Cyan Dawnburn

Cyan Dawnburn is a nineteen-year-old citizen of Aurora residing within the city of Fornost, working in The Order of the Aurora as a Paladin and as a brewer for The Ender Dragon Teashop. His family line is one lost to memory, as the otherworldly entity he’s been inflicted with has caused Cyan potent memory loss when he sleeps, resulting in him forgetting his parents, his religion, his ancestry, and even his name. ‘Cyan Dawnburn’ was coined by the young man himself, something he still often forgets.

Due to the deals he's been coerced into by Gambit, his memory has been preserved for the time being. Sleep no longer steals his memories, though what has been taken previously has not been returned.

Personality
"'‘Why Dawnburn?’ Well... I don’t really know how much longer I’ve got of being ‘me,’ so... I want to make the most of it. I-I want to shine. I want to flare higher than the sun can even hope to, hot enough to set fire to the dawning sky.' - Cyan, explaining his choice of last name." Cyan, above most else, wishes to be a kind person. From donating funds to his country to 'conveniently' forgetting to collect his pay, this is all based on his endeavor to be as bright of a beacon as he can, while he can, and to make up for the sins Gambit commits that he holds himself accountable for. In an outward appearance, Cyan is a conscientious, agreeable young man, caring to a fault and nervous in environments he isn’t prepared for. Mentally, however, Cyan holds immense, crippling anxiety to his predicament, constantly worrying if there’s something he’s forgetting or whether today will be the last day he can call himself ‘Cyan.’ Despite these concerns, he's tried to maintain an outgoing attitude in the effort to reach out to aid as many as he can.

However, ever since the Hearthport expedition, Cyan has developed far more reclusive tendencies. The loss of his left arm crippled his confidence and sense of self-worth as he was forced to sit by and watch while the people he was meant to protect went out to die for him. This deconstruction of his mental sanity has made him more susceptible to Gambit's deals, and, as such, he has developed far more magical potential than expected. The trauma of what he had been through still resonates with the boy today; Comments on his arm cause him to 'zone-out' of the situation with him unknowingly grasping his shoulder. The replacement limb seems to have hindered this occurrence, but it is still evident that he holds some degree of PTS over the incident from how his personality crumbles into itself when in the presence of Lycans. Lately, Cyan's only been reaching to talk to only those he's already close to, and even then the scenarios of him doing so are far and few between; A massive difference from the outgoing personality the boy used to hold.

Background
While very little of his past can be recalled, his history in Aurora has been well documented by himself as a means to combat his forgetful nature. His age is one based on assumption, but he believes himself to have been roughly eighteen when he settled within the city of Fornost and has since been trying to carve a stake for himself in life. His personal ambition is one rare to match, as through immense effort he was able to become not only the richest citizen in Aurora, but in the entirety of Rathnir, though he would come to lose these titles in time. Even Gambit has taken note of the drive the boy has, as his comments seem to imply that Cyan is a particular stubborn host; One that is fortunately lasting longer than he should.

Before he made a deal to retain his memory, there was one that Cyan never could forget, and though he does not recall when or how he had it, the contents still remain. The memory was some form of vison: Rows and columns of checkered spaces in an empty pit of black, pieces dancing and crossing it in maneuvers both illegal and incomprehensible, all showing a game of what looked like chess being bastardized and perfected. Despite the sight lasting what must have been a second, Cyan could recall the vision with pristine clarity. It is evident that the world observed there is what Gambit refers to as "The Board."

Though he knows he had to have lived an entire life before Gambit afflicted him, there is just one artifact from whoever he was before, and that item is a ripped piece of red cloth. Even then, Cyan doesn't know anything about it, though he has commented on it 'reminding him of home.' Keeping it stuck to him at all times by his belt, the item serves to him as a physical representation of what he strives to do in Rathnir: Recovering the purity of life that was ripped from his hands. Unfortunately, no matter what Cyan does, Gambit proves to be inevitable and the lackluster time he believes he holds left serves as a motivator for him to do all that he can with what he has.

=Gambit= "“I’ve seen it hundreds of times before. Allow me to make it clear: Everything you see will rot. Every person you meet will falter. Not a single glory in this world will last beyond your death, and through it all, you will struggle for a reality you know you can't reach. Even after you've seen The Board, you refute me? How... vain.” - Gambit to Cyan, the current soul he’s possessing."

The Voice
A spirit traumatized beyond comprehension, the voice tainting Cyan’s soul is an otherworldly, immortal, dimension-hopping anomaly, belonging to a race long extinct in a reality that no longer exists. The one thing known about this being’s past is his name: Gambit. Through personal writings, Cyan has documented every bit of information he has let slip, allowing Cyan to remember certain things about the entity; Most things listed here were discovered through this method.

Gambit’s influence is the direct reason for Cyan’s memory loss. As the days go by, Gambit’s control over Cyan grows, and with it, his soul begins to be assimilated into the spirit’s. Cyan’s memory isn’t due to an illness like dementia; His very soul is being pulled away, as day by day the tendrils of Gambit's presence overlap Cyan's own, stealing information and individuality together.

The afflictions Gambit causes aren’t limited to Cyan’s memory; Rather, the amnesia appears to be a side effect of the being’s presence, since its main influence being that every time Cyan goes to rest, Gambit gains autonomy of his body. This control seems to accelerate the assimilation between the two souls, causing both the corrosion of Cyan’s memory while simultaneously granting Gambit a physical presence in the world of Rathnir.

The One They Call, “Slumlord”
"'I am not going to have my vessel perish due to a single lapse in judgement. One slip-up, one misstep, one split-second of hesitation at the wrong time, and all of my work is naught but ash. Cast to the dancing flame, and burnt. ...I cannot have that.' - Gambit informing Cyan of the stakes, noticing his hesitation in finishing off Frieda." Bodily possession is a terrifying prospect, and the use Gambit has for Cyan’s body only works to cement that statement. When assuming control, Gambit acts as a narcissistic, brutally violent, manipulative man sowing chaos and corruption where he can. Utilizing discrete magics to empower and employing hard-to-witness tactics of 'persuasion', Gambit is the entity behind the publicly undetermined man many throughout Fornost fear to call the Slumlord. Through his connections in the criminal underworld, the Slumlord has gathered monetary prosperity, an infamous reputation, and - what Cyan believes Gambit is truly after - taboo secrets of arcane practices.

Evident from Cyan’s writings, the acting Gambit does as the brutal legend in Prolin is only to establish a position therein to garner wealth as a means to learn of the grandest magics in this world; A horrifying revelation when one comes to find that Gambit seems to master these arts with ease, likely attributed to the being’s assumed lifespan being not only several millennia, but several realities long, and having gained mystical experience over hundreds of thousands of lifetimes. Cyan claims Gambit views Rathnir as only the next stepping stone in the being’s journey towards becoming a “Grandmaster,” and has admitted to being willing to sacrifice anything it has to accumulate knowledge.

It may appear that not even Gambit knows what he truly needs, however, it seems that something recently has shifted his course of actions. His rampageous cruelty has died down in favor of careful positioning and the making of a vast number of deals. The why for this is unknown, but the implications are horrifying; Gambit has concocted a plan. One that not even Cyan knows the extents of.

Equipment and Abilities
"'Through Gambit's deals, for once in his life, he had power. The power to protect himself to a degree no mundane man could ever hope to. ...Is that what he was looking for?' - Cyan's inner monologue, considering if the price of his deals were worth it."

Equipment
Rising Dawn - Cyan's signature weapon, Rising Dawn is a crudely-forged ball of sharp meteoric metal collected from the meteor that struck to the south of Fornost, connected to a handle by a series of chains. The flail's ball, due to its material, is incredibly dense - So much so that it is not feasible for Cyan to wield it if he could not use magics to strengthen himself.

Black King's Set - Composed of the Black Knight's Helm, the Black Rook's Cuirass, the Black Bishop's Greaves and the Black Pawn's Treads, this suit of armor was crafted by Gambit himself and serves to provide utmost protection and security. Though incredibly clunky - and immensely heavy, - Gambit has shown to be able to move in it with unsightly fluidity. Due to Cyan not being proficient in the magics to lighten its load, he has opted to wear it while potion-brewing or bomb defusing, earning itself the common title of 'The Bomb Suit'.

The Connector - A proposed item Cyan has designed and seems to be working on constructing now. The Connector is a circular band with a thin disc filling the center of the inside, all composed of hardened meteorite and coated with intricate runic symbols along its surface. The item, in theory, would allow Cyan to store whatever is slotted in it into a form of pocket-dimension, and when fit over his left shoulder would grant him the ability to swap out prosthetics at the drop of a dime.

Abilities
Artificery - A set of abilities Cyan has always been accustom to. All matters of small-scale engineering seem to come to Cyan with ease, and in another life, he might have found his passion in the art. Regardless, the skill is not let to waste away, and he is always seen employing it in matters both mundane and magical. The intricate gauntlets he tends to wear were constructed from himself, possessing a number of small tools hidden in compartments across them.

Brewing - Both in relation to his ability of a potion crafter and that of a teashop worker. Before he really got into military service, Cyan helped the Order by brewing vast amounts of potions for them from his own supply, resulting in him having developed a very extensive knowledge over potion making. For the culinary aspect, he may not be the greatest at brewing drinks, though his time spent with Buks as a worker and a friend has caused him to have more proficiency in the art than the common man.

Abjuration - Stemming from his knack for Artificer work, Abjuration was one of the first kinds of magics Cyan delved into, granting him a basis towards improving his other forms of magic through the enhancements and magical modifications granted by this one.

Divination - The field of magic centered around learning esoteric pieces of information from magical devices. Along with Abjuration, the developing of this field has aided immensely in the researching of others, granting Cyan tools towards pinning down the aspects and traits of other anomalies.

Mystic Assimilation - A tactic taught by Gambit. Through the spirit's want for developing magics, he has opted towards completely opening all mana channels in Cyan's body to allow the both of them to directly draw the essence of materials for spellcasting. Commonly, the desired material is absorbed through their palm, though the tactic is by no means required to be done by that part of the body.

Thermokinesis - The first field of magic Gambit taught to Cyan, Thermokinesis is the magic centered on speeding or slowing the composition of materials, allowing one to heat or chill them. To employ this, one must follow equivalent exchange, and to heat or chill anything, an equal fuel must be utilized. For example, through using Mystic Assimilation, Cyan is able to absorb a chunk of coal through the palm of his hand, and then imbue objects or people with a degree of heat equal to how much material was absorbed. Inversely, he is also able to directly draw the heat of warm surfaces into his body, allowing him to cool the afflicted item in question.

Chronurgy - First learned in passing, later amplified immensely by Gambit's influence, Chronurgy is the field of magic derived around influencing and bending time itself. Through it, Cyan is able to speed up, slow down, or rewind mundane, basic objects with ease, and magical items or other living creatures with difficulty. Currently, affecting other people with this ability is nigh-impossible, though it could be eased if the person in question is willing to be affected.

Graviturgy - Learned and amplified same as the above, Graviturgy is the field of magic derived around influencing and bending space itself. This magic is most easily induced by manipulating gravity, a technique Cyan uses commonly to make items easier to lift or materials easier to break. Though gravity is a feasible technique, it is not the only one theoretically possible, and Cyan believes that he could be able to utilize it create portals between locations for teleportation, similar to Enders, or even develop a form of telekinesis through controlling the space items occupy.

Inexplicable Constitution - Despite being a smaller-than-average man, Cyan possesses some impressive degree of bodily constitution. In the Entente War, he was blown up with very little lasting injury. After an argument with the Oathkeeper of the Order resulted in a savage beating from the Ender, Cyan woke up showing signs of only scrapes and a minor headache. And after the events of Hearthport, Cyan had his left arm severed and shoddily bandaged, was beaten and had his head-slammed into a pillar, impacted into the ocean from upwards of ten meters, drowned, washed ashore in the middle of nowhere, survived in the wilderness while crippled for a time of two and a half weeks, before managing to get himself back to Fornost by no one's devices beyond his own. There doesn't seem to be any magical ability to explain this; One might say that he is naturally "built different."

Gallery


(Credit goes to BellaCant for the first artwork.)

Trivia

 * During the slight discussion between Aurora and Boulderov regarding the anomalies within the latter's prized boulder and meteors throughout the land, Gambit was the one to inadvertently start the altercation between the two through informing Cyan as to the presences contained within them.
 * Luckily for Cyan, the Slumlord's identity has yet to be discovered, with Gambit only acting while wearing some form of mask to disguise himself.
 * Cyan is slightly self-conscious of the shadows under his eyes, taking measures to hide them when he can remember.
 * Ever since Gambit has possessed him, Cyan has become a prodigy at the game of Chess.
 * Cyan's oldest pet is a fox gifted to him soon after he arrived at Fornost named Mischief.
 * Cyan, as far as he remembers, has been in two relationships, both ending with the other assumedly cheating on him.
 * To his creator's misfortune and pleasure, a dice roll decided that Gambit has been to Earth, though despised it immensely.
 * Another roll has decided that the sole thing he enjoyed from that lifetime was the McRib.