lachtna generally wears a red cloak. The cloak is a special mantle, recently created to honour the Scarlet King. The Cloak itself trails off into fire, and is capable of spreading at the will of the user.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Lachtna was always a temperamental man; even as a child he was known for having a fiery, hot headed demeanor. His time as a child was spent much like any other Elafi; learning the druidic arts, attuning oneself to the natural energies of the world, and learning the benefits of following  The Fae. 

As a boy, Lachtna was always teased for his anger issues. He was very frequently told that the Fae spirits would have no patience with someone as angry and temperamental as him. Despite that, Lachtna persevered through the mocking of his peers to continue learning, to continue growing strong. If only because it meant that he could stubbornly prove those around him wrong. It came as a surprise when Lachtna showed a sign of promise. Lachtna had seen his first true Fae at the young age of twelve, and was thus trusted to be sent on his Rite of Passage; an Elafi ritual where children are sent to live in the wilds to meet with the three Norns  There, Lachtna would learn of his prophesied fate and be steered towards his own destiny.

The Elafi rite of passage has a rather harsh truth behind it; in order to find one's destiny, one must find themselves perched upon the precipice of death. Such a sour truth wasn't really known to Lachtna at the time. The elders simply said that he'd find his end of the journey 'when he was ready'. Young Lachtna survived in the wilds for several months before he was 'ready', living within the swamps of Kalni, Lachtna inevitably found his own experience when his hooves had sunk beneath the muck of the marshlands. The mud swallowed his legs and he struggled, only to find him sinking to his kneecaps in mud. 

Lachtna stood within the mud and rain, feeling all the more vulnerable. Every rain drop felt like a cold needle pricking through his furry hide, and the mud below had pulled upon him like thick grasping fingers. He had hoped that the marsh was endless that day, that it would inevitably swallow him so he could perish beneath the mire, rather than let the burning acid within his stomach consume him from within. With his atrophied arms reached forwards, and when that last, dying light of hope faded from his eyes, Lachtna saw it instead appear before him. A great shadow. The looming shade spoke to him with the voice of an elderly woman, and it was there, that Lachtna learned what he was fated to be.

A fate that surprised not just him; but his peers around him. Lachtna's temper was something to be feared, reviled, and even the Norns themselves understood his rage could become an untamed tool that could spell destruction for both him and those that stand at his side. It was thus prophesied that his calling would be found as a healer. One that would be forced to let go of his own anger in favor of aiding the weak and sickly. While reluctant to take on this task initially, Lachtna followed his calling. He surprised his peers, but he soon became a very capable healer.

The Young Healer

Despite his peers' reluctance and disbelief on top of his own, Lachtna had actually taken this news in stride. It only made sense, right? Someone with a temper like his wouldn't belong on the battlefield, nor would it make sense for him to be in a position that involved using his power to harness magic. There may have been a few apprehensive words over his potential to wind up doing more harming than healing, but in the end, Lachtna did exactly as the Norns instructed.

Lachtna proved to be an exceptional healer despite his shortcomings. It proved to have an effect that he, in the back of his mind, understood. Using one's power to harm others would only lead to a path of destruction, whereas calmly aiding or helping others improve would allow him to suppress any temper he might have once had. Lachtna proved to become a very beloved healer among his village. Anyone returning to his care would find their wounds rejuvenated. At worst, Lachtna would scold or chastise frequent visitors; 'A Healer never wishes to see the same face twice', he'd say.

This wasn't to say Lachtna didn't learn of practicing the raw elements in secret, of course. Such a thing was too tempting a prospect to really deny. None of the Elafi would mind the man for practicing outside of his profession; it wasn't like he intended to use it for anything other than self defense -- or even his tribe's own benefit, anyway. Fire had proved to be among his most common magic that he practiced. To Lachtna, Fire was a little more than just an extension of his own personality. In fire, Lachtna had seen life. Life breathed, and in a way, so too did fire. It consumed much like a person, and left behind ash as waste. It relied on oxygen, much like everyone else in the world did. In a way, Lachtna found that mastering a little Fire magic on the side was helpful anyway.


After all, some wounds needed fire to burn out 'corruption', as they called it. Wounds could fester and grow diseased, and though it brought great pain to anyone that would be placed under his care, fire was sometimes needed to purge the infection. Cuts or gashes would sometimes bleed to the point where bandages were unable to stop the bleeding; such is the case for vile diseases like the Red Plague, and so, Lachtna saw to it that flame would kiss those normally fatal wounds shut.

Lachtna became something along the lines of a prodigy. Very few died under his short time serving as a mender. There were countless diseases he grew to see; from the festering Slimegut, Bloodfire Fever, or Green Haze. Many wounds would also be seen in his time, from stabs and punctures to deep gouges and gashes, Lachtna had learned to cure and care for just about every situation. That is, until Wendigo Sickness began to plague his people.

The first sign of the disease began away from his home. He'd only hear stories of a horrible, vile illness that was more curse than sickness. Stories of the tribes outside finding themselves spitting black bile, before growing feral and snarl as the wildlife around them. Unfortunately, the first patient had arrived at Lachtna's doorstep and the man witnessed its effects first hand.

Bulging eyes were most prominent. They were jaundiced and darting, but just beneath the skin was an obscene tangled network of writhing, bulging lumps that could first be mistaken as great worms writhing in tunnels beneath the flesh. They were veins. Blackened, darkened veins that protruded and bulged, before propagating in tumorous growths that peeled aside any fur, hide, or hair. Even worse, the flesh would slough in lumps before regrowing into twisted, aberrant limbs that writhed and clawed for anyone that approached those afflicted. It was truly a glimpse into Hell itself...and yet, Lachtna strove to care for these people all the same.

No one would be cured, though. Every one afflicted by this horrible disease found their demise coming later. Infernal cravings for flesh sank into their psyche as they lay. Lachtna found keeping and caring for them was far more detrimental than anything shortly after the first beast escaped his care. The flesh recessed and peeled away at the arms, while bone and sinew reshaped itself into sharpened claws that it used to carve a bloody path that left several medics dead in its wake.

The 'first quandary', as he puts it today, was deciding just whether or not it was worth keeping the creatures under his care. Whether it was wise or not to allow them to stay rather than put them out of their misery. None survived the curse, and those that did would inevitably turn to frothing beasts that sought to either kill or spread it further. Lachtna was forced to incinerate countless lives exposed to this disease, but the one that dipped the turning point was when a client had spoken to him.

An Elafi man, like him. The client was cursed and afflicted like so many others, and from the back of his throat he burbled a noise akin to a backed up water drain. His eyes leaked the thick, putrid black ichor that fizzled and popped as it landed upon the floor beneath him. Stinking smoke rose in thin wispy strands, and as he lay there turning. The man plead to Lachtna, not to fix him, not to cure him. He spoke through blackened teeth while the tar-like, coal coloured blood spattered upon the floor from the first word that rose from his chest.

"Kill me"


Lachtna heard the two words in common; they were spoken hastily, it'd be longer to tell him the same thing in his own native tongue. His patient had lost hope, and after seeing so much of his people inevitably perish to this endemic plague, Lachtna too, had lost hope. He took hold of the man's hand and smiled; not one of joy, but one of sorrow. Through tearful eyes he could see his client's face darkening from the black veins that spread over his skull. It was a matter of time before his brain was gone.

With one hand holding his hand and the other placed upon the Elafi's face, Lachtna closed his eyes and soon found himself opening them to see that what was once a man's arm quickly falling to ash in his grip. Just as the man had requested, Lachtna had ended him; he reduced the suffering Elafi's head to ash, and soon enough, the rest of his body crumbled into a barren pile. The sulfurous stench of burning flesh and hair filled the room, and Lachtna had finally come to the realization that this was a sickness that could not be cured. A disease that would never be remedied. This disease was something more than just a vile curse, it was a cancer.

"We're all damned." --Lachtna, realizing the only method of 'curing' the curse.

The only method of curing it would be to cut it out. The only remedy would be destroying it at the source. That night, Lachtna snapped. He brought this mercy to one man, and with desperation, saw the many others that carried the same disease around him. Rather than waste any time, Lachtna went through each bed and quickly delivered the final blue to those around him. 

A cacophony of screams filled Lachtna's ears. Those that stayed and were unable to move from their disease-riddled stupor were quickly burnt away before he could hear their awful howls. His clinic soon filled with the smell of burnt hair and flesh. Lachtna was thankful that most of his clients were crippled that night; for they would not scream when he approached them. Those that could run were forced to suffer more before he could deliver the killing blow.

"You're free now. And so too, will our people." --Lachtna, upon the murder of his clients.

The Scarlet King

To Lachtna's surprise, many people had actually sympathized with his actions. Some grew to understand the inevitability of the curse. This crippling realization had lead to the formation of the Scarlet Circle -- an organization dedicated to routing out and destroying anyone or anything afflicted and tainted by the curse. With their new leader at the mantle, the now-dubbed Scarlet King. found his true destiny here. Lachtna was still a healer, and he would cleanse. He would purify. He would Purge .

Employment

Most of Lachtna's early days were spent as a Healer for his tribe. Healers were greatly valued and respected as important members of their society, and he grew quite popular for his actions, to the point that many considered the man to be a prodigy, albeit a very hot-headed one. His first year served as a young apprentice under a wiser druid's tutelage.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Lachtna completed the Rite of Passage required by most Elafi and Elves to consider themselves adults; this rite of passage is actually a grueling task, as it's typically taken at a very young age. Though many Elves and Elafi partake on it, the fact remains that they're still children sent to live in the wilds. Lachtna suffered his near-death experience there, and upon meeting with Tyche, he saw his so-called destiny.

Failures & Embarrassments

Lachtna considers his greatest 'failure' of all to not be realizing his method of cleansing the curse sooner. Had he come to his decision sooner, he would not have to have formed the Scarlet Enclave, and thousands of lives would not be lost from both the curse.

Mental Trauma

Anything to do with The Blood Curse is enough to push Lachtna to the point of violence. While he once grew anger for seeing those harboring the cursed or those accursed themselves, Lachtna had soon grown eerily calm over his years of serving as the Scarlet King. He destroys anything and anyone afflicted without prejudice, quickly and efficiently, without so much as wasting a word speaking to them. 

Due to the curse's close association with it; Theriothropy often has the same treatment.

Morality & Philosophy

Lachtna strictly believes what he's doing right and just -- every horrid action he takes is one step towards the right direction. He believes that should people like him not exist in the world, the curse would inevitably consume and leave the world in ruins.

While somewhat sorrowful over the lives that must perish at his hands, Lachtna has found himself completely separating the identity of the individual they were from the cursed individual they become.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

Lachtna's general motivation is to destroy anything that happens to be afflicted by the The Blood Curse. The only method of ending the curse in his eyes is to stop it at its source; by incinerating anything afflicted, he effectively stops it from spreading to any other potential victim.

Vices & Personality flaws

Lachtna is still somewhat hot-headed and temperamental, and now that he serves as a powerful Druid that has fully embraced his control over fire, he's only all the more dangerous. While he's still capable of controlling his anger to the point that he won't wind up harming somebody on a whim, he tends to have trouble relating or getting along with others. This, combined with his very stern disposition makes it difficult for most people to relate to him. 

Lachtna is a man of action. He will never take a man's word over one's actions. This paranoid nature causes him to very frequently see just about anyone he knows as more of an enemy than an ally.

Social

Contacts & Relations

The Loom: The Loom is a band of Elafi and Elves that live within the Webwood, a heavily isolated location found within the island of Kalni. It is an organization that primarily harbors those that are generally considered taboo to the rest of the world, and is watched closely over by a powerful Fae named Naiise. Naiise, the spider, is the Fae that embodies all things lost and hated. The Loom seeks to shelter those that are lost in such a way; and the Scarlet Circle is no exception to this due to their gained notoriety. The two often work together. Lachtna is close friends with the Loom's druidic leader, Demia.

Religious Views

As with most Elafi, Lachtna harbors respect for The Norns and Fae . Those that serve his circle are generally expected to do the same, but religion is usually a far cry from his main concerns.

Speech

Lachtna has a very thick voice accented by Fianni. He tends to speak somewhat fast, roll his r's, and say 'uh' or 'a' as 'ah'. Lachtna is somewhat foul mouthed, and tends to cuss very frequently, but is otherwise a man of very few words.

Alignment

Chaotic Good

Current Location

Kalni

Species

The Elafi

Year of Birth

17 BH 57 Years old

Birthplace

Kalni

Current Residence

The Webwood

Gender

Male

Eyes

Deep-set, piercing grey.

Hair

Long, black, tied into several braided locks.

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Light brown; furred.

Height

6'5

Weight

210 lbs

Known Languages

As an Elafi, Lachtna knows the Fianni language.
Lachtna also understands, and can speak the common tongue as his secondary language.