Fortune favors the bold

Appearance

adames is all muscle and agility. A rich genealogy colors his background, both hot blood, and warm blending together seamlessly. Sharp angular features add to his expressions, lighting his golden eyes, and dishing his face. He is sleek and fast on his feet. Long legs steady him and add drama to his movements. This stallion is grace personified. Mane and tail kept short, it's uncertain whether he does this out of habit or comfort. At the very crest of his crown, two golden horns protrude and stretch back towards his neck. The pure hue is matched only by that of his eyes and hooves.

Seemingly dipped in gold, the soft pink Perlino tint covers him with its entirety. Not a blemish dares to find its place upon him. Only the slightly darker shade of his mane and tail serves to interrupt the consistency of his coloration. Breathtaking, there would be no mistaking this stallion as a plain creature.

Mannerisms

onfidence drips from every available contour of this stallion. A royal upbringing has shaped him, granting him an air that is as regal as it is noticeable. He does not hesitate to meet the eyes of those whose paths he crosses. Instead he meets them head on. Graceful and poised, Radames handles himself well - hardly flinching when accosted by uncomfortable situations.

His expressions are always amiable. Even roughed by a life on a merchant ship, he has not adopted any of the bad habits commonly found amongst sailors. Well-spoken, there is an undeniable nobility that radiates from within him. His good looks stretch far beyond that of an outward appearance.

Accessories

•Nose ring: Radames has not always sported this simple accessory. As a prince, it would never have been allowed. Simple and shaped with gold, the stallion acquired it during his time as a merchant sailor. A final marking of how far removed he had become from the life he'd once enjoyed.

•Necklace: This simple chain fixed with four bells was a gift given to him just before he wed Cyrilla. Though the trinket is of a high value to those who do not know its origin, Radames can not bring himself to part with it. Serving as a reminder to his past, his true mate, Theia, never once questioned its continued presence around his neck.

•Bangle bracelets: At one time, these two bracelets once belonged to Theia. Now passed on, Radames wears them in order to feel nearer to his beloved. Although trivial, and made from impure gold, they were one of the few pieces of her that he chose to keep.

•Tail bells: Similarly to the necklace, this ornament is another reminder of his past life. A trapping he can never truly be rid of. Radames wears them now to scorn the lives he believes to be forever lost.

ESTP - The Dynamo

Outgoing - Logical - Straightforward - Observant - Impulsive - Adaptable - Insensitive - Independent

Fortune favors the brave.

His destiny had never been his own. Woven from willow and wildflowers, He was the long-awaited son. The hoped-for heir of Herstial. His name, given to him by his parents, was one as old as the land itself. One that was meant to honor the traditions upheld for generations. Gentility, dignity, and a calmness of spirit were only a few of the things the young colt was expected to become. Instead, it seemed, from an impressively young age, he embodied the very spirit of chaos he was meant to repel.

The eldest born to parents forged by their station, Radames was immediately expected to mature past his age. It was as if a chain had been wrapped around his neck and legs - constantly pulling him towards the throne. There was no room for him to embrace the wild oats of his youth. Constantly surrounded by guards, his playmates quickly became that which he could find in the palace yard. Those first few months of his life would soon become the easiest moments of his confinement.

Old Herstial blood coursed through his veins. Unavoidably evident by the golden color of his coat and the budding horns that broke through the crown of his head. His was a cloak almost as ancient as the throne itself - once worn by his grandfather's grandfather. The weight of expectation was almost crushing, and unlike his father, before him, the young colt did not rise to the occasion. Instead, he sought escape and dreamed of the many lands that lay beyond Herstial.

That escape soon came to him in the form of a single chink in the armor that surrounded the palace. A gap in the wall, easy enough for the young colt to slip through. Against the wishes and protection of his parents, Radames became the prince that wandered. The village that sprouted up in the shadows of the palace became whatever lands the colt could dream up. Some days he would be a brave knight, tirelessly guarding some far off realm. Others he was the lowly son of a merchant, free to come and go as they pleased. Tied only to the strength of their legs and how far they could carry them. The illusion, however, would shatter each time the guards would find him and drag him back to the palace.

Despite the best efforts of his parents, the guards, and his many tutors - escaping became his minds sole focus. Avoiding the watchful eyes of those meant to keep him penned became one of his greatest talents. Daily he would slip past their watchful gazes to spend hours mingling amongst the commoners. His face became one of great familiarity, while it also developed into a favorite topic of conversation. Radames grew taller amongst the folk normally cast off by nobility. It didn't take long before his status and good looks gained him the attention of one young white-coated woman.

Theia glued herself to the prince's side, hanging off his every word. It was apparent that she did not enjoy the same opulent lifestyle he was afforded. Her family name, however, was as old as the Herstial itself. Rumors followed the two young horses as they grew closer together with every passing day. Radames' affiliation with her family became one of great interest as their history of crime continued to run rampant. Theft, fighting rings, and other various operations of ill-repute branded the beautiful mare as an unsuitable match. All of this was not heard by the budding stallion. Completely enthralled by Theia's attention, he refused to consider any other possible motive.

It did not take long for word of Radames' indiscretions reached the ears of the palace. Instant outrage permeated the halls as the king and queen sought to nail their son down. Just as he always had, Radames fought against his parents' wishes for his life - his outrage bubbling over as his betrothal was announced. Outright the colt refused to submit, but his protests fell on deaf ears. Only a month later, just past his third birthday, he was married. His chosen bride was not the mare after whom he pined. Instead, he was forcefully wed to a young noblewoman named Cyrilla.

Despite his heartbreak, Radames knew that he could not continue relations with Theia. As Cyrillla moved into the palace, the embittered prince bit his tongue and hardened his heart. It seemed that his parents' schemes had finally produced fruit - though it remained clear that Radames had no interest in the throne. His young bride played her role well, constantly pushing him towards the destiny he desperately fought against. Cyrilla's ambitions to become queen did nothing to win her favor with Radames, and soon he felt himself distancing himself from her as well. The once vibrant and exuberant colt had been transformed into a dull shell - a puppet controlled by the forces that surrounded him.

A year passed in this fashion, with Radames playing his parts without enthusiasm. It isn't until word of a filly born on the outskirts to a mare named Theia that a spark is reignited within his eyes. They spoke of the foal's astonishing beauty and likeness to the prince that had once walked among the people. The prince fed off these tales, his heart beating faster with every newly discovered detail. Confronted by Pivaro, Radames did not endeavor to hide his transgressions - revealing that his relations with Theia were far beyond that of a friendly nature. Although not married at the time of the foal's conception, his sins were put on display and named as infidelity's. Despite the weight of his punishment, for the first time in his life, Radames felt free. A prince no more, his name was scratched from the history books - though his face would never be forgotten. Free to walk past the palace gates, no guard rushed forward in an attempt to stop him.

Reunited with Theia, Radames was only offered a short time to look upon the face of his child. A sweet, innocent babe - the filly was a light in his life unlike anything else. They were a family, and despite their lacking of position or power, they were happy. That is, until, one night - palace guards stole into their humble home to take the child away. Powerless, Radames tried to fight against his parents' influence only to be knocked unconscious. When he wakes, the filly is gone and Theia is in tears. Ostracized from their families, and with no hope of ever seeing their daughter again - the couple decide to move on.

Their name now seemingly reduced to a curse, they are not welcomed amongst the few merchants that venture in and out of Herstial. The traveler's life was difficult, and the pair struggled as they bounced from kingdom to kingdom. For two years they continued in this way, with little food for their bellies and no comforts to be found. Weakened by their circumstances, Theia becomes ill with a cough that rattles in her lungs. Devoted to her completely, Radames makes the decision to lay down some roots. They make a home in a poor fishing village erected upon the water. Their hut is small, barely enough to house them, and Radames finds work under the guise of a different name. For days he is forced to leave behind his ailing lover, fishing the dangerous waters that lay beyond the village. Luckily, however, he discovers a talent for sailing - a talent that quickly gains his attention and the favor of a merchant captain.

Glad to leave behind the life of a fishmonger, Radames takes the offer of employment upon a major vessel. Theia is not permitted to join him. Now gone for months on end, he constantly worries for his mate. The money is good, and with every return to port, he is able to afford her more comfort - more doctors. None of which, however, seem to have a lasting impact on the ailing mare. Dry coughs turn wet, and soon blood is produced with every heave. Theia is dying. Radames fights against the grim diagnosis - working every harder to provide for her. From far off lands he brings her new remedies and medicines, all in the hopes that she would be healed. The white beauty that stole his heart fights for three more years before sickness takes her.

Radames is at sea when the mare succumbs to her ailment. When he returns, it is to an empty house with nothing but a quickly scribbled note to explain what had occurred. He is devastated. With nothing left, the exiled prince shuts himself away. Feverishly he sorts through Theia's things, grasping at straws in an attempt to make sense of fate's cruelty towards him. In a rage, the grown stallion begins to throw every remnant of his life into the bog just outside his hut's window. Relic after relic is sacrificed to the water as tears stream down his face. It isn't until he stumbles upon Theia's journal that he pauses. Gifted with a glance into her final thoughts, he is startled to learn how often she reflected upon their child. Fresh grief washes over him as he realizes that he failed to grant her dying wish. To lay eyes upon their lost daughter.

With fresh resolves, Radames packs his bags and leaves the fishing village behind - traveling the familiar road back to Herstial. The journey is long and tiresome, his mind set firmly upon his goal. He would do whatever it took to see his child - to explain to her just how much her mother loved her. Drawing closer to the kingdom of his past, the one-time prince soaks up every shred of information he can. He learns of his sister - a sickly child born shortly after his exile. The princess's health appears to be a favorite topic of conversation as many doubt her ability to rule. Even so, it is clear that the mare is loved. A twinge of pain twists his heart. A lifetime ago it was his own name that inspired such devotion. Now he was forgotten. Nothing more than a shadow.

With no more than a week's journey ahead of him, panic permeates the roads leading to Herstial. Talk of fire is spread as survivors flee the ruined city. Careful to keep to himself, Radames learns as much as he can off the lips of strangers. The royal family has been lost - their entire household consumed by the unstoppable blaze. Renewed grief destroys the final threads of hope the stallion had of ever having a family. Theia is dead, and it seems that their daughter now too has been lost. There is nothing left for the forgotten prince to do but return whence he came.

At the first chance he is gifted, he boards a ship - this time without ties to the land. With no plans to ever return to the life he'd once endured, he sets out to explore far off corners of the world. Years pass in a blinking of an eye and it is during an expedition that fate once again interferes in Radames' life. Far at sea, a hurricane disrupts an otherwise quiet evening. A storm unlike any other, the sailors battle against the towering waves and gusts of wind. The storm demands sacrifice and it is as Radames is tying down the sails that he is knocked overboard. The hungry sea takes its victim - pulling the stallion far and away from any hope of rescue. Exhausted and hopeless, he submits himself to death only to wake upon the shore of a new land.

Novus.