Ser Richard Lyon

## Palette

**Ser Richard Lyon** of Moreth (better known as **Dick**) is a member of the Order, minor antagonist, and a supporting character in *the Unnamed Story* prequel, *the Chronicles of Paladin Wainwright*.

## History

Being the middle child in any family is bad enough, but being the middle child in a noble house is *exponentially* worse. Neither the heir *nor* the spare, Richard is second to last in line for his father's title, and holds no illusion of his chances toward it. His low position in the family line combined with his *untraditional* romantic preferences--not unusual on its own, but frowned upon in highborn circles--left him with next to no prospects; no title to claim, and no legacy to leave behind. Richard was well aware of his role, but that did not make him less bitter. Whether for the glory or the potential of future status, he joined the Order of Adavarion, his father's name and family record of military service gaining him easy entry to the Academy, and he treated it with the same spiteful determination than he showed toward everything. It wasn't until a near fatal-accident in the field his first year that the sheltered lordling realized the true dangers of the profession he had chosen. It was one of many realizations he would come to have during his career.

## Personality

Dick is *not* a nice person, and the nickname suits him perfectly well. Stubborn, spoiled and exceedingly arrogant, he goes about his life with the manner of a person entitled to *everything*, characteristic of his rank. If he wants it, he can have it; there is no other option. His sense of superiority often gets him into trouble, as he tends to look at anyone not equal to or above him in station as negligible at best. Quick to anger and easy to offend, he is every bit the lordling he should be. However, being raised in a military family seems to have left him with a strong sense of command, and he won't hesitate to take the helm when the situation calls for it. He has little patience for being contradicted or disobeyed, and shows a single-minded determination to achieve goals, no matter what they are.

In private, he is an entirely different man, thoughtful, observant, and almost reverent toward the things and people he admires, something he shows no sign of by light of day. He is even capable of diplomacy--another hallmark of his background--and shows a great respect for authority. Strangely enough, he is wholly unaware of how terrible he can be, and reacts with *comical* surprise when his polarizing behavior is pointed out.

## *The Chronicles of Paladin Wainwright*

An unfortunate run in with Din's first pursuers leaves the Party short half their supplies and missing two of their three mounts. With the prospect of a long walk back to Riverenbeck ahead of them, Paal takes matters into his own hands, and sets out to produre a horse. Never to be satisfied with second best, he quickly finds one--a black stallion, owned by an absolutely unbearable Temple knight. Ignoring cautionings from both Din and Petya, Paal elects to steal the horse, and he does so, leaving the now very angry knight stranded--but not for long. No more have they stopped for the night than the self-same knight happens upon them--or more rightly, upon *Petya*, alone in the woods. He had tracked his mount all that way, in search of the horse thief. Faced with the danger of exposing his friend and brother, the resourceful Scribe decided to take matters into his own hands--and in doing so, sparked a chain reaction that would change the course of the entire story.

## Relationships

### Petya

When Dick came across a golden-haired peasant alone on a Kyravellan backroad, he was immediately suspicious, and he had every right to be--but that didn't change the fact that that 'peasant' was Petya, and that his beauty and charm were hard to deny. What started as a tryst in a backwater inn quickly became something more. The magnetism between them was immediately tangible, profound enough even to change his entire demeanor, if only for Petya alone. The mysterious and sensual barbarian tapped into something inside of him--something gentle, and no doubt long-forgotten--bringing out qualities no one would have expected, like compassion. Humility. Even reverence. Though their involvement was short, they remain connected, and every third thought in Dick's head surrounds him. He may never be the same.

### Bower

At first meeting, Bower doesn't strike Dick as the type to be of any status, and it's an easy enough assumption to make of a farmboy. That Bower outranks him leaves him in a position to pull Dick off his high-horse, an opportunity he readily takes from the word go. Despite their initial rivalry, Bower's willingness to back him up quickly endears him to the moody corporal, whose dark and dour personality contrasts the sergeant's crass good humor. Simple but genuine, his candid manner inspires shocking loyalty in the imperious lordling. Bower stands as a valuable reminder to Dick that status does not define a man--and the value of not making enemies with everyone he sees.

## Trivia

* Dick is the first *guest* character introduced that is canonically gay to begin with. Incidentally, his love interest Petya is inspired by the very first gay character in Xanverse canon, Peter Yustinov.
* As a noble, Dick wears a signet ring under his gauntlets. As of yet he has made no show or use of it, but it exists as proof of his birthright.
* The only person in the text to call him Dick is Davien Bower.
* His standard weapon is a broadsword. Though he doesn't *start* with a shield, he is trained with one.
* Dick is the third son of Lord Robert of Moreth. His brothers from eldest down are Reynold, Rolland, and Roderick. He seems to share a strained relationship with them, due to his place in succession