Horatius Brightwing

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Horatius 	Horatius
 	
Artist 	IllusionTheDreamWing
Background 	Background
Creator 	IllusionTheDreamWing
Attributes 	Faith, goodwill
Color 	???
Voiceclaim 	
Father Paul Hill, Midnight Mass
Animal(s) 	???
MBTI 	???
Quote 	"You don’t have to earn the right to exist in this world. The truth is, we all have that right, starting from the moment we hatch. Every moment of our lives is worth fighting for, because it is a precious gift that will not come back. Trust me on this."
Character information	Character information
Aliases 	
*Father BrightWing
*"The Local Clergy"
Tribe 	SkyWings
Age 	39 (dragon years)
Pronouns 	He/Him
Gender 	Male
Orientation 	
Relatives 	
*Unnamed mother
*Unnamed father
*Alcyone (daughter)
*Kalanchoe (adopted son)
*Hellebore (adopted son)
*Staghorn (adopted daughter)
Occupation 	Priest, mortician
Residence 	Northwood, Sky Kingdom
Goal(s) 	
*Find the "Higher Power"/spread word of the Higher Force surrounding all beings (ongoing)
*Be the parent his dragonets never had (ongoing)
*Get in touch with Alcyone (ongoing)
Likes 	
*Small-chat
*Helping those in need
*Dragonets
Dislikes 	
*Conflicts
Abilities 	
*Standard SkyWing abilities
Weaknesses 	
*???
Allies 	
*Dragontree Church
*Talons of Peace
Enemies 	
*Several high-ranking SkyWings, the SkyWing royal family
==Introduction==
Horatius Brightwing is an adult male SkyWing and a former student at Jade Mountain Academy. He currently resides in Northwood town, a small mountain village in the Sky Kingdom, and is a member of the Talons of Peace.
He is a priest, a mortician, and the founder of Dragontree Church as well as the local shelter for hybrids (in collaboration with Sanctuary). He is the adoptive father and mentor of Staghorn, Kalanchoe, and Hellebore, three hybrid dragonets he took under his wing at the end of the War of SandWing Succession.
==Description==
Horatius's scales are a delicate shade of pale, resembling the color of cedar, while his underbelly gleams with a warm peanut hue bordering on pearl, mirroring the color of his horns and spine. 
His physique is characterized by a tall and slender build which, together with his composed demeanor and his soothing energy, add to his overall appeal and make him stand out in a crowd. Whether he is engaged in a conversation or simply going about his day, Horatius exudes an effortless charm that is hard to miss.
His eyes are a deep shade of dark brown not commonly seen in SkyWings, and so is his enveloping gaze, reassuring as much as it is ominous. It is not a "sinister" or "icy" sort of ominous, but there is something behind it that you can't quite put your talon on.
Despite his constant exhaustion, he puts in every effort to mask it as he does not want to trouble those who depend on and put their trust in him with his weariness. 
On the right side of his neck, right on his jugular, he bears several nasty scars that seem to have been inflicted by some extremely sharp claws in beastly fashion, as they have left visible marks that never fully healed. Furthermore, his right horn is shattered and damaged, which he has stated on multiple occasions that he is not fond of. 
Horatius’s voice has been described as low and oddly comforting. An addicting, mesmerizing sound that draws you in. It’s smooth, almost buttery, with a barely noticeable gravelly undertone. Additionally, his tone can change drastically and becomes surprisingly passionate whenever he shares his faith or religious point of view.
Around Horatius's neck is a simple leather collar adorned with a ring of keys supposedly belonging to the gates of the Church, his house, and the local Hybrid Shelter. A black or (every so often) purple robe covers his chest and shoulders, the somber color enhancing his slim build and mirroring his dark-colored eyes. Additionally, and less visibly, a single silver ring gleams from his unshattered right horn.
Attached to a strap across his torso is a jet-black leaf bag, a souvenir bringing him both usefulness and memories from his travels in the Pantalan continent. 
Occasionally perched upon his snout are small round glasses with thick lenses, which he usually uses to engage in his hour-long reading habits.
==Personality==
...and I detest all my sins...
Horatius is an open-minded and unbiased SkyWing who does not get easily offended unless it concerns one of his strangest quirks, such as his obsession with incense-scented candles, or a particularly personal topic. 
He holds strong religious beliefs and believes in a higher power that surrounds us all but is often ignored. Furthermore, Horatius has previously been attacked and infected by a VampyrusWing affected by Misaunter's curse, which has led to him developing an intense negative superstition of bat-like creatures over time. It is also the main cause of his unwavering obsession with scented candles, which drives him to carry an additional stash of five or ten in his bag at all times.
He can be unconsciously daring and bold at times, traits that he brings from his youth and that he fears his dragonet Kalanchoe might have somehow inherited from him, despite not having any direct blood relation with him.
Although he works tirelessly, he refuses to take any breaks or time off for himself. It's as if the mere idea of taking a break fills him with dread about the potential consequences. This habit of not giving himself any respite often leads to him feeling bogged down and stressed out. As a result of his exhaustion, small but noticeable quirks appear in his overall demeanor, such as a tired glint in his eyes or his stance sagging more than usual. Nonetheless, he remains willing to lend an ear to others' troubles, with a remarkable commitment to aiding them in finding a solution to their issues, whatever they may be.
He doesn't usually dwell on the small mistakes and regrets of the past, except when it comes to his dragonets, whom he feels a profound sense of responsibility towards and considers the most important purpose of his life. Despite denying it to himself, deep down, he fears they might leave him one day, forget about him, and move on with their own lives.
==Trivia/headcanons==
*Horatius was inspired by Father Paul Hill from the original horror miniseries Midnight Mass;
*A poll was held to decide the character's final name, and "Horatius" won. Horatius's name reflects his life philosophy, and it means "Timekeeper";
*His life philosophy is, "Whether it's the best of times or the worst of times, make the best out of what little time you have left in this life.";
*Horatius's page contains some unreleased VampyrusWing content(?);
==Backstory==
...but most of all because they offend Thee, my God,
===Early life (TW: violence, mild gore)===
As a young dragon just out of his town, Horatius took a position as a mortician and healer at the SkyWing royal palace. There, Horatius first encountered Princess Beryl. Though she was royalty, Beryl detested her upbringing. 
She found kinship in Horatius, who listened without judgment as she vented her frustrations, and in response, he spoke of his thoughts and beliefs. In such moments together, a fondness grew between them that blossomed into affection. A deep passion that one would not dare to break or interfere with. But a fearful one, at that. It would not be approved for royalty to engage with commoners like the young mortician.
Each night, at midnight, as the moon rose over the grand pillars of the palace, Horatius awaited his clandestine meetings with Beryl in the forest and there, in the woods, growing dread took root in his heart. Rumors had begun to spread below the palace walls, and while the townsfolk saw only young love, Horatius knew the queen would view it as the most appalling betrayal.
Horatius and Beryl's romance had resulted in the hatching of an egg. Eager to protect her newborn dragonet from potential harm, Beryl kept the hatchling hidden for some time. It soon became clear, however, that she could not continue raising a dragonet indefinitely within the palace walls without risk of exposure.
They had planned to escape the palace under cover of darkness, intending to start their family away from the queen's domain. Unbeknownst to them, another dragon had observed signs of their secret affair, and on the night of their intended departure, Beryl was intercepted by a guard before meeting Horatius as arranged.
The queen herself confronted the pair, a glint of malicious glee in her eyes as she accused the pair of betrayal and, by her command, a violent conflict ensued. Or better so, a slaughter.
Despite Horatius's attempt to shield her with his wings, Beryl was the first to lunge at her attackers, true to her bold personality. It all happened so fast, and yet it seemed like the fight was over before it could begin.
He knew not when or by whose talon the crushing blow came that struck him down. All he registered was a blinding flash of pain in his skull before darkness took him.
When awareness slowly returned, Horatius found himself sprawled upon the blood-stained grass, the coppery scent filling his nose. He clenched his broken horn, bewildered and lost, trying to remember through the pain.
His eyes wandered just above the line of bloody grass that surrounded him, and he knew.
It would be forever engraved in his mind, that picture. That perfectly detailed mental picture of Beryl, the love of his life, set upon that pyre, engulfed in raging flames soon to scorch her scales, alongside the desperate cries of their beautiful dragonet as she was taken away.
It would all remain burned in his memory and, ever since, her face would haunt him at night, asking why. Why. Why. Why? You have failed. Why have you failed?
==Relationships==
===Canon===
<tabber>
|-|=
|-|(†) Beryl | positive=
Horatius's late partner. Beryl often visited Horatius at the palace hospital where he worked as a healer. They bonded over their discussions and experiences and soon became close friends. 
In time, their friendship blossomed into love. Together they had a daughter, Alcyone. When their secret romance was discovered, Beryl was executed for her affair with Horatius. Her death deeply wounded him, both physically and mentally. Horatius was often haunted by dreadful and often horrific visions of Beryl in the years that followed.
After years spent traveling, Horatius found peace with Beryl's death. On his journey home, her spirit appeared, healed. Though silent, she reassured him. They shared a last moment before she vanished, never to be seen again.
|-|Staghorn (+)=
Staghorn is the middle child of the three dragonets taken under Horatius's wing, being neither younger nor older than either brother. She often assists him at the church and helps care for her younger (albeit not-so-young) brothers. 
Due to her insecurities, Staghorn has developed a close father-daughter bond with Horatius. He occasionally sees glimpses of his late partner Beryl in Staghorn's eyes, which stirs nostalgia within him.
Horatius feels torn between his hope that Staghorn will one day find independence and start a family of her own and his desire for her to remain by his side.
|-|Kalanchoe (+)=
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus libero dui, gravida ac faucibus quis, congue id eros. Praesent et efficitur enim, at placerat nulla. Aenean nec lobortis nisl. Proin nec sem magna.
|-|Hellebore (+)=
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus libero dui, gravida ac faucibus quis, congue id eros. Praesent et efficitur enim, at placerat nulla. Aenean nec lobortis nisl. Proin nec sem magna.
|-|Alcyone/Pariah (-+)=
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus libero dui, gravida ac faucibus quis, congue id eros. Praesent et efficitur enim, at placerat nulla. Aenean nec lobortis nisl. Proin nec sem magna.
</tabber>
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===Fanon ===
Relations throughout the wiki
Status: closed
<tabber>
|-|=
|-| Duskweaver (+)=
During his stay in Pantala, Horatius used to visit Duskweaver rather often. From the moment they met, he was captivated by the cartomancer's mysterious demeanor, as well as his profession.
Despite never having asked Duskweaver to read his cards due to his beliefs, Horatius always showed respect and intrigue in Duskweaver's creed, however secretive it may be. Whenever he had the chance, he scribbled facts and details about the other's job in his notebook.
Horatius has always found Duskweaver pleasant to be around and converse with, rather than tedious or ominous.
</tabber>
==Playlist==
"Nearer my God to Thee"/"Nearer my God to Thee" (Midnight Mass version)
"Guaranteed" - Eddie Vedder
"Time in a Bottle" - Jim Croce
"O Sons and Daughters" - Midnight Mass
==Notes==
*Feel free to share your headcanons - all contributions are greatly appreciated!
*Brightwing has been present on the wiki for 4 April 2024 19:19:00
==Gallery==
File:Horatius Brightwing.png|Headshot
Category:Characters
Category:Males
Category:SkyWings
Category:Work in Progress
Category:Occupation (Other)
Category:Status (Commoner)
Category:Status (Leader)
Category:Content (IllusionTheDreamWing)