Santiago Domingez

==Stats==
===Mark Tracker===
Marks: 3
Afflictions:
*Rumours circulate of a dark secret in the past of the Domingez family, hailing from the days of ancient Esparr.
===Advances===
From Previous Athesias:
*Dawn King's Crown (Voting, +1 Governance) - The Dawn King's Crown was worn by the ancient kings of Esparr and was worn in ancient times as a powerful symbol of authority. Since being found by Fr. Francis Domingez, it has been worn by him, and now his son Santiago, as they claim Lordship of the Dark Plains in the name of Pelor.
*Honour (Voting, +1 Governance) - Honour is a golden sceptre inscribed with a single word in High Plains "Honour". It can force from one who aims to deceive the Lord of the Dark Plains a truthful answer.
*Cathedral of Pelor (Ruined) (Voting, +1 Governance) - This mighty edifice of worship stood as a symbol and beacon of hope. Gifted to the church it is Santiagos hope that one day it will be rebuilt. Upon discovering it was ruined, he travelled to its site and rescued a gem that had placed at the tip of the radiant symbol of Pelor. He hopes this gem will one day rest in the renewed cathedral.
*State Militia Headquarters (Voting, +1 Defence) Raised to defend Athesia, the state militia have continued to wear the symbol of the House Domingez, ever watchful for their Lords return. Now returned to them, they fight anew against the rising tide of doom.
*State Capital (Voting, +1 Governance) - Incorporating the administrative functioning of his domain, before departing on his personal quest Santiago left this under stewardship of his Captain of his Guard. While nearly a decade has elapsed, his Captain has remained loyal and the capital remains the peaceful, prosperous place it once did.
*Legal Code (Voting, +1 Defence) - A legal code that governs the realms in Santiagos domain. To all are imbibed fundamental rights of freedom of movement, freedom of religion (save worship of Devils and daemons), freedom of speech, protection from malice and the right to lawful rebellion.
*Autumn 2015: Feudal Contract (Voting, +1 Defence) - The oaths sworn between banner men, nobles of the plains and those who serve them remain immutable, save only through lack of enforcement or through negligence on the part of the liege Lord. The oaths taken and made bind many to the banner of the House Domingez, and as Santiago returns from his haunting quest of five years length, these oaths stand renewed throughout his dominion. 
*Spring 2016: Historic Lineage (Noble Lord, +1 interest) - Hidden in the vaults of the library, deep underneath the humble family chapel, lies an ancient tome. Through it is traced the lineage of the Domingez line. Hailing as a cadet branch of the Royal House of the Dawn, the early years of this house are shrouded in time save one note - the line descends from the seventh son of an early Dawn King, a line forever sworn to serve Pelor in all things, and ensure that the plains forever remained under his light. Daughters have been wed and dowries to the noble houses in the past, including Pyreheart-Vespoya and Fuego, yet these marriages stopped around the time that Old Esparr began to fall. The records here sit almost empty, save that the line continued from noble son to noble son, yet even that, as darkness crept upon the world, failed. This line has been restored, with the noble blood awakened first in Francis, and then in Santiago, the one called forth and aged before his time as a noble scion of Pelor.
==Background==
Before joining the council of Athesia:
Santiago was borne to Francis and Amelia, in the second year of Francis' membership of the council. Within a year however disaster had struck, with a strange appearance of an ancient portal above Pelors mighty altar in Francis' humble church. A voice spoke to Amelia, commanding her to thrust her innocent son into the portal so that he could carry out the will of his God. Amelia struggled to carry out this command, and demanded to know why and when Santiago would be returned. All that was told was that innocence was needed to complete a task, and this scion of Pelor was required now, before such innocence upon his soul was lost. He would be returned but perhaps not unchanged, as time flows differently in other realms.
The return of Santiago:
The air was close, with the heat of the fire springing up to meet the cool side of his face. As he sat down Santiago began to weave the fabric of his past for those around him who were listening:
Lay "Yes, it is right, that my Father has had a blessed life, one full of service to the Lord Pelor. This service though has come at a price, which now must be deemed too costly. It is for this reason I have come to take his place, and yet upon your faces here I see not the welcome of those who are of noble heart, but fear and suspicion, as if those here present carry some great burden and taint upon their very soul. Have you truly not had rest from battle for such a time that this taint has permeated you?"
Around the fire, the faces of tired and weary soldiers, fresh from defending Athesia's nascent borders, nodded and grumbled in agreement. At this Santiago stood, and bidded them silence, as his weave began to flow.
"I have been as you, tired upon the battlefield, sent and ordered to continue when all I wished for was my bed. I was snatched from my parents when I was not yet fully grown, and cast out of this mortal world, beyond time and place until I came before a brightness that I had never conceived before. This brightness had no mouth, yet sweet lyrical rhyme came forth as if it was a bard of ancient Esparr. I knew at that point this was my Lord, this was Pelor himself, calling my sweet name to aid him in his battle!"
The soldiers around the fire stare awestruck at Santiago as he continues:
"He had a task, a task that none of his own angels could complete, and none who was a fully grown man would be able to finish. He had a task for a child to step forth onto the levels of hell itself, and retrieve for him a long lost shard of hope that he once shed as a tear.
At once I agreed to go for him, to push forth on this righteous quest. In the blink of an eye I was standing there, upon the very edge of a lava filled ravine. Towering behind me stood a watchtower, and somehow into that I knew I must step. Travelling ever upwards I finally reached the top. There, shedding light out for miles around the shard lay embedded as if formed from rock itself.
Reaching up and retrieving it, I could sense why I was needed, as no-one who lacked innocence was able it appeared to free such a wondrous shard from such an evil location. Once the shard was in my arms, I felt knowledge and age flow from within it. As soon as I was lifted by Pelor back to his presence I discovered I had aged to what you now see stood before you. The wisdom of many of Pelor's mighty rested within me, and I knelt then before my lord, requesting to be sent home to fights his enemies and aid my father in his cause."
At this the soldiers wait with baited breath as Santiago, glowing slightly from the radiance within seeks to end his tale.
"So now I am returned to you, and it is with such sadness that my father goes to seek rest and peace, forever as a hermit-man, but let us respect this wish of his, and fight now for a united plains and a united Athesia!"
With this, he turned and walked away.
Santiago joins the Council:
Upon his return, and after touring the battles that raged across the plains, Santiago returned home. He came across not the home he had left behind and a dark affliction had come to pass upon his father. He spoke at length of the noble deeds of the council and how important any United Kingdom of the Plains would be to the working of a United Athesia, but still this two were kept as separate ideals, with one joining the other, not subjugating itself wholly. A curse word, dark and deep was mentioned too - that of the Vanier! It was these that had afflicted his father, and with sadness Santiago tools his heirlooms, the crown, the titles and honour, to rule in his fathers stead. The only bright hope was his reunion with his mother, who was pleased to see he had come through the trials set. She understood little of the noble Lord who now stood before her as she had granted to her God a child, who returned now as a weathered soldier and scion full grown.
With blessings and carrying his heirlooms Santiago set forth for the Council that was gathering. He rode for many days and arrived at Unity Island. There he knelt before the King and swore these words, binding himself to the Realm of Athesia as warrior, defender, healer and Lord of the Dark Plains:
" By my sword, whose hilt is proffered here, I swear to uphold the rule of Kiya throughout my dominion. The Dark Plains shall be united under my rule, where I shall, and all my heirs shall, act as stewards and rulers under the High King Kiya, Lord of the United Athesia. My healing hand shall be spent in spreading Pelors power for life to those who are in need, and on the battlefield, against the darkest foes I shall spend my strength, to see these twin dreams realised. I swear this oath of fealty, in witness to the Lord Pelor, and through his strength shall spend my days upholding it."
Santiago upheld this promise, and spent three long years fighting to see this realised. His dominion expanded across the realms, and even took to strange places in the elemental plain. At times, Lords of Athesia administered these realms in his stead, when he was unavailable to serve due to a prolonged time spent campaigning to secure the borders. At these times of absence he walked as an ordinary soldier, glad in simple gear with no fanfare or banners, opting to act as a scout and volunteering often for long, individual missions on the plains. Many deacons and Devils learnt to fear him though throughout these times. 
Santiagos disappearance:
It was during a brisk Autumn walk that word reached Santiago that his father had disappeared, and he knew not where he had gone. This grieved him as the last message from Francis, bore darker words than he had ever read, with talk of the weight upon his soul being now an unbearable burden. Santiago resolved that this needed his attention and departed on a quest to try and save his father. This was done secretly as Santiago feared the action of the enemies besieging his fathers soul if it was openly known that such flight had occurred. Yet this action was taken to also uphold his oath to protect Athesia. Before his departure though he summoned the Castellan of Swynfort, where his capital stood and commanded that he follow the orders and directives of the other lords of Athesia in his absence, but to uphold the laws as handed down - save any that would be break apart the fledging Union of the plains. The Castellan was ordered to set a guard with the banners of the House at the gate every midsummer eve and look for Santiago there upon his return.
Travelling far and wide Santiago followed rumours of dark powers that could not be killed. He followed sources across the mountains, finding little rest save that which could be bought with the small coin earned through healing others. These dark shapes traced a groove across the mountains, cursed in ancient times by Gods, and also ventured often upon the plains yet no more than rumours could be found by the time Santiago arrived.
Yet it was on the plains that Santiago found his doom. Arriving late into a village, it became clear that something was wrong. Rumours had reached him of the return of the Dawn King, and Santiago was displeased by what he heard. There was no nobility in the principle line of the House of the Dawn anymore, as it was inbred, mad and corrupt. Santiago was glad that he had left the crown, honour and his most prized possessions deep within the vaults of Unity Island, in a small chapel dedicated to Pelor and stemming from ancient times. None save he knew this location and he was pleased that this was so, and the chapel was seldom visited even by those of the faithful. 
With haste he proceeded across the plains, eager to meet the council and fight the growing evil, as his quest had yielded no fruit. There was however an unseen problem, and ancient devil, one who had lost before in Santiagos youth, to his innocence now hunted him as he sped, and coming across him unawares, this devil succeeded in overpowering Santiagos, who no longer had innocence as a defence for he was a full grown man with sins upon his conscience.
This devil trapped Santiago within a soul gem, aimed at keeping him for torture. At times he brought Santiago out and tortured him, dripping lies and rumours of the failures of Athesia into his mind. Yet Santiago did not break. In earnest his mind spent long hours deep in communion and eventually, while the world outside changed, he grew in strength, until finally he felt the light of Pelor as he had never felt before. This light grew and out of the gem and it entrapment stepped Santiago, Lord of the Dark Plains, and he slew his foe. Little did he realise that five years had now passed since he last met with the council. He wondered, how many friends would still exist? How much had changed? These questions drove him in his escape, and finally he asked once more in the fresh air of the Dark Plains.
Santiagos Return:
Santiago crossed quickly towards his familial home and saw that much had changed. People looked uch the same but behind their eyes a darkness lay, heavy on their souls and this was made clear when news reached him that the Cathedral of Pelor had been destroyed. At once Santiago deviated from his path towards Unity Island, and turned towards a noble house, that had sworn fealty before his departure. Here he rested and discussed with the lords present all that had happened In his absence, much of which saddened Santiagos heart. Yet it was joyous to be reunited with kin folk and banner men who had held their oaths true. Borrowing the swiftest horse Santiago headed for the Cathedral Ruins, for there he had placed, above the high altar, a gem of principle significance as it had been taken by Francis from the Pommel of and Angels sword in the first expedition to the white tower of Pelor. This gem he found, unblemished by the ruin and the crater, and he took so that the cathedral could be rebuilt.
With this, and realising it was close to midsummer, Santiago headed back to Swynfort. Here he heard news that worried him deeply. The council had deposed the King, and law and Order no longer existed. This did not rid him of his Oath, and now Santiago needed to ensure that the United plains was properly represented in discussions. How long ago the deposition took place, he could not figure for it grieved his heart. On the midsummer eve it was pleasing though to see his banner lifted at the guardhouse, and as he had stated five long years past, he presented himself to the guard. The Castellan was overjoyed and sent messengers throughout the domain at once:
"The Lord Santiago has returned from dark paths and fire to us. Rejoice and let fly the banners of the Lord."
with this Santiago spent some time ordering matters to restore properly his dominion, before finally returning to Unity Island.
Santiago Rejoins the council:
The five years had seen many strange things occur and little could be gleaned as Santiago rode into Untiy Island. He first went and recovered the heirlooms of his house, including the crown, and once again placed it upon his head. He headed then for the council that had been summoned, and all he passed could see a noble Lord had once again returned,
That year he spent back with the council saw him undertake dangerous missions, fighting demons, and ending up in a naval battle. Most worrying was his interaction with the trickster Loki, and soon he hopes vengeance shall be meted out upon him. He returns again as matters of governance still require settling, yet the Lord of the Dark Plains has returned.
==Significant Relationships==
Fr. Francis Domingez - Father
Category:Characters
Category:Lords