See below for a new character sheet, which is probably a little overdue. More on Eximia to follow, hopefully in the coming weeks.
Character XV: Luscar I Vasa, Lord of Eight and Emperor of Eximia; 17-year old ruler of the Vasa Ascendancy
Position: Second Emperor of the Vasa Ascendancy and claimant to the throne of Eximia
Biography: Born seventeen years ago to Marquis Giland Vasa and his wife, the esteemed Lady Iona, from the moment of his birth Luscar was preordained to be a leader of men. Though he pre-empted his twin by scarce minutes, that fact alone made him heir to the Marquis’ lands and titles, and thus the favored son. The two boys were raised together, of course, but Luscar’s superiority soon became apparent, to both his family and the estate at large: he perpetually stood taller than his brother and was stronger in build, much more skilled a swordsman, and had a natural command of those subjects that the Marquis deemed most important – namely the secular studies of history, governance, and politics, alongside religious literature. Better still, he was served by an indomitable will to reach, then surpass, any man he found his superior; those who exceeded the young lord rarely found that they did so for long, were he capable of devising a way to match them.
When the twins reached the age of twelve, their educations were segregated owing to Sailence’s unique talent with healing magic. As the Eximian Empire collapsed around House Vasa, Luscar was schooled in military history and strategy by the Marquis (himself a decorated war hero, considered one of the finest commanders in the Empire’s final age) while his swordplay was honed by Izlude’s tutelage. In addition, he was made familiar with the skills and operations of the Six, as well as the political intrigue that they made possible. By the time of his father’s passing, Luscar was more than ready to take up the title of Emperor of Eximia and press his claim to the vaunted throne; however, an uprising led by elements of the nobility threatened his chance to do so. The fresh-crowned king crushed the rebellion through deployment of the Eight (Yochanan in particular) and the Vasan military, executing the ringleaders for treason and stripping them of their holdings before giving its supporters the chance to declare allegiance to him or face the same ignoble fate. All offered the choice availed themselves of their Emperor’s forgiveness, but the viciousness with which he carried out his will resulted in protests from his more compassionate twin. Unwilling to reconsider, and offended by his brother’s presumption, Luscar exiled Sailence from Vasan territory, demanding only that he find his replacement in what was by then the Eight.
His most vocal (and beloved) critic silenced and those who would dispute his legitimacy slain, Luscar commenced the task of raising and training a grand army for the Vasa Ascendancy, using the funds of House Vasa, the nobility, and the merchant class, as well as the seized assets of the rebellion. Under his leadership, the Ascendancy’s military and magical might have become among the greatest in the known world, a necessity for the reclamation of old Eximia. Further, he has established diplomatic ties with and received the endorsement of the Kingdom of God, serving to further legitimize Luscar’s claim among those who follow the One True Faith in Eximia – well over half of the population. With an Emperor righteous and ambitious in equal measure at its head, the unwavering support of the common people, and the sanction of God Himself, the Vasa Ascendancy is poised to reassert Eximian supremacy over the continent and forge a brighter future through the path of warfare.
Equipment: Although Luscar has no native magical ability, he is served well by his training under the Second of Eight in conjunction with his powerfully-enchanted equipment, all of which is of near-matchless quality. His gleaming, golden full plate is the very apotheosis of defensive enchantment as well as the prototype of contemporary Vasan armor, a result of the collaboration of the most skilled smiths and mages in Vasan service combining their abilities to create unsurpassed protection. It functions through manifesting a protective barrier around the wearer commensurate to the strength of their will (and the arcane power used to create it); given the young Emperor's resolve and the quality of the work, Luscar is practically immune to conventional weaponry, as well as most magic, on the field of battle (though the Vasan rank-and-file is much less fortified).
The Emperor's fabled longsword, Starlight, was a gift to his father from the last Eximian Emperor, Acaelus I, in recognition of his unprecedented military successes in Jechya in the years before Luscar's birth. The sword was created from the remnants of a shooting star centuries ago, and passed down the Imperial family for more than a dozen generations before being given, in turn, to House Vasa. Owing to its association with the Eximian emperors, Starlight is a symbol of imperial favor and legitimacy, and its endowment to House Vasa is widely-viewed as implying fitness to rule as Eximia's new imperial dynasty. The celestial steel used to forge Starlight provides it with strength on par with brightsteel, and it was both blessed by priests of the Kingdom of God and inlaid with enchantments shortly after its creation, the latter of which further enhance it such that it can never dull or chip.
The holy words spoken over Starlight allegedly make it a potent weapon against demons, the undead, and the wicked; wounds inflicted upon such beings by Starlight erupt in brilliant blue-white flame, causing terrible pain to those so injured and greatly impeding attempts to heal them, even while burning them alive. In addition, the consecrated blade can blaze with an intense light of the same color as its flames, blinding the foes of its wielder. In the hands of an unworthy bearer, Starlight's abilities are suppressed save for its indestructibility, and the evildoer in possession is subject to a burning, heavenly punishment according to the weight of their sins; evil mages, in particular, find themselves unable to work magic while wielding Starlight, and all too often incapable of relinquishing their grip on it.